Biochemists and Biophysicists
Also called: Analytical Research Chemist, Biochemist, Biophysics Researcher, ScientistStudy 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.
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What the data says: AI could halve the time on 16 of its 24 tasks, yet jobs are projected to grow 12.3% by 2035. In the most exposed occupations, the squeeze shows up first among early-career workers. How to think about this →
About this projection
BLS builds AI into its projections where the research supports it: “BLS generally applies adjustments based on this research conservatively, where there is convincing evidence for a change.”
It also notes a limit: “BLS projection methods are not designed to capture extremely rapid technological change.”
On its AI exposure groups, BLS says exposure “does not imply job loss.”
Recent conditions
- In 2024, 1.7% of people in this work were unemployed, against 3.8% across all occupations Census ACS 2024, all workers in the Census group “Biological scientists”
- From Sep 2025 to Aug 2026, 7.9 hires for every 10 job openings in professional and business services, which employs about 71% of people in this work, against 7.3 across all industries BLS JOLTS
One box per opening, filled for each hire; hires beyond the openings are added in a lighter shade. Higher can mean openings get filled, or that people leave often; lower, that jobs go unfilled, or hiring is slow.7.9 this industry7.3 all industries
Median pay by state BLS OEWS May 2025, state estimates
Tap a state for its figures.
Median pay in every state
| State | Median | Middle half earn | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $48,510 | $48,510 to $64,110 | 90 |
| Arkansas | $82,390 | $71,310 to $152,020 | not published |
| California | $139,580 | $105,920 to $179,990 | 3,240 |
| Colorado | not published | not published | 960 |
| Connecticut | $132,670 | $98,220 to $158,370 | 540 |
| Delaware | $101,880 | $82,770 to $137,620 | 490 |
| District of Columbia | $120,090 | $62,540 to $182,100 | 70 |
| Florida | $157,390 | $91,040 to $186,000 | 370 |
| Georgia | $85,680 | $77,500 to $97,890 | 110 |
| Illinois | $87,010 | $67,030 to $136,040 | 150 |
| Iowa | $101,090 | $79,440 to $103,930 | 140 |
| Kansas | $97,850 | $83,190 to $130,620 | 140 |
| Kentucky | $74,710 | $65,870 to $95,720 | 40 |
| Maine | $84,560 | $81,310 to $108,600 | 390 |
| Maryland | $100,650 | $69,120 to $128,440 | 690 |
| Massachusetts | $131,600 | $103,040 to $165,150 | 14,890 |
| Michigan | $109,340 | $77,440 to $141,590 | 730 |
| Minnesota | $81,280 | $68,790 to $102,720 | 190 |
| Missouri | $79,550 | $75,710 to $100,300 | 290 |
| Nebraska | $66,910 | $51,470 to $78,690 | 70 |
| Nevada | $69,220 | $55,160 to $125,930 | not published |
| New Hampshire | $109,770 | $86,220 to $136,220 | 200 |
| New Jersey | $122,620 | $98,670 to $136,890 | 2,570 |
| New York | $101,080 | $82,610 to $127,650 | 980 |
| North Carolina | $82,220 | $67,140 to $119,960 | 570 |
| Ohio | $90,000 | $70,720 to $108,010 | 350 |
| Oklahoma | $69,130 | $56,560 to $77,360 | 70 |
| Pennsylvania | $134,090 | $105,490 to $171,450 | 2,750 |
| Puerto Rico | $64,140 | $64,050 to $77,040 | 130 |
| Rhode Island | $76,710 | $65,300 to $91,920 | not published |
| South Carolina | $109,080 | $83,190 to $127,860 | 60 |
| Tennessee | $134,560 | $115,270 to $188,180 | 60 |
| Texas | $97,510 | $78,650 to $129,330 | 520 |
| Utah | $81,990 | $66,960 to $102,080 | 160 |
| Vermont | not published | not published | 40 |
| Virginia | $105,780 | $104,990 to $131,300 | 70 |
| Washington | $98,840 | $79,550 to $107,950 | 270 |
| Wisconsin | $106,480 | $96,720 to $124,190 | 170 |
Nationally: $127,410. Shades run from the lowest state median to the highest; a territory below that range takes the lightest. How to read this
How AI touches the work
What AI could speed up, task by task, and where people already use it.
