Biochemistry: Program Overview, Universities, Careers & Salaries
Program Overview
Biochemistry is an interdisciplinary field that explores the molecular foundations of life, investigating the chemical processes and structures that sustain biological systems. This program provides a rigorous foundation in the molecular mechanisms governing cellular function, with a focus on key biomolecules and their dynamic interactions.
- Bio-organic chemistry: Examines the structure, reactivity, and synthesis of organic compounds essential to biological systems, particularly those found in living organisms.
- Protein chemistry: Focuses on the composition, folding, function, and modification of proteins, which serve as the primary functional molecules in cells.
- Bioanalytical chemistry: Involves the development and application of analytical techniques to identify and quantify biological molecules in complex systems.
- Bioseparations: Covers methods for isolating and purifying biomolecules from biological mixtures using chromatography, electrophoresis, and other advanced separation technologies.
- Regulatory biochemistry: Studies the molecular mechanisms that control metabolic and cellular processes, including feedback loops and gene expression regulation.
- Enzymology: Explores the structure, function, and kinetics of enzymes, which catalyze essential biochemical reactions in living systems.
- Hormonal chemistry: Investigates the biosynthesis, signaling pathways, and physiological roles of hormones as key regulators of bodily functions.
- Calorimetry: Applies thermal analysis to measure energy changes in biochemical reactions, providing insights into reaction thermodynamics and molecular interactions.
- Research methods and equipment operation: Trains students in modern laboratory techniques, instrumentation, and experimental design critical for conducting independent biochemical research.
Biochemistry Graduate Trends (2010-2024)
Biochemistry Career Pathways & Salary Outlook
The following table presents salary data for occupations typically aligned with Biochemistry degrees, including Natural Sciences Managers, Biochemists and Biophysicists and Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists. These career paths represent common employment outcomes but are not guaranteed for all graduates. Salary ranges vary by location, employer, experience level, and specific role requirements. Nationally, these occupations employ approximately 435,330 professionals.
National Average Salaries
| Occupation | Median Salary | Salary Range | Total Employment | Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Natural Sciences Managers 11-9121 | $161,180 | $79,830 - $239,200 | 100,870 | $77.49 |
| Biochemists and Biophysicists 19-1021 | $103,650 | $64,890 - $168,900 | 34,520 | $49.83 |
| Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists 19-1042 | $100,590 | $61,860 - $168,210 | 156,300 | $48.36 |
| Biological Science Teachers, Postsecondary 25-1042 | $83,460 | $50,760 - $169,560 | 53,250 | N/A |
| Biological Technicians 19-4021 | $52,000 | $38,060 - $81,990 | 76,190 | $25.00 |
| Food Science Technicians 19-4013 | $49,430 | $37,760 - $75,100 | 14,200 | $23.76 |
Biochemistry Salary Map by State
Geographic location significantly impacts earning potential for these careers. Average salaries range from $61,625 in Vermont to $117,737 in California—a 91% difference. The highest-paying states include California, Massachusetts, and New Jersey. Nationwide, these occupations employ over 435,330 professionals across all states. Explore the interactive map below to compare regional compensation and identify optimal markets for your career goals.
Average Salary Range:
Top Universities for Biochemistry by Graduate Enrollment
Below are the top 100 institutions offering Biochemistry programs for the 2023-2024 academic year (the most recent data reported as of 2025), ranked by the number of graduates. The highest graduate enrollment in Biochemistry is found at University of Washington (UW), Seattle Campus (277 graduates), The University of Texas, Austin (276 graduates), University of California (UCLA), Los Angeles (192 graduates), University of Wisconsin-Madison (191 graduates), and University of California (UCSD), San Diego (179 graduates). Combined, these colleges produced 6,141 graduates across all degree levels. Program availability varies by award level, including Associate, Bachelor's, Master's, and Doctoral degrees at participating universities and schools.
