Biology Degree in Irvine, CA — Salary & ROI 2026
Biology degree analysis for Irvine, CA. COL-adjusted salary data, local tuition costs, ROI calculator, and job market outlook.
Starting Salary
$52K
COL-adjusted
Mid-Career
$82K
COL-adjusted
ROI Payback
9.4 yrs
in Irvine
Cost of Living
109
index (100 = avg)
Biology in Irvine, CA Overview
Irvine is one of California's top college towns, with 24 institutions and a student population of 16,104. Public tuition averages $13,752/year here — near the national average for public universities. Biology enrollment is stable nationwide, with steady demand for graduates skilled in Cell Biology and Genetics. The adjusted starting salary in Irvine is approximately $52,320, growing to $81,750 by mid-career.
Category
STEM
Local Colleges
24
Public Tuition
$13,752/yr
Private Tuition
$33,606/yr
Room & Board
$19,564/yr
Avg Fin. Aid
$8,909/yr
Unemployment
3.8%
Graduation Rate
46%
Biology Salary in Irvine (COL-Adjusted)
Salaries adjusted for Irvine's cost of living index of 109 (national average = 100).
Note: National average Biology salary: $48,000 starting, $75,000 mid-career, $95,000 senior level.Irvine adjustment factor: 1.09x based on the local cost of living index.
Biology ROI Calculator for Irvine
Estimate your return on investment for a Biology degree using local Irvine tuition and cost of living data.
Public avg: $13,752 | Private avg: $33,606
Irvine avg aid: $8,909/yr
Federal avg: 6.5% | Private: 4-14%
Total Education Cost
$133,264
tuition + room & board - aid
Annual Earnings Premium
$14,170
vs HS diploma in Irvine
ROI Payback Period
9.4 years
to break even
Lifetime Return in Irvine
$302,736
Lifetime earnings premium ($436,000) minus total education cost ($133,264)
Student Loan Payoff for Biology in Irvine
Standard Plan (10 years)
Aggressive Plan (5 years)
Colleges in Irvine for Biology
University of California, Irvine
public
$13,752/yr
$55,008 total
Community Colleges (2-Year Transfer)
Irvine Valley College
$1,540/yr
Top Employers for Biology in Irvine
Irvine offers opportunities in Tech companies, Research labs, Government agencies for Biology graduates. National top employers in this field include:
Key Irvine Hiring Sectors for STEM
Tech companies
Research labs
Government agencies
Startups
Consulting firms
Common Biology Job Titles
Biology in Nearby California Cities
Los Angeles, CA
$68K starting · COL 141
69 colleges
San Diego, CA
$67K starting · COL 140
68 colleges
San Jose, CA
$62K starting · COL 129
95 colleges
San Francisco, CA
$55K starting · COL 114
22 colleges
Fresno, CA
$57K starting · COL 118
37 colleges
Sacramento, CA
$54K starting · COL 112
38 colleges
Long Beach, CA
$56K starting · COL 116
14 colleges
Oakland, CA
$63K starting · COL 132
13 colleges
Other STEM Majors in Irvine
Prompt Engineering
$55K starting · 1.5 yr ROI
Computational Linguistics
$104K starting · 2 yr ROI
Computer Science
$93K starting · 2.8 yr ROI
Software Engineering
$96K starting · 2.7 yr ROI
Data Science
$89K starting · 3 yr ROI
Astrophysics
$93K starting · 3 yr ROI
Actuarial Science
$55K starting · 3 yr ROI
Cybersecurity
$87K starting · 3 yr ROI
Biology Degree in Irvine — 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 Irvine.