AI could halve the time on 16 of its 24 tasks
| AI rating | Its main tasks | Share of Claude conversations May 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| AI alone | Share research findings by writing scientific articles or by making presentations at scientific conferences. | Not published |
| AI + software | Study physical principles of living cells or organisms and their electrical or mechanical energy, applying methods and knowledge of mathematics, physics, chemistry, or biology. | Not published |
| Not much | Manage laboratory teams or monitor the quality of a team's work. | Not published |
| Not much | Develop new methods to study the mechanisms of biological processes. | Not published |
| Not much | Teach or advise undergraduate or graduate students or supervise their research. | Not published |
| AI alone | Write grant proposals to obtain funding for research. | under 0.01% |
See all 24 tasks
| Not much | Design or build laboratory equipment needed for special research projects. | Not published |
| AI alone | Prepare reports or recommendations, based upon research outcomes. | under 0.01% |
| Not much | Design or perform experiments with equipment, such as lasers, accelerators, or mass spectrometers. | Not published |
| AI + software | Study spatial configurations of submicroscopic molecules, such as proteins, using x-rays or electron microscopes. | Not published |
| AI + software | Determine the three-dimensional structure of biological macromolecules. | Not published |
| AI + software | Study the chemistry of living processes, such as cell development, breathing and digestion, or living energy changes, such as growth, aging, or death. | under 0.01% |
| AI + software | Study the mutations in organisms that lead to cancer or other diseases. | Not published |
| AI + software | Research the chemical effects of substances, such as drugs, serums, hormones, or food, on tissues or vital processes. | Not published |
| AI alone | Research transformations of substances in cells, using atomic isotopes. | Not published |
| AI + software | Develop or test new drugs or medications intended for commercial distribution. | Not published |
| AI + software | Examine the molecular or chemical aspects of immune system functioning. | Not published |
| Not much | Isolate, analyze, or synthesize vitamins, hormones, allergens, minerals, or enzymes and determine their effects on body functions. | Not published |
| AI + software | Develop or execute tests to detect diseases, genetic disorders, or other abnormalities. | Not published |
| AI + software | Research how characteristics of plants or animals are carried through successive generations. | Not published |
| AI alone | Develop methods to process, store, or use foods, drugs, or chemical compounds. | Not published |
| AI + software | Investigate the nature, composition, or expression of genes or research how genetic engineering can impact these processes. | Not published |
| Not much | Produce pharmaceutically or industrially useful proteins, using recombinant DNA technology. | Not published |
| Not much | Prepare pharmaceutical compounds for commercial distribution. | Not published |
Ordered by how important O*NET's respondents rate each task (1 to 5) times the share who say it is part of their job. The ordering is ours. 3 of the 24 have a published share of Claude conversations; “not published” means too few conversations for Anthropic to publish a figure.
Where people already use AI
The tasks above say what AI could speed up. This shows what people are using it for. Its 24 tasks fall under 11 work activities that many occupations share, and Microsoft counted how often each one came up in 200,000 conversations with its Copilot assistant in 2024.
- #20 Present research or technical information
- #27 Research technology designs or applications
- #45 Research biological or ecological phenomena
| Work activity | This occupation's tasks under it | People asked AI for help in 10,000 conversations |
AI did it for them in 10,000 conversations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Research biological or ecological phenomena | |||
| Develop research plans or methodologies | |||
| Present research or technical information | |||
| Analyze biological or chemical substances or related data | |||
| Prepare specimens or materials for testing | |||
| Research technology designs or applications | |||
| Teach academic or vocational subjects | |||
| Set up equipment |
Show all 11 activities
| Develop operational or technical procedures or standards | |||
| Prepare proposals or grant applications | |||
| Supervise personnel activities |
How people in this work use Claude
What people in this work made with Claude % of conversations
- A document or report39%
- An explanation or answer31%
- An academic paper or thesis8%
- A presentation or slides7%
- Teaching material2%
How they worked with Claude
54% of these conversations were about work. Anthropic Economic Index, May 2026.
