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Informatics

Types of Degrees Informatics Majors Are Earning

People majoring in Informatics have the option of earning degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	17
Associate’s Degree	76
Bachelor’s Degree	1,470
Master’s Degree	1,438
Doctor’s Degree	66

What Informatics Majors Need to Know

Programs in Informatics build a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Informatics graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

According to O*NET, a major in Informatics emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Computers and Electronics — Importance 4.4 / 5; level 5.6 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Mathematics — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Design — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Engineering and Technology — Importance 3.1 / 5; level 3.6 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

The skill set built by a Informatics program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Programming — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Complex Problem Solving — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.6 / 7.

Abilities

Abilities most relevant to Informatics careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Written Comprehension — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Deductive Reasoning — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Oral Expression — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Problem Sensitivity — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Informatics graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Working with Computers	4.9 / 7
Getting Information	4.4 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.3 / 7
Thinking Creatively	4.3 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.3 / 7
Processing Information	4.2 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.1 / 7
Analyzing Data or Information	4.1 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	4.0 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	3.9 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Informatics professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Visual Studio	Development environment software	—
Extensible markup language XML	Enterprise application integration software	✓
C	Development environment software	✓
Structured query language SQL	Data base user interface and query software	✓
Git	File versioning software	✓
PHP	Web platform development software	—
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft SQL Server	Data base user interface and query software	—
C#	Object or component oriented development software	✓
Python	Object or component oriented development software	✓
Microsoft Project	Project management software	—
C++	Object or component oriented development software	✓

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Informatics graduates include:

• User Interface and User Experience Architect (UI/UX Architect)
• User Interface and User Experience Designer (UI/UX Designer)
• User Interface Designer (UI Designer)
• User Experience Designer (UX Designer)
• Interface Designer
• Internet Application Developer
• Game Tester
• Internet Site Designer
• Webmaster Analyst
• UX Researcher (User Experience Researcher)
• User Interface Developer (UI Developer)
• Web Site Specialist
• Web Consultant
• Internet Architect
• Product Designer

What Can You Do With a Informatics Degree?

Graduates with a degree in Informatics commonly enter the following occupations:

Occupation	Job Growth	Median Salary	25th–75th Pctile
Web and Digital Interface Designers	13.0%	$88,198	$70,323–$106,073
Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers	-1.7%	$80,062	$66,401–$93,722
Video Game Designers	2.6%	$62,617	$51,581–$73,653
Software Developers	13.5%	$76,447	$61,199–$91,695
Computer and Information Research Scientists	8.5%	$61,002	$49,559–$72,444

^{Job-growth = projected employment change for the parent occupation. Source: ONET / BLS Employment Projections.*}

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Informatics graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Bachelor’s degree	56.1%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	14.4%
Some college courses	7.5%
High school diploma or equivalent	6.1%
Master’s degree	4.5%
Postsecondary certificate	3.8%
Doctoral degree	3.5%
Less than a high school diploma	2.9%
Post-doctoral training	0.6%
First professional degree	0.3%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	0.1%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Informatics?

Gender Distribution

This field has a relatively balanced gender distribution: 41.9% women and 58.1% men among Informatics graduates.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	1,285	41.9%
Men	1,782	58.1%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Informatics graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	950	31.0%
Asian	505	16.5%
Hispanic or Latino	208	6.8%
Black or African American	219	7.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native	4	0.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	2	0.1%
Two or More Races	115	3.7%
Race Unknown	69	2.2%
International Students	995	32.4%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Informatics Graduates Earn?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of Informatics graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. These numbers tend to grow steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$69,148
4 years	$77,570
5 years	$88,131

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $88,131 — roughly 27% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online Informatics Programs

Fully online options is tracked by IPEDS for Informatics. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Bachelor’s	5	8
Master’s	8	10

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in Informatics Worth It?

On the earnings side, the federal earnings tracker, Informatics graduates earn a median of $77,570 four years after completion — roughly 104% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	Annual Degrees Awarded
Computer and Information Sciences, General	118,381
Computer Science	79,857
Computer and Information Sciences, General	67,926
Information Technology	42,322
Information Science/Studies	22,425
Computer Programming/Programmer, General	11,341
Computer Programming, Specific Applications	2,813
Computer and Information Sciences, Other	2,635
Artificial Intelligence	1,653
Cloud Computing	1,229
Human-Centered Technology Design	778
Computer Game Programming	492

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.