Biochemists and Biophysicists Salary: $133,564 Median Pay (2026 stats)
TL;DR
About 34,520 biochemists and biophysicists nationally earn a mean of $133,564. Employment in the series shown fell about 32% from the first to the last year; projections imply about 1.3% annual decline.
Key Statistics
Biochemists and Biophysicists: what the data shows
Common questions about biochemists and biophysicists careers, answered from BLS OEWS and O*NET in this repository.
What is a biochemists and biophysicists?
Biochemists and Biophysicists is tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics under SOC 19-1021.
U.S. employment in our OEWS extract is about 34,520 workers.
What does a biochemists and biophysicists do?
O*NET work activities rated highest for this occupation include Analyzing Data or Information, Documenting/Recording Information, Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge, Thinking Creatively, Processing Information, Making Decisions and Solving Problems, and related tasks. See Work Activities for the full list.
How much does a biochemists and biophysicists make?
BLS national median annual wage: $103,650 (May 2024 in our extract).
Mean annual wage in our occupational extract: $133,564 — higher than the median, which often reflects top earners in the distribution.
Wage percentiles below are from the California OEWS extract (not national unless noted).
| Wage percentile | Annual wage |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $78,394 |
| 25th percentile | $95,527 |
| Median (50th) | $133,780 |
| 75th percentile | $164,944 |
| 90th percentile | $184,666 |
What education do you need?
For Biochemists and Biophysicists, O*NET incumbent surveys in our extract most often report: Some college (29%), High School or Equivalent (27%), Bachelors Degree (22%).
These are education levels of current workers, not minimum legal requirements.
What skills do you need?
O*NET ratings for this occupation emphasize skills such as Science, Reading Comprehension, Writing, Critical Thinking, Active Listening, Speaking, and knowledge areas including Biology, Chemistry, English Language, Mathematics. See Education & Skills for detail.
Is biochemists and biophysicists in demand?
Historical employment trend in our series implies about 1.3% annual decline (compound rate in the extract).
Five-year projected employment change: -6.3%.
Ten-year projected employment change: -12.2%.
Current U.S. headcount: 34,520.
We report federal series only—compare wages, growth, and openings against your target market.
Where do biochemists and biophysicistss work?
Top industries by employment share in our OEWS industry extract:
| Industry | Employment | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Cross-industry | 34,520 | 17.7% |
| Cross-industry, Private Ownership only | 33,260 | 17.1% |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 22,410 | 11.5% |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 22,410 | 11.5% |
| Scientific Research and Development Services | 20,230 | 10.4% |
| Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences | 20,100 | 10.3% |
See Industry for charts.
What degrees lead to this career?
Common majors for Biochemists and Biophysicists in O*NET:
See Related degrees.
What careers are related?
Other occupations linked through shared degree pathways in our mapping:
| Occupation | U.S. employment | Median wage |
|---|---|---|
| Medical Assistants | 793,460 | $44,200 |
| Physician Assistants | 155,540 | $133,260 |
| Nurse Practitioners | 307,390 | $129,210 |
| Pharmacy Technicians | 487,920 | $43,460 |
| Registered Nurses | 3,282,010 | $93,600 |
| Dental Hygienists | 200,000 | — |
| Occupational Therapists | 152,280 | $98,340 |
Employment
Employment and salary information for the Biochemists and Biophysicists workforce.
Employment Over Time
34,520 Workforce in 2023
The Biochemists and Biophysicists workforce has been growing over time.
Historical employment trends for Biochemists and Biophysicists.
Yearly Wage Ranking
$133,564 Average Wage
In 2023, Biochemists and Biophysicists earned an average of $133,564.
Wage ranking compared to other occupations.
Wage Distribution
This chart shows the distribution of average salaries by income buckets for Biochemists and Biophysicists.
Salary distribution for Biochemists and Biophysicists.
Employment Growth Projections
-1.3% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)
14,992 Projected Employment (5 years)
Projected growth: -6.3%
14,049 Projected Employment (10 years)
Projected growth: -12.2%
This occupation is experiencing a decline. Consider related fields with better growth prospects.
Historical employment trends and future projections for Biochemists and Biophysicists.