How to read this
Work activities come from O*NET, which links every task to the broader activities it involves. Microsoft's figures are for the activity across everyone who used Copilot, not for biochemists and biophysicists specifically. Copilot is a general chat assistant; dedicated coding tools are not included, so programming help is under-counted here. Activities are listed by how many of this occupation's tasks fall under them.
The task ratings say whether AI could halve the time a task takes: on its own (“AI alone”), or with software built on it (“AI + software”). They were made by people in 2023 (Eloundou et al.). Claude's share is the task's share of all Claude.ai conversations in May 2026; Anthropic doesn't publish a task with too few conversations. None of these add up to the BLS exposure group, which combines five research measures.
More in the Guide: task ratings · task order · work activities · Copilot figures · Claude
High exposure doesn't mean fewer jobs
BLS projects most occupations in its two most exposed groups to grow: 141 of 206 rated Very high and 165 of 206 rated High. Each dot is one of the 831 occupations BLS rates.
Career moves into and out of this occupation
From moves between occupations found in online resumes, 2002–2016. Career changes only: a first job after school isn't a move.
Where people moved next
of 1,263 moves out
- 1 Operations Research Analysts Very high +11.9% 20%
- 2 Postsecondary Teachers, All Other Very high +2.0% 8%
- 3 Managers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 8%
- 4 Chemists Very high +6.4% 4%
- 5 Medical and Health Services Managers High +24.2% 4%
Where people moved in from
of 1,420 moves in
- 1 Operations Research Analysts Very high +11.9% 23%
- 2 Managers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 8%
- 3 Chemists Very high +6.4% 5%
- 4 Postsecondary Teachers, All Other Very high +2.0% 4%
- 5 Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists Very high +12.6% 4%
Resumes over-represent younger, white-collar job-seekers and moves into management. Schubert, Stansbury and Taska (resume data).
Education and training for the occupation
O*NET survey of workers in this occupation
- 25% bachelor's
- 10% professional doctorate
- 25% research doctorate
- 40% post-doctoral training
O*NET 31.0 survey of workers in this occupation · 20 people answered.
Census survey (American Community Survey)
- 47% bachelor's
- 30% master's
- 3% professional degree
- 20% doctorate
Census ACS 2024, all workers in the Census group “Biological scientists” · 1,217 people surveyed.
Why the two can differ
O*NET asks about 20 people in each occupation, which makes its shares uncertain, but it reports the exact occupation and counts certificates. The Census survey reaches thousands, but it groups some occupations together and counts degrees only. More in the Guide
Median pay by highest degree full-time, year-round · Census ACS 2024, all workers in the Census group “Biological scientists”
9 programs, such as Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biochemistry.
See all
- Biochemistry
- Biophysics
- Molecular Biochemistry
- Molecular Biophysics
- Structural Biology
- Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
- Cell/Cellular Biology and Anatomical Sciences, Other
- Biomechanics
- Pharmaceutics and Drug Design
Jobs that require a credential BLS Occupational Requirements Survey 2023
BLS publishes no credential figures for this occupation.
Look up certifications, training and licenses U.S. Department of Labor
- Certification Finder ↗ certifications CareerOneStop lists for this occupation
- Training Finder ↗ schools and programs, nationwide; narrow the place there
- License Finder ↗ licenses by state
- Apprenticeships: DOL's list of apprenticeable occupations doesn't include this one.
These open in a new tab and send only the occupation's public code. More in the Guide
BLS AI exposure categories (Aug 2026) · BLS Employment Projections 2025–35 · O*NET 31.0 · Task ratings: Eloundou et al., Science (2024) · Microsoft "Working with AI" v1.1 · Anthropic Economic Index (2026-06-26) · Schubert, Stansbury and Taska · NCES CIP–SOC · Census ACS 2024 · BLS JOLTS · Brynjolfsson, Chandar and Chen, Stanford (Aug 2026)
See it online, and explore any career: https://www.pathmosaic.com/card/19-1021.00