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Senior biochemist salary

Quoted expert
Kimberley Cousins

Average senior biochemist salary

$76,738

$36.89 hourly rate

Entry-level senior biochemist salary
$50,000 yearly salary
Updated December 15, 2025

Understanding Senior Biochemist Salaries

The average Senior Biochemist salary in the United States is around $76,738 per year. This figure reflects a combination of factors, including experience, education, and geographic location. For instance, Senior Biochemists working in states like California and Massachusetts often earn higher salaries due to the cost of living and demand for specialized skills.

Opportunities for Growth

Senior Biochemists may find lucrative positions in various sectors, including pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, and academic research. With advancements in biomedical research and increasing investments in healthcare innovation, the demand for skilled professionals is expected to grow.

Salary Variations by State

Salary estimates vary significantly across the country. For example, states such as California, New York, and Massachusetts typically offer some of the highest salaries for Senior Biochemists. Conversely, states with lower costs of living may offer competitive salaries adjusted for local markets.

Career Advancement

Gaining additional certifications or pursuing advanced degrees can further enhance earning potential. Networking within the industry and participating in relevant professional organizations can also lead to new job opportunities.

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Where can a Senior Biochemist earn more?

Compare salary by location
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Columbus, OH$99,441
Houston, TX$51,222
Compare salary by company
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Battelle$98,326
The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory$69,660

Senior biochemist salary estimates from across the web

Based on the latest salary information compiled by Zippia, Salary.com, Glassdoor and Payscale, the average salary for a senior biochemist typically falls between $64,852 and $148,319.
zippia
$76,738yearly
glassdoor[1]
$148,319yearly
Salary.com[2]
$79,301yearly
payscale[3]
$64,852yearly

Average senior biochemist salary by state

The average senior biochemist salary in Connecticut, California, and New Jersey are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average senior biochemist salary states are Texas, Nebraska, and Arkansas.

  • State view
  • County view
Average salary:

Highest paying states for senior biochemists

RankStateAvg. salaryHourly rate
1Connecticut$97,812$47.02
2Massachusetts$87,105$41.88
3California$92,717$44.58
4New Jersey$88,759$42.67
5New Hampshire$80,790$38.84
6Maryland$82,846$39.83
7North Dakota$78,968$37.97
8Michigan$84,664$40.70
9Pennsylvania$74,651$35.89
10Nevada$83,204$40.00
11Vermont$86,075$41.38
12Minnesota$76,227$36.65
13Delaware$75,961$36.52
14Virginia$76,348$36.71
15Rhode Island$78,254$37.62
16Wisconsin$70,528$33.91
17Indiana$70,377$33.84
18Arizona$76,700$36.88
19Wyoming$73,155$35.17
20Illinois$65,918$31.69
21North Carolina$66,789$32.11
22Washington$66,450$31.95
23Georgia$69,930$33.62
24Tennessee$64,971$31.24
25Alabama$65,322$31.40
26Montana$66,129$31.79
27Hawaii$69,488$33.41
28South Dakota$64,167$30.85
29New York$59,735$28.72
30Maine$65,466$31.47
31Oregon$65,387$31.44
32District of Columbia$62,965$30.27
33South Carolina$64,698$31.10
34Idaho$61,888$29.75
35Kansas$59,870$28.78
36Louisiana$64,407$30.96
37Missouri$57,582$27.68
38Colorado$62,630$30.11
39West Virginia$59,534$28.62
40Oklahoma$59,534$28.62
41Ohio$56,483$27.16
42Kentucky$57,008$27.41
43New Mexico$52,354$25.17
44Texas$51,150$24.59
45Nebraska$50,108$24.09
46Utah$45,986$22.11
47Alaska$54,336$26.12
48Iowa$47,528$22.85
49Florida$53,132$25.54
50Arkansas$48,939$23.53
51Mississippi$43,118$20.73

Highest paying cities for senior biochemists

The highest-paying cities for senior biochemists are Menlo Park, CA, Reno, NV, and Cambridge, MA.

