Biochemist job description: duties, skills and qualifications.

Core duties

16

O*NET task statements

Preparation

Job Zone 5 of 5

extensive preparation

Typical entry education

Doctoral or professional degree

BLS 2025–35

Median pay

$127,410

BLS May 2025

Data Government data groups this job as Biochemists and Biophysicists (O*NET-SOC 19-1021.00). Figures on this page are for that occupation.

1. Share research findings by writing scientific articles or by making presentations at scientific conferences. importance 4.7 of 5
2. Teach or advise undergraduate or graduate students or supervise their research. importance 4.5 of 5
3. Study physical principles of living cells or organisms and their electrical or mechanical energy, applying methods and knowledge of mathematics, physics, chemistry, or biology. importance 4.5 of 5
4. Manage laboratory teams or monitor the quality of a team's work. importance 4.5 of 5
5. Develop new methods to study the mechanisms of biological processes. importance 4.4 of 5
6. Write grant proposals to obtain funding for research. importance 4.4 of 5
7. Design or perform experiments with equipment, such as lasers, accelerators, or mass spectrometers. importance 4.2 of 5
8. Determine the three-dimensional structure of biological macromolecules. importance 4.2 of 5
9. Design or build laboratory equipment needed for special research projects. importance 4.0 of 5
10. Prepare reports or recommendations, based upon research outcomes. importance 4.0 of 5
11. Study spatial configurations of submicroscopic molecules, such as proteins, using x-rays or electron microscopes. importance 4.0 of 5
12. Study the chemistry of living processes, such as cell development, breathing and digestion, or living energy changes, such as growth, aging, or death. importance 3.9 of 5
13. Study the mutations in organisms that lead to cancer or other diseases. importance 3.7 of 5
14. Research the chemical effects of substances, such as drugs, serums, hormones, or food, on tissues or vital processes. importance 3.7 of 5
15. Research transformations of substances in cells, using atomic isotopes. importance 3.6 of 5
16. Develop or execute tests to detect diseases, genetic disorders, or other abnormalities. importance 3.5 of 5

Work activities O*NET rates most important here: Analyzing Data or Information, Thinking Creatively, Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge, Documenting/Recording Information and Getting Information.

Also part of the job

Supplemental tasks O*NET lists for this occupation: less central than the core duties above, and not done in every job.

• Prepare pharmaceutical compounds for commercial distribution.
• Develop methods to process, store, or use foods, drugs, or chemical compounds.
• Investigate the nature, composition, or expression of genes or research how genetic engineering can impact these processes.
• Produce pharmaceutically or industrially useful proteins, using recombinant DNA technology.

Knowledge areas: Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics, English Language and Physics.

Software O*NET lists for this occupation: Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Office software, Microsoft PowerPoint, Electronic lab notebook software, Adobe Photoshop, Extensible markup language XML. These are examples O*NET records for the job, not a list of tools every employer uses or a checklist of what you must know.

• Education: BLS lists a doctoral or professional degree as the typical entry-level education.
• Experience: BLS lists no work experience in a related occupation as typical to enter.
• Training on the job: BLS lists no typical on-the-job training once hired.
• Preparation: O*NET places the job in Job Zone 5 of 5 (extensive preparation). Extensive skill, knowledge, and experience are needed for these occupations.
• Licenses and certifications: not listed here. A license is a legal requirement set by a state; a certification is a credential from a private or professional body. Rules vary by state and employer, and a missing entry on this page does not mean none is required: check with your state's licensing board and see how to become a biochemist.

The most common answer among O*NET's occupation experts for this occupation is post-doctoral training (40%).

Job title: Biochemist
[Company] · [City, State] · [Full-time or part-time] · [Pay range, where your state requires one]

About the role
[Company] is hiring a Biochemist to study the chemical composition or physical principles of living cells and organisms, their electrical and mechanical energy, and related phenomena.
[One sentence on your team and why this role matters.]

What you will do
- Share research findings by writing scientific articles or by making presentations at scientific conferences.
- Teach or advise undergraduate or graduate students or supervise their research.
- Study physical principles of living cells or organisms and their electrical or mechanical energy, applying methods and knowledge of mathematics, physics, chemistry, or biology.
- Manage laboratory teams or monitor the quality of a team's work.
- Develop new methods to study the mechanisms of biological processes.
- Write grant proposals to obtain funding for research.
- Design or perform experiments with equipment, such as lasers, accelerators, or mass spectrometers.
- Determine the three-dimensional structure of biological macromolecules.

What we are looking for
- [Education: BLS lists a doctoral or professional degree as typical for this occupation; set the level this role truly needs]
- [Experience: BLS lists no related work experience as typical to enter; set what this role needs]
- Strength in science, reading comprehension and writing
- Working knowledge of Biology and Chemistry
- [Software your team uses, e.g. Microsoft Excel or Microsoft Office software]
- [Any license or certification your state or company requires]

[Schedule, benefits and how to apply]

Illustrative: every name, employer, school, date and number in these samples is fictional or a bracketed placeholder. Replace each bracket with your own true details; never copy a result you did not achieve.

Not a real job posting. This template is TryHired's illustration built from government occupational data. It is not an opening at any employer, and no employer wrote it.

The median annual wage was $127,410 in May 2025. The median hourly wage was $61.26. BLS estimates about 33,830 jobs in this occupation in the U.S.

BLS projects employment of Biochemists and Biophysicists to grow 12.3% from 2025 to 2035, with about 2,900 openings a year over that period, including openings to replace workers who leave.

See the full biochemist salary breakdown by percentile, state and metro.

• Read a real biochemist posting next to the core duties above. Duties it repeats, such as “Share research findings by writing scientific articles or by making…”, tell you what that employer weighs most; anything it adds is specific to that team.
• Tailor your resume to the posting, not to this page: describe only biochemist work you have actually done, with your own results.
• Prepare a story for each of the top-rated skills (science and reading comprehension).