Occupation salary profile

Biochemists and Biophysicists

SOC 19-1021 BLS OEWS May 2025 H-1B LCAs, last 12 months

Study the chemical composition or physical principles of living cells and organisms, their electrical and mechanical energy, and related phenomena. May conduct research to further understanding of the complex chemical combinations and reactions involved in metabolism, reproduction, growth, and heredity. May determine the effects of foods, drugs, serums, hormones, and other substances on tissues and vital processes of living organisms.

National median · BLS
$127,410
▲ +22.92% YoY
H-1B sponsor median
$80,000
▲ +3.54% YoY · 2,490 LCAs
Average salary · BLS
$129,840
Mean annual wage
U.S. employment
33,830
Jobs (BLS)
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Enter your pay and a location to see where you stand against BLS and H-1B pay, your estimated take-home pay, and your purchasing power.

Pay range for Biochemists and Biophysicists

Annual base pay at each percentile. BLS covers all U.S. workers in this occupation; H-1B covers 2,490 certified Labor Condition Applications filed by sponsoring employers in the last 12 months.

Percentile All U.S. workers (BLS) H-1B sponsored
10th — entry pay$74,290$62,999
25th$95,000$70,344
Median (50th)$127,410$80,000
75th$163,460$101,444
90th — top pay$201,110$135,000
H-1B sponsors pay a median of $80,000 for Biochemists and Biophysicists — 37.2% below the BLS national median of $127,410.

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Projections 2025–2035

Job outlook for Biochemists and Biophysicists

BLS projects employment of biochemists and biophysicists to grow 12.3% from 2025 to 2035, faster than the 3.5% average for all occupations. About 2,900 openings are projected each year, on average, from new jobs and from replacing workers who retire or move to other occupations.

Jobs 2025 → 2035
35,200 → 39,500
+4,300 jobs
Projected change
+12.3%
All occupations: +3.5%
Openings per year
2,900
Average, 2025–2035
Typical entry education
Doctoral or professional degree
No related experience required
Self-employed
2.7% of workers (2025)
Preparation needed (O*NET Job Zone 5)
Extensive Preparation Needed. 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).
Fastest-growing jobs → Best-paying jobs that need a doctoral or professional degree →

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–2035 · BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook →

H-1B sponsored pay

Pay by H-1B wage level

Employers assign every H-1B filing a Department of Labor prevailing-wage level, from Level I (entry) to Level IV (fully competent). Pay rises steeply with level.

H-1B median $80,000
Change vs prior year +3.54%
After inflation (CPI-U) +0.4%
Wage level LCAs Share P25 Median P75
Level I 1,144 45.9% $65,000 $72,529 $81,000
Level II 718 28.8% $77,854 $87,426 $113,924
Level III 204 8.2% $99,238 $126,610 $141,924
Level IV 110 4.4% $138,112 $155,545 $170,000
H-1B job titles

Salaries by job title in Biochemists and Biophysicists

The 35 most-filed job titles inside SOC 19-1021, from 2,490 H-1B filings. Seniority words and level numbers are grouped (“Senior Data Engineer II” counts as Data Engineer). Tap a title for its full range, wage levels and the exact titles employers used.

