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Biochemistry

Types of Degrees Biochemistry Majors Are Earning

People majoring in Biochemistry can earn degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Associate’s Degree	25
Bachelor’s Degree	8,911
Master’s Degree	335
Doctor’s Degree	466

What Biochemistry Majors Need to Know

Coursework for Biochemistry develop a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Biochemistry graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

This major prepares you for careers needing Biochemistry emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• English Language — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Biology — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Mathematics — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Computers and Electronics — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Chemistry — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.

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

Skills

Skills emphasized by a Biochemistry program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.

Abilities

The cognitive and physical abilities most relevant to Biochemistry careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Inductive Reasoning — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Biochemistry graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Documenting/Recording Information	4.4 / 7
Working with Computers	4.4 / 7
Getting Information	4.3 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.2 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.2 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	4.1 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.1 / 7
Analyzing Data or Information	4.1 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.0 / 7
Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings	4.0 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Biochemistry professionals:

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

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Biochemistry graduates include:

• Clinical Project Manager
• Research Coordinator
• Clinical Trials Manager
• Clinical Program Manager
• Postdoctoral Research Fellow
• Clinical Research Administrator
• Clinical Program Coordinator
• Clinical Research Nurse Coordinator
• Postdoctoral Fellow
• Clinical Research Director
• Oncology Clinical Research Coordinator
• Clinical Research Coordinator
• Clinical Trial Coordinator
• Clinical Data Coordinator
• Clinical Research Manager

Education Typically Required

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

Education Level	Share of Workers
Bachelor’s degree	36.9%
Doctoral degree	14.8%
Master’s degree	14.5%
Post-doctoral training	13.9%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	4.8%
Some college courses	4.2%
Postsecondary certificate	3.8%
High school diploma or equivalent	3.8%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	2.1%
First professional degree	0.6%
Post-master’s certificate	0.5%
Less than a high school diploma	0.1%

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

Who Is Earning a Degree in Biochemistry?

Gender Distribution

This field has a relatively balanced gender distribution: 56.7% women and 43.3% men among Biochemistry graduates.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	5,521	56.7%
Men	4,216	43.3%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

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

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	4,808	49.4%
Asian	1,749	18.0%
Hispanic or Latino	1,305	13.4%
Black or African American	483	5.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native	15	0.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	18	0.2%
Two or More Races	503	5.2%
Race Unknown	214	2.2%
International Students	642	6.6%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Biochemistry Graduates Earn?

Federal data tracks median earnings of Biochemistry 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 Programs

Online study is reported by IPEDS for Biochemistry. 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	2	9
Master’s	1	0
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 Worth It?

On the earnings side, the federal earnings tracker, Biochemistry 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	CIP Code
Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology	26.02
Biochemistry and Molecular Biology	26.0210
Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology, Other	26.0299
Biophysics	26.0203
Molecular Biochemistry	26.0205
Molecular Biology	26.0204
Molecular Biophysics	26.0206
Photobiology	26.0208
Radiation Biology/Radiobiology	26.0209
Structural Biology	26.0207
Biology/Biological Sciences, General	26.0101
Cell/Cellular and Molecular Biology	26.0406

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.