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Biochemistry & Biophysics

Instructional content for this group of programs is defined in codes 26.0202 - 26.0299.

Types of Degrees Biochemistry & Biophysics Majors Are Earning

Those studying Biochemistry & Biophysics have the option of earning degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Associate’s Degree	25
Bachelor’s Degree	11,642
Master’s Degree	1,091
Doctor’s Degree	1,062

What Biochemistry & Biophysics Majors Need to Know

Studies in Biochemistry & Biophysics build a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Biochemistry & Biophysics graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

Coursework in Biochemistry & Biophysics emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• English Language — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Biology — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 5.1 / 7.
• Mathematics — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Chemistry — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Computers and Electronics — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

The skill set developed in a Biochemistry & Biophysics program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.

Abilities

Abilities most relevant to Biochemistry & Biophysics careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Oral Expression — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Inductive Reasoning — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Biochemistry & Biophysics graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Getting Information	4.4 / 7
Working with Computers	4.4 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	4.4 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.3 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.3 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.2 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.1 / 7
Analyzing Data or Information	4.1 / 7
Processing Information	4.1 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	4.1 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Biochemistry & Biophysics professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	✓
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
The MathWorks MATLAB	Analytical or scientific software	✓
SAS	Analytical or scientific software	—
IBM SPSS Statistics	Analytical or scientific software	—
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	✓
R	Object or component oriented development software	✓
Microsoft Access	Data base user interface and query software	—
Python	Object or component oriented development software	✓

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Biochemistry & Biophysics graduates include:

• Clinical Trials Manager
• Clinical Project Manager
• Research Coordinator
• Postdoctoral Researcher
• Clinical Program Coordinator
• Oncology Clinical Research Coordinator
• Postdoctoral Fellow
• Clinical Manager
• Postdoctoral Research Fellow
• Clinical Trial Coordinator
• Clinical Program Manager
• Clinical Trial Manager
• Clinical Research Manager
• Clinical Coordinator
• Clinical Research Nurse Coordinator

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Biochemistry & Biophysics graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Bachelor’s degree	34.5%
Post-doctoral training	18.5%
Doctoral degree	15.9%
Master’s degree	15.9%
Postsecondary certificate	4.0%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	3.4%
Some college courses	3.3%
High school diploma or equivalent	2.6%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	1.0%
Post-master’s certificate	0.5%
First professional degree	0.4%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Biochemistry & Biophysics?

Gender Distribution

This field has a relatively balanced gender distribution: 57% women and 43% men among Biochemistry & Biophysics graduates.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	7,873	57.0%
Men	5,947	43.0%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Biochemistry & Biophysics graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	6,629	48.0%
Asian	2,476	17.9%
Hispanic or Latino	1,762	12.7%
Black or African American	671	4.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native	15	0.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	21	0.2%
Two or More Races	704	5.1%
Race Unknown	326	2.4%
International Students	1,216	8.8%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Biochemistry & Biophysics Graduates Earn?

College Scorecard reports median earnings of Biochemistry & Biophysics graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Earnings tend to climb steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$39,812
4 years	$57,445
5 years	$71,613

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $71,613 — roughly 80% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online Biochemistry & Biophysics Programs

Online study is tracked by IPEDS for Biochemistry & Biophysics. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Associate’s	3	2
Bachelor’s	3	10
Master’s	2	6
Doctoral (Research)	1	1

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in Biochemistry & Biophysics Worth It?

Looking purely at the federal earnings tracker, Biochemistry & Biophysics graduates earn a median of $57,445 four years after completion — roughly 51% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	Annual Degrees Awarded
Biological Biomedical Sciences	179,083
Biology, General	101,585
Neurobiology and Neurosciences	12,819
Physiology, Pathology and Related Sciences	11,175
Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology	9,295
Cell/Cellular Biology and Anatomical Sciences	6,355
Microbiological Sciences and Immunology	4,711
Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Other	4,612
Biotechnology	3,869
Biomathematics, Bioinformatics, and Computational Biology	3,638
Zoology/Animal Biology	3,408
Genetics	1,733

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.