RankCityAvg. salaryHourly rate
1Menlo Park, CA$99,441$47.81
2Reno, NV$87,823$42.22
3Cambridge, MA$87,145$41.90
4Philadelphia, PA$75,032$36.07
5Elkhart, IN$71,666$34.45
6Durham, NC$67,496$32.45
7Kirkland, WA$67,078$32.25
8Englewood, CO$62,584$30.09
9Hazelwood, MO$57,891$27.83
10Houston, TX$51,222$24.63

Senior biochemist salary details

A senior biochemist's salary ranges from $50,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $116,000 at the 90th percentile.

Average senior biochemist salary graph
Average senior biochemist salary graph, trends, and summary

What is a senior biochemist's salary?

PercentileAnnual salaryMonthly salaryHourly rate
90th Percentile$116,000$9,667$56
75th Percentile$95,000$7,917$46
Average$76,738$6,395$37
25th Percentile$61,000$5,083$29
10th Percentile$50,000$4,167$24

Highest paying senior biochemist jobs

The highest paying types of senior biochemists are clinical biochemist, senior scientist, and associate scientist.

Job titleAnnual salaryMonthly salaryHourly rateJob openings
Biochemist$72,910$6,076$35.0516,016

How would you rate the starting salaries for senior biochemists, as well as the prospects for salary advancement?

Kimberley Cousins

John M. Pfau Endowed Professor and Department Chair, California State University San Bernardino

Most job surveys show starting salaries for chemists averaging in the mid-'40s but varying a lot by region and industry (industrial, specialty, government, education). Having additional education or credentials increases starting salaries. In a 2019 survey by C&E News, baccalaureate educated chemists averaged nearly $80,000 across all sectors and age groups. Traditionally chemists have very low unemployment rates, even during economic downturns and in times of crisis, as they are employed in fields that are essential for society to function. In 2016 and 2019, unemployment among chemists hovered around 2.5%

Top companies hiring senior biochemists now:

  1. Chevron jobs (1)
  2. Battelle jobs (2)
  3. Eli Lilly and Company jobs (6)
  4. Merck jobs (2)
  5. The Dow Chemical Company jobs (4)

Which companies pay senior biochemists the most?

Senior biochemist salaries at Battelle and Siemens are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average senior biochemist salary at companies like Mallinckrodt and Broken Hill Proprietary are highly competitive.

RankCompanyAverage salaryHourly rate
1Battelle$98,326$47.27
2Siemens$86,514$41.59
3Mallinckrodt$85,543$41.13
4Broken Hill Proprietary$83,687$40.23
5Akoya Biosciences$83,687$40.23
6Grifols$83,428$40.11
7Syngenta$81,586$39.22
8Siemens Healthineers$78,532$37.76
9AnaSpec$77,671$37.34
10Golder Associates$75,606$36.35
11Wsp USA Buildings Inc.$74,715$35.92
12Newmont$71,578$34.41
13The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory$69,660$33.49

Wage gap by gender, race and education

$83,000$82,600$82,200$81,800$81,400$81,000
MaleFemale

Senior biochemist salary trends

The average senior biochemist salary has risen by $12,243 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average senior biochemist earned $64,495 annually, but today, they earn $76,738 a year. That works out to a 15% change in pay for senior biochemists over the last decade.

Compare senior biochemist salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.

Average senior biochemist salary over time

Compare senior biochemist salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.

Senior biochemist salary by year

YearAvg. salaryHourly rate% Change
2026$76,700$36.89-0.2%
2025$76,900$36.98+1.3%
2024$75,900$36.51+2.2%
2023$74,200$35.69+9.9%
2022$66,900$32.16+0.0%

Recently added senior biochemist salaries

CompanyJobLocationDate addedSalary
WSP USASenior GeochemistLakewood, CO04/29/2025$72,800
Fugro USA Marine, Inc.Senior GeochemistHouston, TX02/10/2025$128,547
StantecSenior GeochemistSidney, OH10/23/2024$119,000
Geosyntec Consultants, Inc.Senior GeochemistColumbia, MD01/03/2024$96,886
Geosyntec Consultants, Inc.Senior GeochemistColumbia, MD01/03/2024$96,886
University of CaliforniaSenior BiochemistSan Diego, CA12/01/2023$70,915
Geotemps, Inc./Geopros, Inc.Senior GeochemistNevada09/01/2023$100,000

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