| College Name | Award Levels | Graduates | Location | Control | Website |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Washington (UW) |
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
277 | Seattle, Washington | Public | washington.edu |
| The University of Texas |
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
276 | Austin, Texas | Public | utexas.edu |
| University of California (UCLA) |
Bachelor's
|
192 | Los Angeles, California | Public | ucla.edu |
| University of Wisconsin-Madison |
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
191 | Madison, Wisconsin | Public | wisc.edu |
| University of California (UCSD) |
Bachelor's
|
179 | La Jolla, California | Public | ucsd.edu |
| Arizona State University Campus Immersion (ASU) |
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
175 | Tempe, Arizona | Public | asu.edu |
| Ohio State University |
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
131 | Columbus, Ohio | Public | osu.edu |
| Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech) |
Bachelor's
|
114 | Blacksburg, Virginia | Public | vt.edu |
| University of California (UCR) |
Bachelor's
|
112 | Riverside, California | Public | ucr.edu |
| University of Michigan (U‑M) |
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
105 | Ann Arbor, Michigan | Public | umich.edu |
| Stony Brook University (SBU) |
Bachelor's
|
105 | Stony Brook, New York | Public | stonybrook.edu |
| Pennsylvania State University |
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
104 | University Park, Pennsylvania | Public | psu.edu |
| Arizona State University |
Bachelor's
|
101 | Scottsdale, Arizona | Public | asu.edu |
| University of Minnesota (UMN) |
Bachelor's
|
96 | Minneapolis, Minnesota | Public | twin-cities.umn.edu |
| University of Nebraska (UNL) |
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
95 | Lincoln, Nebraska | Public | unl.edu |
| Texas A & M University |
Bachelor's
Doctorate (Research)
|
94 | College Station, Texas | Public | tamu.edu |
| Northeastern University (NU) |
Bachelor's
|
89 | Boston, Massachusetts | Private | northeastern.edu |
| Johns Hopkins University (JHU) |
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
85 | Baltimore, Maryland | Private | jhu.edu |
| Clemson University |
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
84 | Clemson, South Carolina | Public | clemson.edu |
| University of Missouri (Mizzou) |
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
81 | Columbia, Missouri | Public | missouri.edu |
| University of Houston (UH) |
Bachelor's
Doctorate (Research)
|
79 | Houston, Texas | Public | uh.edu |
| University of Arizona |
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
77 | Tucson, Arizona | Public | arizona.edu |
| Case Western Reserve University (CWRU) |
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
74 | Cleveland, Ohio | Private | case.edu |
| University of Utah (U of U) |
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
74 | Salt Lake City, Utah | Public | utah.edu |
| University of Colorado Boulder (CU) |
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
73 | Boulder, Colorado | Public | colorado.edu |
| University of Miami (UM) |
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
73 | Coral Gables, Florida | Private | miami.edu |
| Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) |
Bachelor's
|
71 | Atlanta, Georgia | Public | gatech.edu |
| Mississippi State University (MSU) |
Bachelor's
|
71 | Mississippi State, Mississippi | Public | msstate.edu |
| University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) |
Bachelor's
|
69 | Chicago, Illinois | Public | uic.edu |
| Florida State University (FSU) |
Bachelor's
|
68 | Tallahassee, Florida | Public | fsu.edu |
| University of Notre Dame (ND) |
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
68 | Notre Dame, Indiana | Private | nd.edu |
| Baylor University |
Bachelor's
|
65 | Waco, Texas | Private | baylor.edu |
| California State University (CSULB) |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
62 | Long Beach, California | Public | csulb.edu |
| Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College (LSU) |
Bachelor's
Doctorate (Research)
|
62 | Baton Rouge, Louisiana | Public | lsu.edu |
| North Carolina State University (NC State) |
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
60 | Raleigh, North Carolina | Public | ncsu.edu |
| The University of Texas |
Bachelor's
|
56 | Richardson, Texas | Public | utdallas.edu |
| University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) |
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
55 | Champaign, Illinois | Public | illinois.edu |
| Binghamton University |
Bachelor's
|
55 | Vestal, New York | Public | binghamton.edu |
| California State University (CSUF) |
Bachelor's
|
54 | Fullerton, California | Public | fullerton.edu |
| University of Minnesota (UMD) |
Bachelor's
|
54 | Duluth, Minnesota | Public | d.umn.edu |
| University of New Mexico (UNM) |
Bachelor's
|
54 | Albuquerque, New Mexico | Public | unm.edu |
| University of Pennsylvania (Penn) |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
54 | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | Private | upenn.edu |
| Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) |
Bachelor's
|
54 | Murfreesboro, Tennessee | Public | mtsu.edu |
| Texas Tech University (TTU) |
Bachelor's
|
53 | Lubbock, Texas | Public | ttu.edu |
| Tufts University |
Bachelor's
|
52 | Medford, Massachusetts | Private | tufts.edu |
| Purdue University (PU) |
Bachelor's
Doctorate (Research)
|
52 | West Lafayette, Indiana | Public | purdue.edu |
| University of Nevada (UNR) |
Bachelor's
Doctorate (Research)
|
51 | Reno, Nevada | Public | unr.edu |
| University of Kansas (KU) |
Bachelor's
|
50 | Lawrence, Kansas | Public | ku.edu |
| Florida International University (FIU) |
Bachelor's
Doctorate (Research)
|
49 | Miami, Florida | Public | fiu.edu |
| University of Maryland (UMCP) |
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
48 | College Park, Maryland | Public | umd.edu |
| Oklahoma State University (OSU) |
Bachelor's
Postbac Cert.