Industry
Information on the industries that employ Biochemists and Biophysicists and on wages for those in the field.
Occupations by Industries
This graphic shows the share of Biochemists and Biophysicists employed by various industries.
Industry distribution for Biochemists and Biophysicists.
Wage Trends by Industry
4.5% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate
Historical wage growth trends by industry for Biochemists and Biophysicists.
Geographic Distribution
Employment and wage information by geographic location for Biochemists and Biophysicists.
State employment and wages are from the U.S. BLS OEWS May 2024 state extract. Metropolitan areas use the national MSA file when available.
Top States by Employment
Top States by Employment:
- MA: 13,530 employees, $123,450 avg wage
- CA: 4,190 employees, $130,030 avg wage
- PA: 2,530 employees, $114,280 avg wage
- NJ: 2,180 employees, $107,230 avg wage
- NY: 1,660 employees, $100,760 avg wage
- IN: 1,350 employees, $86,680 avg wage
- MI: 980 employees, $81,350 avg wage
- CO: 930 employees, N/A avg wage
- MD: 760 employees, $105,920 avg wage
- TX: 710 employees, $97,080 avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for Biochemists and Biophysicists.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH: 12,430 employees, $122,680 avg wage
- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ: 2,660 employees, $104,000 avg wage
- Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD: 2,600 employees, $114,780 avg wage
- San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA: 1,940 employees, $142,170 avg wage
- San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA: 1,010 employees, $116,560 avg wage
- Worcester, MA: 770 employees, $130,620 avg wage
- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV: 590 employees, $104,370 avg wage
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA: 470 employees, $113,800 avg wage
- Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO: 450 employees, N/A avg wage
- Trenton-Princeton, NJ: 440 employees, $103,520 avg wage
Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Biochemists and Biophysicists.
Diversity
Demographic information on Biochemists and Biophysicists in the US.
Gender and Age
The workforce of Biochemists and Biophysicists in 2023 was 34,520 people, with 62.0% women and 38.0% men.
Gender and age distribution for Biochemists and Biophysicists.
Races
Racial and ethnic shares when present in the career dataset. If the chart area shows a notice instead, occupational race/ethnicity fields are not yet populated for this extract.
Race and ethnicity distribution for Biochemists and Biophysicists.
Education & Skills
Data on higher education choices and required skills for Biochemists and Biophysicists.
Majors
The most common majors achieved by Biochemists and Biophysicists in 2023 were Business Administration, Health Sciences, Engineering.
Common majors for Biochemists and Biophysicists.
Education Levels
The main educational levels achieved by Biochemists and Biophysicists workers.
Education level distribution for Biochemists and Biophysicists.
Skills
Biochemists and Biophysicists need many skills, but most especially Science, Reading Comprehension, Writing, Critical Thinking, Active Listening.
Required skills for Biochemists and Biophysicists.
Knowledge & Abilities
Knowledge areas and abilities required for Biochemists and Biophysicists.
Knowledge Areas
The most important knowledge areas for Biochemists and Biophysicists include Biology, Chemistry, English Language, Mathematics, Physics.
Knowledge areas required for Biochemists and Biophysicists.
Abilities
Key abilities needed for Biochemists and Biophysicists include Written Expression, Inductive Reasoning, Written Comprehension, Oral Expression, Oral Comprehension.
Required abilities for Biochemists and Biophysicists.
Work Activities
Common work activities performed by Biochemists and Biophysicists.
Daily Activities
Biochemists and Biophysicists spend their time on activities such as Analyzing Data or Information, Documenting/Recording Information, Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge, Thinking Creatively, Processing Information.
Most important work activities for Biochemists and Biophysicists.
About
Biochemists and Biophysicists
The average yearly wage for Biochemists and Biophysicists was $133,564 in 2023.
SOC Code
19-1021 - Biochemists and Biophysicists
Insights and Analysis
High earnings profile: Biochemists and Biophysicists reports an average salary of $133,564, placing it among stronger-paying occupations.
Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 34,520 workers, indicating sustained demand.
Forward outlook: Projected annual decline is -1.3%, which should inform long-term career planning.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology
Data for this profile is sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS), and O*NET Online.
All wage figures represent annual averages and may vary by location, industry, and experience level.