Biology Degree in Arlington, TX — Salary & ROI 2026
Biology degree analysis for Arlington, TX. COL-adjusted salary data, local tuition costs, ROI calculator, and job market outlook.
Starting Salary
$45K
COL-adjusted
Mid-Career
$70K
COL-adjusted
ROI Payback
8.4 yrs
in Arlington
Cost of Living
93.5
index (100 = avg)
Biology in Arlington, TX Overview
Arlington, Texas (pop. 394,266) has 14 colleges offering Biology programs. The local cost of living index of 93.5 is near the national average, with average rent near campus at $795/month. Biology enrollment is stable nationwide, with steady demand for graduates skilled in Cell Biology and Genetics. The adjusted starting salary in Arlington is approximately $44,880, growing to $70,125 by mid-career.
Category
STEM
Local Colleges
14
Public Tuition
$10,900/yr
Private Tuition
$36,000/yr
Room & Board
$14,627/yr
Avg Fin. Aid
$14,822/yr
Unemployment
3.3%
Graduation Rate
51%
Biology Salary in Arlington (COL-Adjusted)
Salaries adjusted for Arlington's cost of living index of 93.5 (national average = 100).
Note: National average Biology salary: $48,000 starting, $75,000 mid-career, $95,000 senior level.Arlington adjustment factor: 0.94x based on the local cost of living index.
Biology ROI Calculator for Arlington
Estimate your return on investment for a Biology degree using local Arlington tuition and cost of living data.
Public avg: $10,900 | Private avg: $36,000
Arlington avg aid: $14,822/yr
Federal avg: 6.5% | Private: 4-14%
Total Education Cost
$102,108
tuition + room & board - aid
Annual Earnings Premium
$12,155
vs HS diploma in Arlington
ROI Payback Period
8.4 years
to break even
Lifetime Return in Arlington
$271,892
Lifetime earnings premium ($374,000) minus total education cost ($102,108)
Student Loan Payoff for Biology in Arlington
Standard Plan (10 years)
Aggressive Plan (5 years)
Colleges in Arlington for Biology
Arlington State University
public
$11,254/yr
$45,016 total
University of Arlington
public
$12,320/yr
$49,280 total
Community Colleges (2-Year Transfer)
Arlington Community College
$5,331/yr
Texas Technical College - Arlington
$5,252/yr
Top Employers for Biology in Arlington
Arlington offers opportunities in Tech companies, Research labs, Government agencies for Biology graduates. National top employers in this field include:
Key Arlington Hiring Sectors for STEM
Tech companies
Research labs
Government agencies
Startups
Consulting firms
Common Biology Job Titles
Biology in Nearby Texas Cities
Houston, TX
$55K starting · COL 115
90 colleges
San Antonio, TX
$58K starting · COL 120
58 colleges
Dallas, TX
$50K starting · COL 104
82 colleges
Austin, TX
$51K starting · COL 107
30 colleges
Fort Worth, TX
$48K starting · COL 101
19 colleges
El Paso, TX
$45K starting · COL 93
38 colleges
Corpus Christi, TX
$39K starting · COL 82
22 colleges
Plano, TX
$41K starting · COL 85
9 colleges
Other STEM Majors in Arlington
Prompt Engineering
$47K starting · 1.5 yr ROI
Computational Linguistics
$89K starting · 2 yr ROI
Computer Science
$79K starting · 2.8 yr ROI
Software Engineering
$82K starting · 2.7 yr ROI
Data Science
$77K starting · 3 yr ROI
Actuarial Science
$47K starting · 3 yr ROI
Cybersecurity
$75K starting · 3 yr ROI
Robotics Engineering
$47K starting · 3 yr ROI
Biology Degree in Arlington — FAQ
Data Sources: Salary data from BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook. Cost of living from BLS Regional Data. College data from NCES/IPEDS. Updated March 2026.
Explore More
Compare Biology ROI in other cities, or explore other majors in Arlington.