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Biochemist salary
Average biochemist salary
$72,910
Average Biochemist Salary
The average salary for a biochemist as of October 2025 is approximately $72,910 annually. This figure can vary depending on factors such as experience, education, and industry. Biochemists with advanced degrees or specialized skills often command higher salaries.
Salary by State
In states like California and Massachusetts, biochemists tend to earn more due to higher demand and cost of living. For example:
- California: $85,000
- Massachusetts: $80,000
- Texas: $68,000
These variations highlight the importance of location when considering a career in biochemistry.
Career Opportunities
Biochemists find roles in various sectors, including pharmaceuticals, environmental science, and academic research. Positions in biotechnology often offer the highest salaries, reflecting the industry's growth. Understanding these trends and salary ranges helps aspiring biochemists navigate their career paths effectively.
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Where can a Biochemist earn more?
Biochemist salary estimates from across the web
Average biochemist salary by state
The average biochemist salary in Connecticut, California, and New Jersey are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average biochemist salary states are Texas, Nebraska, and Arkansas.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for biochemists
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Connecticut | $92,008 | $44.23 |
| 2 | California | $88,278 | $42.44 |
| 3 | Massachusetts | $82,191 | $39.51 |
| 4 | New Jersey | $83,419 | $40.11 |
| 5 | New Hampshire | $76,369 | $36.72 |
| 6 | Maryland | $78,112 | $37.55 |
| 7 | Michigan | $80,804 | $38.85 |
| 8 | Vermont | $81,691 | $39.27 |
| 9 | North Dakota | $75,114 | $36.11 |
| 10 | Rhode Island | $73,676 | $35.42 |
| 11 | Pennsylvania | $70,289 | $33.79 |
| 12 | Delaware | $71,443 | $34.35 |
| 13 | Nevada | $80,275 | $38.59 |
| 14 | Minnesota | $72,346 | $34.78 |
| 15 | Wisconsin | $67,233 | $32.32 |
| 16 | Indiana | $67,119 | $32.27 |
| 17 | Virginia | $72,072 | $34.65 |
| 18 | Washington | $67,238 | $32.33 |
| 19 | Arizona | $72,871 | $35.03 |
| 20 | Wyoming | $71,030 | $34.15 |
| 21 | North Carolina | $63,380 | $30.47 |
| 22 | Oregon | $66,108 | $31.78 |
| 23 | Georgia | $67,532 | $32.47 |
| 24 | Tennessee | $62,502 | $30.05 |
| 25 | Maine | $62,418 | $30.01 |
| 26 | Illinois | $62,765 | $30.18 |
| 27 | Montana | $63,960 | $30.75 |
| 28 | Alabama | $63,472 | $30.52 |
| 29 | South Dakota | $62,224 | $29.92 |
| 30 | South Carolina | $61,851 | $29.74 |
| 31 | Louisiana | $62,765 | $30.18 |
| 32 | New York | $56,198 | $27.02 |
| 33 | Idaho | $60,680 | $29.17 |
| 34 | District of Columbia | $59,222 | $28.47 |
| 35 | Missouri | $55,768 | $26.81 |
| 36 | Colorado | $60,759 | $29.21 |
| 37 | Hawaii | $66,280 | $31.87 |
| 38 | Kansas | $57,935 | $27.85 |
| 39 | Ohio | $53,880 | $25.90 |
| 40 | New Mexico | $50,526 | $24.29 |
| 41 | West Virginia | $56,516 | $27.17 |
| 42 | Kentucky | $54,410 | $26.16 |
| 43 | Oklahoma | $57,544 | $27.67 |
| 44 | Texas | $49,562 | $23.83 |
| 45 | Iowa | $45,697 | $21.97 |
| 46 | Arkansas | $47,359 | $22.77 |
| 47 | Utah | $44,841 | $21.56 |
| 48 | Nebraska | $48,634 | $23.38 |
| 49 | Florida | $52,572 | $25.27 |
| 50 | Alaska | $52,492 | $25.24 |
| 51 | Mississippi | $41,933 | $20.16 |
Highest paying cities for biochemists
The highest-paying cities for biochemists are San Francisco, CA, Newark, NJ, and Boston, MA.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco, CA | $96,782 | $46.53 |
| 2 | Newark, NJ | $83,718 | $40.25 |
| 3 | Boston, MA | $82,351 | $39.59 |
| 4 | Ann Arbor, MI | $80,547 | $38.72 |
| 5 | Baltimore, MD | $78,299 | $37.64 |
| 6 | Phoenix, AZ | $73,026 | $35.11 |
| 7 | Newark, DE | $71,520 | $34.38 |
| 8 | Philadelphia, PA | $70,577 | $33.93 |
| 9 | Seattle, WA | $68,336 | $32.85 |
| 10 | Indianapolis, IN | $66,946 | $32.19 |
| 11 | Durham, NC | $63,965 | $30.75 |
| 12 | Washington, DC | $59,326 | $28.52 |
| 13 | Shirley, NY | $56,624 | $27.22 |
| 14 | Saint Louis, MO | $55,882 | $26.87 |
| 15 | Cleveland, OH | $54,934 | $26.41 |
| 16 | Austin, TX | $49,913 | $24.00 |
| 17 | Salt Lake City, UT | $44,679 | $21.48 |
Biochemist salary details
A biochemist's salary ranges from $47,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $110,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a biochemist's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $110,000 | $9,167 | $53 |
| 75th Percentile | $90,000 | $7,500 | $43 |
| Average | $72,910 | $6,076 | $35 |
| 25th Percentile | $58,000 | $4,833 | $28 |
| 10th Percentile | $47,000 | $3,917 | $23 |
Highest paying biochemist jobs
The highest paying types of biochemists are clinical biochemist, scientist, and research and development scientist.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Research And Development Scientist | $90,278 | $7,523 | $43.40 | 129,803 |
| Research Scientist | $89,998 | $7,500 | $43.27 | 93,013 |
| Scientist | $97,344 | $8,112 | $46.80 | 62,467 |
| Research Chemist | $75,843 | $6,320 | $36.46 | 53,769 |
| Chemist | $64,961 | $5,413 | $31.23 | 20,221 |
How would you rate the starting salaries for biochemists, as well as the prospects for salary advancement?
