How long does the training take?

Typically eight years or more of study. That is the usual route rather than a rule — people arrive by other paths all the time.

How much do biochemists and biophysicists make?

The US median is $127,410 a year, meaning half earn more and half less. Pay varies widely by state, employer and experience.

Do you need a degree for this work?

Yes — a degree is the usual way in.

Where can you train for this work?

681 US colleges, community colleges and trade schools award credentials in a matching program. See which ones →

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Biochemists and biophysicists: pay, training and the programs that lead there

Science · SOC 19-1021

$127,410US median pay, 2025

+12.3%Projected growth, 2025–35

2,900Openings per year

DegreeUsual way in

How you get in

A degree is the usual way in.

Doctoral or professional degree
Work in: biochemists and biophysicists

Programs that lead to this job

These are the federal program codes (CIP) that the Department of Education maps to this occupation, and how many US colleges, community colleges or trade schools report awarding credentials in each.

Program	Code	Schools
Biochemistry	CIP 26.0202	580
Biochemistry and Molecular Biology	CIP 26.0210	96
Biophysics	CIP 26.0203	54
Pharmaceutics and Drug Design	CIP 51.2003	34
Molecular Biochemistry	CIP 26.0205	19
Cell/Cellular Biology and Anatomical Sciences, Other	CIP 26.0499	17
Molecular Biophysics	CIP 26.0206	5
Structural Biology	CIP 26.0207	4
Biomechanics	CIP 26.0913	4

See the 681 schools that offer these programs →

Common questions

How long does the training take?: Typically eight years or more of study. That is the usual route rather than a rule — people arrive by other paths all the time.
How much do biochemists and biophysicists make?: The US median is $127,410 a year, meaning half earn more and half less. Pay varies widely by state, employer and experience.
Do you need a degree for this work?: Yes — a degree is the usual way in.
Where can you train for this work?: 681 US colleges, community colleges and trade schools award credentials in a matching program. See which ones →

Pay and growth are national figures. What you earn depends on where you work, your employer and your experience, and these are projections rather than promises. Education requirements describe how most people enter the job, not a rule — plenty of people take another route.

Pay, growth, openings and entry requirements: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–35. Program-to-occupation mapping: NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk (2020/2018). School counts: IPEDS completions, 2022–23.

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