Biochemists and biophysicists salary
| Measure | Annual | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $74,290 | $35.71 |
| Median (50th percentile) | $127,410 | $61.26 |
| Mean (average) | $129,840 | $62.43 |
| 90th percentile | $201,110 | $96.69 |
These wages describe everyone employed in the occupation, from new entrants to experienced workers. They are not starting salaries and not earnings of graduates from any particular program. Verified data
Biochemists and biophysicists pay by state and metro area
Table: median wage and employment for all 38 states and territories
| State | Median | 10th pct | 90th pct | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $48,510 | $47,090 | $85,520 | 90 | 0.2 |
| Arkansas | $82,390 | $65,030 | $152,020 | ||
| California | $139,580 | $83,580 | $208,210 | 3,240 | 0.82 |
| Colorado | Data unavailable | 960 | 1.53 | ||
| Connecticut | $132,670 | $97,200 | $170,700 | 540 | 1.47 |
| Delaware | $101,880 | $62,210 | $155,080 | 490 | 4.62 |
| District of Columbia | $120,090 | $62,080 | $182,100 | 70 | 0.43 |
| Florida | $157,390 | $63,950 | $279,970 | 370 | 0.17 |
| Georgia | $85,680 | $77,280 | $228,170 | 110 | 0.1 |
| Illinois | $87,010 | $60,060 | $173,140 | 150 | 0.11 |
| Iowa | $101,090 | $65,950 | $136,840 | 140 | 0.41 |
| Kansas | $97,850 | $63,550 | $153,340 | 140 | 0.44 |
| Kentucky | $74,710 | $57,020 | $199,580 | 40 | 0.09 |
| Maine | $84,560 | $66,570 | $132,830 | 390 | 2.8 |
| Maryland | $100,650 | $65,510 | $159,330 | 690 | 1.15 |
| Massachusetts | $131,600 | $79,560 | $208,130 | 14,890 | 18.81 |
| Michigan | $109,340 | $58,580 | $142,350 | 730 | 0.76 |
| Minnesota | $81,280 | $62,370 | $126,930 | 190 | 0.3 |
| Missouri | $79,550 | $64,760 | $132,420 | 290 | 0.45 |
| Nebraska | $66,910 | $51,470 | $89,240 | 70 | 0.31 |
| Nevada | $69,220 | $42,050 | $149,430 | ||
| New Hampshire | $109,770 | $73,240 | $139,380 | 200 | 1.33 |
| New Jersey | $122,620 | $80,070 | $162,240 | 2,570 | 2.75 |
| New York | $101,080 | $66,140 | $165,710 | 980 | 0.46 |
| North Carolina | $82,220 | $62,850 | $160,940 | 570 | 0.53 |
| Ohio | $90,000 | $58,580 | $138,490 | 350 | 0.29 |
| Oklahoma | $69,130 | $51,750 | $101,100 | 70 | 0.18 |
| Pennsylvania | $134,090 | $82,890 | $172,820 | 2,750 | 2.08 |
| Puerto Rico | $64,140 | $49,260 | $80,180 | 130 | 0.62 |
| Rhode Island | $76,710 | $64,550 | $135,980 | ||
| South Carolina | $109,080 | $70,270 | $149,130 | 60 | 0.13 |
| Tennessee | $134,560 | $82,140 | $229,640 | 60 | 0.08 |
| Texas | $97,510 | $61,820 | $222,850 | 520 | 0.17 |
| Utah | $81,990 | $49,870 | $157,320 | 160 | 0.44 |
| Vermont | Data unavailable | 40 | 0.63 | ||
| Virginia | $105,780 | $74,640 | $221,880 | 70 | 0.08 |
| Washington | $98,840 | $64,010 | $128,040 | 270 | 0.34 |
| Wisconsin | $106,480 | $85,730 | $146,380 | 170 | 0.26 |
A location quotient above 1 means the occupation is more concentrated in that state than in the nation overall.