Job title LCAs Share P25 Median P75 YoY
Scientist generic 256 10.28% $86,320 $104,000 $128,012 +0%
Research Associate 243 9.76% $69,040 $75,254 $82,926 +1.58%
Research Scientist 157 6.31% $71,463 $78,000 $82,678 +0.73%
Postdoctoral Fellow 107 4.3% $62,547 $67,900 $72,816 +2.04%
Postdoctoral Scholar 107 4.3% $66,368 $74,281 $78,126 +3.4%
Postdoctoral Research Associate 99 3.98% $62,864 $72,529 $72,530 +3.59%
Associate Scientist 94 3.78% $73,241 $93,785 $110,000 -2.45%
Postdoctoral Associate 83 3.33% $63,165 $68,640 $71,000 +0.94%
Staff Scientist 68 2.73% $75,000 $80,443 $89,200 +0%
Research Fellow 59 2.37% $70,000 $75,000 $81,277 -1.37%
Instructor 49 1.97% $73,000 $76,400 $85,000 +1.87%
Principal Scientist 47 1.89% $126,805 $157,126 $165,285 +1.37%
Postdoctoral Scientist 45 1.81% $74,000 $80,000 $83,000 +7.73%
Associate Specialist 32 1.29% $76,500 $80,388 $83,950 -0.39%
Postdoctoral Research Affiliate 31 1.24% $74,710 $77,103 $79,802 +3.35%
Assistant Project Scientist 31 1.24% $80,800 $82,100 $85,000 +3.53%
Research Assistant Professor 26 1.04% $72,750 $82,958 $95,750 +6.77%
Associate Research Scientist 26 1.04% $75,000 $75,000 $79,327 +1.8%
Postdoctoral Research Fellow 26 1.04% $62,908 $65,000 $70,258 -0.76%
Assistant Research Professor 23 0.92% $66,351 $70,656 $75,350 -7.2%
Postdoctoral Scholar Employee 22 0.88% $74,281 $77,030 $82,736 +3.5%
Specialist generic 22 0.88% $93,200 $93,200 $111,250 +3.56%
Research Specialist 21 0.84% $80,000 $86,940 $91,389 +24.89%
Investigator 20 0.8% $71,527 $79,040 $89,386 +1.35%
Postdoctoral Researcher 20 0.8% $61,636 $68,807 $72,688 +3.05%
Basic Life Research Scientist 20 0.8% $78,000 $79,500 $82,250 -0.62%
Assistant Professor 19 0.76% $93,500 $117,500 $135,000 +2.93%
Researcher generic 18 0.72% $53,269 $63,310 $69,548 +4.96%
Biochemist 15 0.6% $69,714 $76,045 $87,000 -5.24%
Post Doctoral Fellow 12 0.48% $60,003 $66,722 $78,116 +10.12%
Post-Doctoral Associate 11 0.44% $60,504 $61,884 $63,589 +0.74%
Staff Research Associate 11 0.44% $71,771 $79,054 $83,262 —
Associate Principal Scientist 11 0.44% $139,600 $139,600 $156,250 +3.03%
Post Doctoral Research Associate 10 0.4% $55,619 $59,178 $66,514 -4.78%
Postdoctoral Research Scholar 10 0.4% $61,696 $62,004 $65,964 +3.34%

Titles are cleaned from the employer's own LCA text (codes and typos removed, nothing invented). Rows need 10+ filings in this SOC.

Skills & tools

Skills needed for Biochemists and Biophysicists

How important each skill and knowledge area is for this job, rated by O*NET on a 1–5 scale from surveys of workers and occupational analysts.

Top skills
  • Science4.8
  • Reading Comprehension4.4
  • Critical Thinking4.3
  • Writing4.3
  • Active Learning4.1
  • Active Listening4.1
  • Complex Problem Solving4.1
  • Speaking4.1
  • Judgment and Decision Making4.0
  • Learning Strategies4.0
Top knowledge areas
  • Biology4.7
  • Chemistry4.3
  • English Language4.3
  • Mathematics4.3
  • Physics4.0
  • Education and Training3.7
  • Computers and Electronics3.5
  • Engineering and Technology3.4
Software and technology used
Microsoft ExcelMicrosoft Office softwareMicrosoft PowerPointElectronic lab notebook softwareAdobe PhotoshopExtensible markup language XMLIBM SPSS StatisticsLinuxMicrosoft OutlookMicrosoft VisioMicrosoft WordPerlPythonRSAP softwareSASThe MathWorks MATLAB3D graphics software

Highlighted = in demand: frequently listed in employer job postings for this occupation (O*NET).

Source: O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.

About the job

What biochemists and biophysicists do

  • 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.
Also called
Analytical Research ChemistBiochemistBiophysics ResearcherScientist
More job titles for this occupation (22)
Biochemistry ScientistBiological ChemistBiophysicistChemistChemistry ScientistClinical BiochemistClinical Laboratory ScientistClinical ResearcherForensic ToxicologistFormulation ScientistMolecular BiologistPharmaceutical ScientistPhysical BiochemistPostdoctoral Associate (Postdoc Associate)Postdoctoral Research Associate (Postdoc Research Associate)Postdoctoral Researcher (Postdoc Researcher)Postdoctoral Scholar (Postdoc Scholar)Protein BiochemistProtein Biochemistry ScientistR&D Scientist (Research and Development Scientist)Research BiochemistToxicologist

Source: O*NET 31.0 (USDOL/ETA, CC BY 4.0). These are general job titles, not H-1B filings; for titles employers actually filed, see “Job titles” above.