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
48 | Stillwater, Oklahoma | Public | okstate.edu |
| Colorado State University (CSU) |
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
47 | Fort Collins, Colorado | Public | colostate.edu |
| University of North Texas (UNT) |
Bachelor's
|
47 | Denton, Texas | Public | unt.edu |
| Rutgers University |
Bachelor's
|
43 | New Brunswick, New Jersey | Public | newbrunswick.rutgers.edu |
| San Francisco State University (SFSU) |
Bachelor's
|
42 | San Francisco, California | Public | sfsu.edu |
| Vassar College |
Bachelor's
|
41 | Poughkeepsie, New York | Private | vassar.edu |
| University of Southern California (USC) |
Bachelor's
|
40 | Los Angeles, California | Private | usc.edu |
| Western Washington University (WWU) |
Bachelor's
|
40 | Bellingham, Washington | Public | wwu.edu |
| Michigan State University (MSU) |
Bachelor's
|
39 | East Lansing, Michigan | Public | msu.edu |
| Rowan University |
Bachelor's
|
39 | Glassboro, New Jersey | Public | rowan.edu |
| University of Mississippi (Ole Miss) |
Bachelor's
Postbac Cert.
Doctorate (Research)
|
37 | University, Mississippi | Public | olemiss.edu |
| Utah State University (USU) |
Bachelor's
Doctorate (Research)
|
37 | Logan, Utah | Public | usu.edu |
| Loyola University Chicago (LUC) |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
36 | Chicago, Illinois | Private | luc.edu |
| Indiana University (IUB) |
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
36 | Bloomington, Indiana | Public | indiana.edu |
| CUNY Graduate School and University Center |
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
36 | New York, New York | Public | gc.cuny.edu |
| Brown University |
Bachelor's
|
36 | Providence, Rhode Island | Private | brown.edu |
| Brigham Young University (BYU) |
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
36 | Provo, Utah | Private | byu.edu |
| Washington State University (WSU) |
Bachelor's
|
36 | Pullman, Washington | Public | wsu.edu |
| California State University |
Bachelor's
|
35 | Fresno, California | Public | fresnostate.edu |
| Vanderbilt University (VU) |
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
35 | Nashville, Tennessee | Private | vanderbilt.edu |
| Texas State University (TXST) |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
35 | San Marcos, Texas | Public | txst.edu |
| University of Iowa |
Bachelor's
Doctorate (Research)
|
34 | Iowa City, Iowa | Public | uiowa.edu |
| University at Buffalo (UB) |
Bachelor's
Doctorate (Research)
|
34 | Buffalo, New York | Public | buffalo.edu |
| Creighton University |
Bachelor's
|
33 | Omaha, Nebraska | Private | creighton.edu |
| Bates College |
Bachelor's
|
32 | Lewiston, Maine | Private | bates.edu |
| New York University (NYU) |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
32 | New York, New York | Private | nyu.edu |
| Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
31 | Worcester, Massachusetts | Private | wpi.edu |
| Miami University |
Bachelor's
|
31 | Oxford, Ohio | Public | miamioh.edu |
| Stevens Institute of Technology |
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
30 | Hoboken, New Jersey | Private | stevens.edu |
| California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly) |
Bachelor's
|
29 | San Luis Obispo, California | Public | calpoly.edu |
| Grinnell College |
Bachelor's
|
29 | Grinnell, Iowa | Private | grinnell.edu |
| Iowa State University (ISU) |
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
29 | Ames, Iowa | Public | iastate.edu |
| East Carolina University (ECU) |
Bachelor's
|
29 | Greenville, North Carolina | Public | ecu.edu |
| University of California (UCSB) |
Bachelor's
|
28 | Santa Barbara, California | Public | ucsb.edu |
| CUNY City College (CCNY) |
Bachelor's
|
27 | New York, New York | Public | ccny.cuny.edu |
| Villanova University |
Bachelor's
|
27 | Villanova, Pennsylvania | Private | villanova.edu |
| West Virginia University (WVU) |
Bachelor's
|
27 | Morgantown, West Virginia | Public | wvu.edu |
| Kalamazoo College |
Bachelor's
|
26 | Kalamazoo, Michigan | Private | kzoo.edu |
| California State University |
Bachelor's
|
25 | Los Angeles, California | Public | calstatela.edu |
| Mercer University |
Bachelor's
|
25 | Macon, Georgia | Private | mercer.edu |
| Temple University |
Bachelor's
|
25 | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | Public | temple.edu |
| University of the Pacific (UOP) |
Bachelor's
|
24 | Stockton, California | Private | pacific.edu |
| University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus |
Bachelor's
|
24 | Denver, Colorado | Public | ucdenver.edu |
| Brandeis University |