Metro areas with the most jobs
Highest paying metro areas
Job outlook for biochemists and biophysicists
- Average annual openings, 2025 to 2035: 2,900. Openings include new jobs plus replacement needs when workers retire or leave the occupation. Official projection
- Share of workers who are self-employed (2025): 2.7%.
- Read the official BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook profile.
These are official BLS projections. ConnectPrep does not alter them or present its own forecasts as official statistics.
Education and training for biochemists and biophysicists
- Typical entry education
- Doctoral or professional degree
- Related work experience
- None
- On-the-job training
- None
- O*NET Job Zone
- Job Zone Five: Extensive Preparation Needed
Highest education of people working in this occupation
O*NET describes this preparation level as: Most of these occupations require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree).
Degrees and programs that lead to this career
Programs officially mapped to this occupation in the NCES and BLS CIP to SOC crosswalk. A mapping means the program commonly prepares students for the occupation, not that every graduate works in it. Official crosswalk
- Biochemistry CIP 26.0202
- Biophysics CIP 26.0203
- Molecular Biochemistry CIP 26.0205
- Molecular Biophysics CIP 26.0206
- Structural Biology CIP 26.0207
- Biochemistry and Molecular Biology CIP 26.0210
- Cell/Cellular Biology and Anatomical Sciences, Other CIP 26.0499
- Biomechanics CIP 26.0913
- Pharmaceutics and Drug Design CIP 51.2003
Skills, knowledge, and daily work
Most important skills
Most important knowledge areas
Typical tasks
- Share research findings by writing scientific articles or by making presentations at scientific conferences.
- Teach or advise undergraduate or graduate students or supervise their research.
- Study physical principles of living cells or organisms and their electrical or mechanical energy, applying methods and knowledge of mathematics, physics, chemistry, or biology.
- Manage laboratory teams or monitor the quality of a team's work.
- Develop new methods to study the mechanisms of biological processes.
- Write grant proposals to obtain funding for research.
- Design or perform experiments with equipment, such as lasers, accelerators, or mass spectrometers.
- Determine the three-dimensional structure of biological macromolecules.
Technology skills
- Microsoft Excel (in demand)
- Microsoft Office software (in demand)
- Microsoft PowerPoint (in demand)
- Electronic lab notebook software (in demand)
- Adobe Photoshop (hot technology)
- Extensible markup language XML (hot technology)
- IBM SPSS Statistics (hot technology)
- Linux (hot technology)
- Microsoft Outlook (hot technology)
- Microsoft Visio (hot technology)
- Microsoft Word (hot technology)
- Perl (hot technology)
- Python (hot technology)
- R (hot technology)
- SAP software (hot technology)
- SAS (hot technology)
Transferable skills for career changers: Complex Problem Solving, Judgment and Decision Making, Instructing, Systems Analysis, Operations Analysis, Systems Evaluation.
Common job titles: Analytical Research Chemist, Biochemist, Biophysics Researcher, Scientist.
Is it worth it? Model the cost of getting there
Use the ROI calculator to compare the cost of the education this career usually requires against staying on your current path. It starts from the official wage distribution above, and you can change every assumption.
Frequently asked questions
How much do biochemists and biophysicists make?
The national median annual wage for biochemists and biophysicists was $127,410 in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program. The lowest paid 10 percent earned less than $74,290 and the highest paid 10 percent earned more than $201,110. These figures cover all workers in the occupation, not only new entrants.
What education do biochemists and biophysicists need?
BLS lists doctoral or professional degree as the typical education needed to enter this occupation, with none of related work experience and none on-the-job training typically needed to become competent.
Is biochemists and biophysicists a growing career?
BLS projects employment of biochemists and biophysicists to change +12.3% from 2025 to 2035, compared with +3.5% for all occupations. About 2,900 openings are projected each year on average, including openings from workers who retire or change occupations.
Which states pay biochemists and biophysicists the most?
By median annual wage in May 2025, the highest paying states were Florida ($157,390), California ($139,580), Tennessee ($134,560). Pay differences partly reflect differences in living costs.