What does a Biochemist do?

Q: What does a biochemist do on a daily basis?

Biochemists perform experiments, analyze data, and write papers and reports on a daily basis. Here are some details on the daily activities of a biochemist: Perform experiments. Biochemists normally spend most days in a laboratory setting, conducting experiments that involve analyzing and testing chemical reactions and biological molecules. In this setting, they use many different tools to assist with their research and experiments, including centrifuges, microscopes, spectrometers, and more.

Q: Where do biochemists work?

Biochemists work in laboratories, research institutes, or as medical writers. Biochemists study the chemical and physical principles of living things and of biological processes such as cell development, growth, heredity, and disease. They work to understand how chemical reactions happen and what the effects are.

Updated January 8, 2025

8 min read

Quoted Expert

Bryan Spiegelberg Ph.D.

A biochemist is responsible for researching biological processes and the components of organisms to diagnose possible diseases and develop medication solutions for various illnesses and genetic disorders. Biochemists also contribute resources for environmental sustainability that would help the agricultural industry prevent afflictions. They conduct an in-depth analysis of complex projects and manage laboratory investigations while following strict protocols and safety regulations. A biochemist organizes research papers and present studies to other scientists and medical professionals for recommendations or possible further experiments.

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Biochemist responsibilities

Here are examples of responsibilities from real biochemist resumes:

Manage laboratories and perform clinical research in diabetic and thyroid disease states.
Design fit-for-purpose assays to track various peptide biomarkers in support of clinical studies.
Determine serotype of putative viral infections in clinical samples utilizing RNA extraction and RT-PCR sequencing techniques.
Provide early involvement and target support for clinical identification of biomarkers involving gene expression profiling, proteomics, and immunohistochemistry.
Compile and process data in LIMs or other validate spreadsheets.
Perform patient sample correlations, interference, ANOVA and stability testing.
Experience adherence to GMP and plant sanitation procedures at the cheese production facility.
Compile extensive amounts of data under GLP guidelines, supporting market launch of GMO crops.
Develop risk-based compliance plans and strategies, including corrective and preventive actions plans (CAPA).
Sub-cloned and end-labele neuropeptide cDNAs for use as templates for RNA probes in the ribonuclease protection assay.
Develop semi-automated sample preparation method for extracting nucleic acids from DBS to detect and quantify HIV-1 RNA.
Identify and characterize proteins under GLP guidelines used for future studies, through data elicit from complex machinery.
Manufacture (purification) of, and quality assurance of, DNA repair enzymes used in DNA damage assays.
Perform gene expression analysis using real time PCR on several types of tissue samples in effort to track receptor presence.
Conduct TNT extraction efficiency experiments using HPLC methodology.

Biochemist skills and personality traits

We calculated that 17% of Biochemists are proficient in Chemistry, Immunoassay, and Elisa. They’re also known for soft skills such as Math skills, Problem-solving skills, and Time-management skills.

We break down the percentage of Biochemists that have these skills listed on their resume here:

Chemistry, 17%
Trained on ADVIA Clinical Chemistry Systems (ADVIA 1200, 1800, and 2400).
Immunoassay, 9%
Developed manufacturing & testing instructions and evaluated process performance to meet FDA requirements for market introduction of the AxSYM Immunoassay Analyzer.
Elisa, 7%
Conducted ELISA method development/optimization/validation for transgenic proteins for regulatory studies/submissions.
GMP, 5%
Performed quarterly safety and GMP compliance audits of manufacturing and testing facilities.
Data Analysis, 5%
Performed data analysis using DataJak and evaluation tools via Microsoft excel.
Test Results, 5%
Entered data into LIMS and documented test results in notebooks and reports.

"chemistry," "immunoassay," and "elisa" are among the most common skills that biochemists use at work. You can find even more biochemist responsibilities below, including:

Math skills. One of the key soft skills for a biochemist to have is math skills. You can see how this relates to what biochemists do because "biochemists and biophysicists use complex equations and formulas regularly in their work." Additionally, a biochemist resume shows how biochemists use math skills: "conducted in-process testing, including mycoalert, nephelometer, western blot, qualitative and quantitative elisa. "

Problem-solving skills. Many biochemist duties rely on problem-solving skills. "biochemists and biophysicists use scientific experiments and analysis to find solutions to complex scientific problems.," so a biochemist will need this skill often in their role. This resume example is just one of many ways biochemist responsibilities rely on problem-solving skills: "maintained lab equipment and troubleshot/resolved instrument problems. "

Time-management skills. Another skill that relates to the job responsibilities of biochemists is time-management skills. This skill is critical to many everyday biochemist duties, as "biochemists and biophysicists usually need to meet deadlines when conducting research." This example from a resume shows how this skill is used: "author technical analysis reports of snps and fda 'critical' data, adhering to strict deadlines and confidentiality regulations. "

Analytical skills. A big part of what biochemists do relies on "analytical skills." You can see how essential it is to biochemist responsibilities because "biochemists and biophysicists must be able to conduct scientific experiments and analyses with accuracy and precision." Here's an example of how this skill is used from a resume that represents typical biochemist tasks: "dedicated to providing quality results and collected, analyzed, and reported data for technical reviews prior to fda submission ca19-9. "

Communication skills. Another common skill required for biochemist responsibilities is "communication skills." This skill comes up in the duties of biochemists all the time, as "biochemists and biophysicists have to write and publish reports and research papers, give presentations of their findings, and communicate clearly with team members." An excerpt from a real biochemist resume shows how this skill is central to what a biochemist does: "coordinated and maintained communication between multiple cros for the production of monoclonal antibodies. "

Most common biochemist skills

The three companies that hire the most biochemists are:

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Compare different biochemists

Biochemist vs. Research and development scientist

A research and development scientist specializes in conducting scientific studies and experiments to develop new products and technologies. They usually work at laboratories where they are in charge of conducting research and assessments, coming up with new ideas, performing tests, streamlining product requirements and guidelines, collaborating with fellow experts, utilizing previous studies and advanced software, and maintaining records of all procedures. Additionally, as a research and development scientist, it is essential to conduct reviews and assessments to ensure products adhere to safety standards and regulations.

