Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology: earnings, debt, and careers
CIP 26.02. Official graduate outcomes from the U.S. Department of Education across 1,140 programs, and the careers this field is linked to.
Graduate earnings by credential level
| Credential | Programs | Graduates (recent year) | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Typical program median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Undergraduate certificate | 9 | 2 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Associate's degree | 18 | 25 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Bachelor's degree | 732 | 11,642 | $43,049 | $65,466 | $20,500 150 programs |
| Post-baccalaureate certificate | 2 | 0 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Master's degree | 182 | 902 | $58,255 | $80,271 | Data unavailable |
| Doctoral degree | 170 | 1,059 | $91,011 | $112,683 | Data unavailable |
| Professional degree (JD, MD, and similar) | 4 | 3 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Graduate certificate | 23 | 187 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
National earnings are published by the Department of Education for each field and credential level Verified data. Typical program median debt is ConnectPrep's calculation: the median across programs of each program's median federal debt Calculated estimate. It covers federal loans only.
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, Most Recent Field of Study Data. Varies by measure; see measure definitions. Published October 15, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Bachelor's degree programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of San Diego CA · Private, nonprofit · 18 graduates measured | $65,140 | $83,380 | Data unavailable |
| San Francisco State University CA · Public · 42 graduates measured | $62,350 | $76,134 | $17,500 |
| University of Massachusetts-Boston MA · Public · 31 graduates measured | $61,724 | $85,296 | $22,479 |
| University of California-Santa Barbara CA · Public · 23 graduates measured | $61,491 | $90,694 | $5,500 |
| Northeastern University MA · Private, nonprofit · 62 graduates measured | $60,938 | $90,612 | $17,817 |
| University of New Hampshire-Main Campus NH · Public · 35 graduates measured | $57,626 | $87,075 | $27,000 |
| California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo CA · Public · 21 graduates measured | $56,115 | $78,097 | Data unavailable |
| Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute NY · Private, nonprofit · 20 graduates measured | $55,598 | Data unavailable | $27,000 |
| University of Vermont VT · Public · 43 graduates measured | $55,289 | $80,593 | $20,750 |
| California State University-San Marcos CA · Public · 36 graduates measured | $53,599 | $65,479 | Data unavailable |
| University of Kansas KS · Public · 33 graduates measured | $53,479 | $81,568 | $20,500 |
| University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus CO · Public · 21 graduates measured | $53,430 | Data unavailable | $21,871 |
| Towson University MD · Public · 36 graduates measured | $53,025 | $54,367 | $21,707 |
| Montclair State University NJ · Public · 44 graduates measured | $52,941 | $81,519 | $20,250 |
| University of Wisconsin-La Crosse WI · Public · 21 graduates measured | $52,786 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Master's degree programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| George Washington University DC · Private, nonprofit · 26 graduates measured | $81,204 | $86,130 | Data unavailable |
| Drexel University PA · Private, nonprofit · 20 graduates measured | $75,687 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center TX · Public · 41 graduates measured | $67,034 | $72,352 | Data unavailable |
| Georgetown University DC · Private, nonprofit · 42 graduates measured | $60,552 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Lipscomb University TN · Private, nonprofit · 23 graduates measured | $50,023 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley TX · Public · 18 graduates measured | $49,482 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Johns Hopkins University MD · Private, nonprofit · 63 graduates measured | $49,426 | $75,157 | Data unavailable |
| University of Michigan-Ann Arbor MI · Public · 25 graduates measured | $47,109 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Doctoral degree programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of California-San Francisco CA · Public · 22 graduates measured | $124,057 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| University of California-Davis CA · Public · 19 graduates measured | $113,133 | $108,451 | Data unavailable |
| Ohio State University-Main Campus OH · Public · 18 graduates measured | $99,489 | $123,814 | Data unavailable |
| University of California-Los Angeles CA · Public · 26 graduates measured | $93,539 | $134,860 | Data unavailable |
| Indiana University-Bloomington IN · Public · 19 graduates measured | $85,170 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| University of Wisconsin-Madison WI · Public · 20 graduates measured | $84,941 | $126,758 | Data unavailable |
| University of Michigan-Ann Arbor MI · Public · 31 graduates measured | $71,665 | $116,369 | Data unavailable |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Careers linked to Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology
| Occupation | Median wage, all workers | Change 2025 to 2035 | Typical entry education |
|---|---|---|---|
| Natural sciences managers | $167,220 | +8.2% | Bachelor's degree |
| Biochemists and biophysicists | $127,410 | +12.3% | Doctoral or professional degree |
| Microbiologists | $87,990 | +6.2% | Bachelor's degree |
| Biological scientists, all other | $98,920 | +4.7% | Bachelor's degree |
| Medical scientists, except epidemiologists | $103,410 | +12.6% | Doctoral or professional degree |
| Food science technicians | $52,130 | +4.8% | Associate's degree |
| Biological technicians | $57,510 | +7.4% | Bachelor's degree |
| Biological science teachers, postsecondary | $84,620 | +7.3% | Doctoral or professional degree |
Occupations mapped to this field in the NCES and BLS CIP to SOC crosswalk. Occupation wages describe all workers, not recent graduates.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics and U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 Crosswalk. CIP 2020 and SOC 2018 taxonomies. Published April 30, 2020. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, National. May 2025 reference period. Published April 30, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, Table 1.2: Occupational projections, 2025-35, and worker characteristics, 2025. Base year 2025, projected year 2035. Published August 27, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Detailed CIP codes in this field (10)
- 26.0202 Biochemistry
- 26.0203 Biophysics
- 26.0204 Molecular Biology
- 26.0205 Molecular Biochemistry
- 26.0206 Molecular Biophysics
- 26.0207 Structural Biology
- 26.0208 Photobiology
- 26.0209 Radiation Biology/Radiobiology
- 26.0210 Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
- 26.0299 Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology, Other