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Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics

Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2018

19-1021 Biochemists and Biophysicists

Study 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.


National estimates for this occupation
Industry profile for this occupation
Geographic profile for this occupation

National estimates for this occupation: Top

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for this occupation:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3)
Mean hourly
wage
Mean annual
wage (2)
Wage RSE (3)
28,500 4.9 % $50.93 $105,940 4.4 %

Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $23.67 $30.88 $44.85 $62.48 $85.42
Annual Wage (2) $49,230 $64,230 $93,280 $129,950 $177,680


Industry profile for this occupation: Top

Industries with the highest published employment and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.

Industries with the highest levels of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Scientific Research and Development Services 16,890 2.51 $55.27 $114,970
Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing 3,120 1.06 $43.32 $90,110
Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools 2,070 0.07 $28.16 $58,570
Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services 1,170 0.08 $59.71 $124,200
Merchant Wholesalers, Nondurable Goods (4242 and 4246 only) 980 0.26 $57.92 $120,480

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Scientific Research and Development Services 16,890 2.51 $55.27 $114,970
Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing 3,120 1.06 $43.32 $90,110
Merchant Wholesalers, Nondurable Goods (4242 and 4246 only) 980 0.26 $57.92 $120,480
Medical and Diagnostic Laboratories 510 0.19 $47.52 $98,840
Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing 570 0.14 $48.78 $101,460

Top paying industries for this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Management of Companies and Enterprises 580 0.02 $66.87 $139,100
Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 50 0.01 $63.23 $131,510
Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services 1,170 0.08 $59.71 $124,200
Merchant Wholesalers, Nondurable Goods (4242 and 4246 only) 980 0.26 $57.92 $120,480
Professional and Commercial Equipment and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers 100 0.02 $55.75 $115,960


Geographic profile for this occupation: Top

States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.





States with the highest employment level in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
New Jersey 6,350 1.57 7.96 $69.80 $145,180
California 5,160 0.30 1.54 $48.93 $101,770
Massachusetts 4,650 1.30 6.61 $50.31 $104,650
Texas 1,380 0.11 0.58 $42.64 $88,680
Pennsylvania 1,100 0.19 0.95 $45.61 $94,860




States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
New Jersey 6,350 1.57 7.96 $69.80 $145,180
Massachusetts 4,650 1.30 6.61 $50.31 $104,650
Delaware 240 0.54 2.75 $44.97 $93,530
Maine 230 0.37 1.90 $35.78 $74,430
Maryland 970 0.36 1.83 $47.78 $99,370




Top paying States for this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
New Jersey 6,350 1.57 7.96 $69.80 $145,180
Illinois 690 0.12 0.59 $53.73 $111,760
Indiana 300 0.10 0.50 $51.46 $107,040
Massachusetts 4,650 1.30 6.61 $50.31 $104,650
New Hampshire 100 0.15 0.75 $49.48 $102,910





Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 6,390 0.67 3.42 $68.48 $142,440
Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH 4,370 1.58 8.04 $50.67 $105,400
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA 2,000 0.83 4.20 $55.32 $115,070
San Diego-Carlsbad, CA 1,570 1.08 5.46 $39.59 $82,350
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD 1,310 0.46 2.33 $46.33 $96,370
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV 970 0.31 1.56 $47.30 $98,380
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI 640 0.33 1.66 $37.21 $77,390
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI 630 0.14 0.69 $57.12 $118,800
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 550 0.09 0.46 $44.87 $93,340
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA 550 0.49 2.50 $50.89 $105,850




Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Boulder, CO 310 1.71 8.69 $43.24 $89,930
Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH 4,370 1.58 8.04 $50.67 $105,400
College Station-Bryan, TX 150 1.34 6.81 $21.39 $44,500
Charlottesville, VA 140 1.21 6.16 $34.24 $71,210
San Diego-Carlsbad, CA 1,570 1.08 5.46 $39.59 $82,350
Portland-South Portland, ME 220 1.03 5.25 $35.81 $74,480
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA 2,000 0.83 4.20 $55.32 $115,070
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 6,390 0.67 3.42 $68.48 $142,440
Worcester, MA-CT 180 0.64 3.27 $51.27 $106,650
Madison, WI 230 0.59 2.97 $38.29 $79,650




Top paying metropolitan areas for this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA 60 0.04 0.19 $68.52 $142,530
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 6,390 0.67 3.42 $68.48 $142,440
Kansas City, MO-KS (8) (8) (8) $62.61 $130,230
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI 630 0.14 0.69 $57.12 $118,800
Indianapolis-Carmel-Anderson, IN 180 0.17 0.86 $57.11 $118,790
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA 2,000 0.83 4.20 $55.32 $115,070
Richmond, VA 110 0.17 0.88 $51.92 $107,980
Worcester, MA-CT 180 0.64 3.27 $51.27 $106,650
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA 550 0.49 2.50 $50.89 $105,850
Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH 4,370 1.58 8.04 $50.67 $105,400

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
West Central-Southwest New Hampshire nonmetropolitan area 70 0.67 3.43 $49.46 $102,870
Northwest Oklahoma nonmetropolitan area 60 0.62 3.13 (8) (8)

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
West Central-Southwest New Hampshire nonmetropolitan area 70 0.67 3.43 $49.46 $102,870
Northwest Oklahoma nonmetropolitan area 60 0.62 3.13 (8) (8)

Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
West Central-Southwest New Hampshire nonmetropolitan area 70 0.67 3.43 $49.46 $102,870


About May 2018 National, State, Metropolitan, and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors, all metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and all states and the District of Columbia. The top employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable XLS files.

The percentile wage estimate is the value of a wage below which a certain percent of workers fall. The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate--50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median. More about percentile wages.


(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.

(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours; for those occupations where there is not an hourly wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.

(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.

(8) Estimate not released.

(9) The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration. A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.


Other OES estimates and related information:

May 2018 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2018 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2018 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2018 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2018 Occupation Profiles

Technical Notes

 

Last Modified Date: March 29, 2019