Biochemists and Biophysicists
SOC 19-1021 · 2024-2034
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.
How the U.S. Department of Labor describes this work. Published in English only.
What California expects of this job
- Typical pay in California
- $143,487per year
- Projected openings
- 3,050
- Projected change
- +11.8%
- Usually needs
- Doctoral or professional degree
Bright Outlook — a U.S. Department of Labor designation
Rapid Growth
The Department's own designation, made from its national projections. It is not this project's assessment and it is not California's: every other figure on this page comes from California's projection, which can point the other way and for some occupations does.
Skills this work uses most
O*NET, the U.S. Department of Labor's occupation database, rates how important each of these is to this work, and they are listed in that order, most important first. The ratings themselves are not shown, because the data carries the number without the scale it was measured on. The names are as published, in English.
- Science
- Reading Comprehension
- Critical Thinking
- Writing
- Complex Problem Solving
- Speaking
Pay by region
| Region | Typical pay in California | Projected openings |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City MD (San Francisco and San Mateo Counties) | $144,682 | 1,100 |
| Oakland-Fremont-Berkeley MD (Alameda and Contra Costa Counties) | $143,422 | 470 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara MSA (San Benito and Santa Clara Counties) | $130,277 | 260 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad MSA (San Diego County) | $110,843 | 950 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale MD (Los Angeles County) | $110,340 | 270 |
| Anaheim-Santa Ana-Irvine MD (Orange County) | $106,366 | 150 |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura MSA (Ventura County) | $96,041 | 60 |
| San Rafael MD (Marin County) | Not reported | 40 |
What the pay actually ranges across
- The lowest-paid tenth earn under
- $85,920
- A quarter earn under
- $108,885
- Half earn under
- $143,487
- Three quarters earn under
- $185,028
- The highest-paid tenth earn over
- $214,038
A median is one point. These are the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics' 2026 figures for California, and they say how far apart the people doing this job actually are. Read them as the spread across everyone already in the work — not as a starting wage and not as a promise about where anyone lands.
Similar work
O*NET, the U.S. Department of Labor's occupation database, names these as occupations involving work similar to this one — its own reading of the job, not a grouping by code. They keep O*NET's order, and only those California publishes a projection for are shown.
| Occupation | Typical pay in California | Projected openings | Projected change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Biological Scientists, All Other | $116,708 | 10,850 | +9.7% |
| Microbiologists | $111,568 | 2,400 | +11.1% |
| Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists | $140,825 | 20,580 | +15.9% |
| Chemists | $100,599 | 7,770 | +7.9% |
| Bioengineers and Biomedical Engineers | $131,902 | 1,870 | +10.7% |
| Physicists | $213,298 | 5,390 | +13.2% |