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
24 | Waltham, Massachusetts | Private | brandeis.edu |
| University of Missouri-St Louis (UMSL) |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
24 | Saint Louis, Missouri | Public | umsl.edu |
| University of Nevada (UNLV) |
Bachelor's
|
24 | Las Vegas, Nevada | Public | unlv.edu |
| Columbia University in the City of New York |
Bachelor's
|
24 | New York, New York | Private | columbia.edu |
| University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point (UWSP) |
Bachelor's
|
24 | Stevens Point, Wisconsin | Public | uwsp.edu |
| Tulane University of Louisiana |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
23 | New Orleans, Louisiana | Private | tulane.edu |
| University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG) |
Bachelor's
|
23 | Greensboro, North Carolina | Public | uncg.edu |
Frequently Asked Questions
Find answers to the most common questions about Biochemistry programs
How much can I earn with a Biochemistry degree?
Salaries for Biochemistry graduates vary by role and location. Natural Sciences Managers earn a median of $161,180 annually, while Biochemists and Biophysicists earn around $103,650. Geographic location significantly impacts earnings—professionals in California average $117,737 compared to $61,625 in Vermont. Approximately 435,330 professionals work in related occupations nationwide.
Salary data from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS program, May 2024. Earnings vary by experience, employer, and market conditions.
Which universities have the largest Biochemistry programs?
Currently 591 accredited institutions offer Biochemistry degrees across the U.S. Programs with the highest enrollment include University of Washington (UW), Seattle Campus (277 graduates), The University of Texas, Austin (276 graduates), and University of California (UCLA), Los Angeles (192 graduates).
Program size doesn't necessarily indicate quality—consider factors like faculty expertise, production opportunities, location, and available degree levels when choosing a school.
Data based on IPEDS program completions for 2023-2024 academic year. Numbers reflect programs where students graduated.
Is enrollment in Biochemistry growing or declining?
Graduate numbers have increased over the past decade, rising from 6,898 in 2010 to a peak of 10,051 in 2020, before declining slightly to 9,737 in 2023-24. This represents a 41% increase overall from 2010.
The field remains specialized with steady interest, though opportunities are most concentrated in major metropolitan areas with active arts scenes like New York, California, and Illinois.
Graduate enrollment data from IPEDS, 2010-2024 academic years. Trends reflect reported completions at participating institutions.
What career paths are available with a Biochemistry degree?
This degree prepares you for roles such as Natural Sciences Managers, Biochemists and Biophysicists, and Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists. Related occupations employ approximately 435,330 professionals nationwide.
Skills in project management, creative leadership, and collaboration also transfer to event planning, arts administration, marketing, and corporate training roles. Many professionals work freelance or on a project basis across theatre, film, and live events.
Career pathways mapped using CIP-SOC crosswalk from the National Center for Education Statistics. Employment data from BLS OEWS May 2024.
Related Biological Sciences Programs
Explore similar degree programs within the Biological Sciences field. These programs share the same academic discipline and may offer complementary skills and career pathways.
Immunology
A program that focuses on scientific study of the biological mechanisms involved in the pathogenesis of disease, host-pathogen interactions, and host response to...
Microbiology and Immunology
A program that focuses on the scientific study of the microorganisms that cause disease and the host immune response to them. Includes instruction...
Infectious Disease and Global Health
A program that focuses on the biological, social, and behavioral factors contributing to the cause and spread of infectious diseases. Includes instruction in...
Microbiological Sciences and Immunology
Any instructional program in the microbiological sciences and immunology not listed above.
Zoology and Animal Biology
A general program that focuses on the scientific study of the biology of animal species and phyla, with reference to their molecular and...
Entomology
A program that focuses on the scientific study of insect species and populations in respect of their life cycles, morphology, genetics, physiology, ecology,...