Kimberley Cousins
John M. Pfau Endowed Professor and Department Chair, California State University San Bernardino
Top companies hiring biochemists now:
Which companies pay biochemists the most?
Biochemist salaries at Genentech and Agilent Technologies are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average biochemist salary at companies like Amgen and Oak Ridge National Laboratory are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Genentech | $104,199 | $50.10 |
| 2 | Agilent Technologies | $98,515 | $47.36 |
| 3 | Amgen | $95,998 | $46.15 |
| 4 | Oak Ridge National Laboratory | $95,350 | $45.84 |
| 5 | AbbVie | $95,121 | $45.73 |
| 6 | IDEXX | $94,208 | $45.29 |
| 7 | Bristol-Myers Squibb | $93,663 | $45.03 |
| 8 | Ingredion | $93,117 | $44.77 |
| 9 | Battelle | $93,061 | $44.74 |
| 10 | Biogen | $92,847 | $44.64 |
| 11 | Exelixis | $92,453 | $44.45 |
| 12 | Sanofi Genzyme | $91,746 | $44.11 |
| 13 | Mayo Clinic | $91,442 | $43.96 |
| 14 | AgaMatrix | $91,224 | $43.86 |
| 15 | Quidel | $91,024 | $43.76 |
| 16 | Regeneron | $90,950 | $43.73 |
| 17 | Novartis | $90,906 | $43.70 |
| 18 | Eli Lilly and Company | $90,867 | $43.69 |
| 19 | Vertex Pharmaceuticals | $89,547 | $43.05 |
| 20 | Merck | $89,173 | $42.87 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Biochemist salary by industry
The average biochemist salary varies across industries:
- The average biochemist salary in the health care industry is $84,365, the highest of any industry.
- The average biochemist salary in the finance industry is $83,593.
- Biochemists in the education industry earn an average salary of $62,090, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for biochemists
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Health Care | $84,365 | $40.56 |
| 2 | Pharmaceutical | $83,593 | $40.19 |
| 3 | Manufacturing | $79,155 | $38.06 |
| 4 | Education | $62,090 | $29.85 |
High paying biochemist jobs
Biochemist salary trends
The average biochemist salary has risen by $11,632 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average biochemist earned $61,278 annually, but today, they earn $72,910 a year. That works out to a 15% change in pay for biochemists over the last decade.
Compare biochemist salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average biochemist salary over time
Compare biochemist salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Biochemist salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $72,900 | $35.05 | -0.2% |
| 2025 | $73,100 | $35.13 | +1.3% |
| 2024 | $72,100 | $34.68 | +2.2% |
| 2023 | $70,500 | $33.91 | +9.9% |
| 2022 | $63,600 | $30.56 | +0.0% |
Recently added biochemist salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eurofins USA PSS Insourcing Solutions | Biochemist-Process Characterization and Controls | Rensselaer, NY | 06/28/2025 | $44,871 |
| Eurofins Scientific | Biochemist-Process Characterization and Controls | Rensselaer, NY | 06/25/2025 | $44,871 |
| Eurofins USA PSS Insourcing Solutions | Virology Biochemist | Indianapolis, IN | 03/27/2025 | $31,305 |
| Eurofins Cerep Sa | Virology Biochemist | Indianapolis, IN | 03/26/2025 | $31,305 |
| Eurofins USA PSS Insourcing Solutions | Biochemist Process Characterization and Controls) | Rensselaer, NY | 03/23/2025 | $44,871 |
| ZP Group | Deviations Management Biochemist | Durham, NC | 03/22/2025 | $73,045 |
| Eurofins Scientific | Biochemist | Indianapolis, IN | 03/19/2025 | $31,305 |
| BD Systems | Biochemist II | San Diego, CA | 02/28/2025 | $68,800 |
| Eurofins USA PSS Insourcing Solutions | Biochemist Process Characterization and Controls) | Rensselaer, NY | 02/25/2025 | $44,871 |
| Granules Pharmaceuticals Inc. | Biochemist II | Chantilly, VA | 02/21/2025 | $95,000 |
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