We looked at the average biochemist salary and compared it with the wages of a research and development scientist. Generally speaking, research and development scientists are paid $17,368 higher than biochemists per year.Even though biochemists and research and development scientists are distinct careers, a few of the skills required for both jobs are similar. For example, both careers require immunoassay, elisa, and gmp in the day-to-day roles and responsibilities.

While similarities exist, there are also some differences between biochemists and research and development scientist. For instance, biochemist responsibilities require skills such as "chemistry," "troubleshoot," "test results," and "protein purification." Whereas a research and development scientist is skilled in "patients," "python," "technical support," and "c++." This is part of what separates the two careers.

Research and development scientists tend to make the most money working in the health care industry, where they earn an average salary of $91,180. In contrast, biochemists make the biggest average salary, $84,365, in the health care industry.On average, research and development scientists reach similar levels of education than biochemists. Research and development scientists are 1.2% more likely to earn a Master's Degree and 4.0% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

Biochemist vs. Associate scientist

An Associate Scientist assists in various experiments and research, working under the direction of a lead scientist. Their specialties may include biological life sciences, geo-science, atmospheric physics, and computing.

Associate scientist positions earn higher pay than biochemist roles. They earn a $3,551 higher salary than biochemists per year.While the salary may differ for these jobs, they share a few skills needed to perform their duties. Based on resume data, both biochemists and associate scientists have skills such as "chemistry," "immunoassay," and "elisa. "

In addition to the difference in salary, there are some other key differences worth noting. For example, biochemist responsibilities are more likely to require skills like "troubleshoot," "test results," "protein purification," and "assay performance." Meanwhile, an associate scientist has duties that require skills in areas such as "patients," "hplc," "flow cytometry," and "chromatography." These differences highlight just how different the day-to-day in each role looks.

On average, associate scientists earn a higher salary than biochemists. Some industries support higher salaries in each profession. Interestingly enough, associate scientists earn the most pay in the manufacturing industry with an average salary of $80,987. Whereas biochemists have higher pay in the health care industry, with an average salary of $84,365.In general, associate scientists achieve similar levels of education than biochemists. They're 1.4% more likely to obtain a Master's Degree while being 4.0% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

Learn more about biochemists vs associate scientists.

What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for Biochemists in the next 3-5 years?

Bryan Spiegelberg Ph.D.

Associate Professor of Molecular Sciences, Rider University

Advances in many areas -- computing, communication, materials, energy, and so on -- all seem to converge on one technology: artificial intelligence. The ability of the global community to process information continues to change rapidly, and it isn't easy to predict. What's not hard to predict, though, is the impact that AI will have on job landscapes in the sciences and beyond. Budding chemists who have a grasp on big data, in its many forms, will be in the best position to use AI and to be at the forefront of the deployment of the tools that AI allows us to envision. These "modern" chemists are on track to be the leaders and the influencers, while others will be stuck playing catch up.

Biochemist vs. Research scientist

The job of research scientists is to design, undertake, and analyze information from experiments, trials, and laboratory-based investigations. They usually perform experiments in different areas, including medical research, pharmacology, and geoscience. They have varied duties and responsibilities that include planning and carrying out experiments, conducting fieldwork, and overseeing junior staff members like the technicians. They are typically working for a government laboratory, an environmental agency, and other organizations. Many of these scientists also work in teams and support staff.

On average, research scientists earn higher salaries than biochemists, with a $17,088 difference per year.By looking over several biochemists and research scientists resumes, we found that both roles require similar skills in their day-to-day duties, such as "chemistry," "immunoassay," and "elisa." But beyond that, the careers look very different.

There are many key differences between these two careers, including some of the skills required to perform responsibilities within each role. For example, a biochemist is likely to be skilled in "troubleshoot," "test results," "assay performance," and "lab equipment," while a typical research scientist is skilled in "python," "patients," "c++," and "research projects."

When it comes to education, research scientists tend to earn similar degree levels compared to biochemists. In fact, they're 4.0% more likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 19.6% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

Learn more about biochemists vs research scientists.

Biochemist vs. Scientist

A scientist is responsible for researching and analyzing the nature and complexities of the physical world to identify discoveries that would improve people's lives and ignite scientific knowledge for society. Scientists' duties differ in their different areas of expertise, but all of them must have a broad comprehension of scientific disciplines and methods to support their experiments and investigations. They collect the sample for their research, record findings, create research proposals, and release publications. A scientist must know how to utilize laboratory equipment to support the study and drive results efficiently and accurately.

Scientists tend to earn a higher pay than biochemists by an average of $24,434 per year.While both biochemists and scientists complete day-to-day tasks using similar skills like chemistry, immunoassay, and elisa, the two careers vary in some skills.

Even though a few skill sets overlap between biochemists and scientists, there are some differences that are important to note. For one, a biochemist might have more use for skills like "troubleshoot," "test results," "protein purification," and "assay performance." Meanwhile, some responsibilities of scientists require skills like "patients," "java," "flow cytometry," and "crispr. "

Scientists enjoy the best pay in the technology industry, with an average salary of $134,486. For comparison, biochemists earn the highest salary in the health care industry.In general, scientists hold similar degree levels compared to biochemists. Scientists are 3.1% more likely to earn their Master's Degree and 10.8% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

Learn more about biochemists vs scientists.

Types of biochemist

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

What a Biochemist Does FAQs