Biochemists and biophysicists
SOC Code: 19-1021
Biochemists and biophysicists carries a 29% AI exposure score (Medium automation risk), with a median annual wage of $103,650 and +5.8% projected employment growth from 2024 to 2034 (BLS), affecting approximately 35,600 workers. Full task breakdown, skills, and employer data are below.
Proportion of tasks susceptible to AI automation (O*NET analysis)
At 29% AI exposure, Biochemists and biophysicists sits 8 points below the 37.2% average across 832 U.S. occupations - more exposed than 26% of them. Most of its core tasks still require human judgment.
Career outlook score
82/100
Biochemists and biophysicists, weighted across 3 of 3 tracked dimensions
A weighted composite of median wage, projected growth, and AI-automation security (inverted exposure), each benchmarked against every other tracked occupation. It describes this occupation's standing across those three dimensions, not a guarantee of future outcomes.
- Median wage A $103,650
Annual median wage, percentile rank vs all tracked occupations
- Projected growth A- +5.8%
Projected employment change, 2024-2034, BLS Employment Projections
- AI exposure (inverted) B 29% exposure
Lower O*NET task-automability scores lower risk; this dimension scores security, not exposure
Home health and personal care aides is #1 of 832 occupations by employment (4.3M, AI exposure rank #392 at 35%) vs. Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks #1 by AI task exposure (95%, employment rank #17 at 1.6M).
Automation-risk inventory
Exclusive cut of 832 occupations by PlainWorkforce automation-risk band. Orthogonal to the continuous AI-exposure distribution chart below and to this occupation's single risk badge, this is the corpus band mix, with Biochemists and biophysicists in the Medium band.
Credential × growth standing
Graduate credential among the thinner entry shelves
Biochemists and biophysicists is in the Graduate band (113 of 832) with BLS pace Average (378/832). Graduate entry is a minority shelf - pairing it with average growth is the standing that separates this SOC from bachelor-dominated neighbors.
Where Biochemists and biophysicists sits among all occupations
AI-exposure score distribution across 832 U.S. occupations (O*NET task analysis). This occupation is marked in rose.
Where Biochemists and biophysicists sits by AI exposure
AI-exposure score distribution across U.S. occupations (O*NET task analysis)
29% Lower than most lower than 74% of 832 occupations
Occupations, banded by AI-exposure score
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more occupations. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count and share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source O*NET task data (U.S. Department of Labor) · BLS 2024–2034
Source: O*NET task data (U.S. Department of Labor); AI-exposure scores are PlainWorkforce's analysis. As of BLS 2024–2034.
Biochemists and biophysicists vs. its occupational neighbors
AI exposure (horizontal) vs projected 2024–2034 growth (vertical) for occupations in the same SOC group. Biochemists and biophysicists is marked in rose; the top-left corner is the most future-proof.
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034 (growth) and O*NET (AI-exposure analysis by PlainWorkforce).
Employment Projections
Where This Score Comes From
Biochemists and biophysicists's Medium automation-risk tier is computed from O*NET Database 30.0 task-level analysis, where each documented task the occupation performs is evaluated against current generative AI, robotic process automation, and machine-learning capabilities. A score below 40% reflects tasks anchored in physical dexterity, unstructured environments, or high-touch human interaction that current AI cannot reliably replicate.
The employment, wage, and education figures above come from a second, separate federal source: BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034, matched to the O*NET task data by Standard Occupational Classification (SOC 19-1021) code, with the wage figure cross-validated against the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024 survey. BLS figures are presented exactly as published, with no adjustment on our part; the SOC-code match is what lets Biochemists and biophysicists be compared directly against every other tracked occupation on the same basis, not just roles that happen to share a job title.
For career planners, this profile should be read alongside the task, skill, and knowledge breakdowns below and the list of employers whose workforce composition includes Biochemists and biophysicists. Adjacent occupations shown further down offer lateral moves that preserve industry knowledge while potentially reducing exposure.
Education & Entry Requirements
Top Tasks (O*NET)
- 1. Share research findings by writing scientific articles or by making presentations at scientific conferences.
- 2. Teach or advise undergraduate or graduate students or supervise their research.
- 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.
- 4. Manage laboratory teams or monitor the quality of a team's work.
- 5. Develop new methods to study the mechanisms of biological processes.
- 6. Write grant proposals to obtain funding for research.
- 7. Design or perform experiments with equipment, such as lasers, accelerators, or mass spectrometers.
- 8. Determine the three-dimensional structure of biological macromolecules.
- 9. Design or build laboratory equipment needed for special research projects.
- 10. Prepare reports or recommendations, based upon research outcomes.
Key Skills Required
- Science
- Reading Comprehension
- Writing
- Critical Thinking
- Active Listening
- Speaking
- Active Learning
- Complex Problem Solving
- Learning Strategies
- Judgment and Decision Making
Knowledge Areas
- Biology
- Chemistry
- Mathematics
- English Language
- Physics
- Education and Training
- Computers and Electronics
- Engineering and Technology
- Administration and Management
- Medicine and Dentistry
Frequently Asked Questions
Will AI replace Biochemists and biophysicists?
Biochemists and biophysicists has an AI exposure score of 29%, indicating a medium level of automation risk. The majority of tasks in this role require human judgment, creativity, or physical presence that AI cannot easily replicate.
What is the job outlook for Biochemists and biophysicists?
According to BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034, Biochemists and biophysicists is projected to grow by 5.8% over the decade. Current employment stands at approximately 35,600 workers.
What skills are needed for Biochemists and biophysicists?
Key skills for Biochemists and biophysicists include Science, Reading Comprehension, Writing, and others. Typical entry-level education is Doctoral or professional degree.
How much do Biochemists and biophysicists earn?
The median annual wage for Biochemists and biophysicists is $103,650, according to BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2024). Actual earnings vary by location, experience, industry, and employer. The BLS publishes detailed wage percentiles by region in its Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program.
What education is required for Biochemists and biophysicists?
The typical entry-level education for Biochemists and biophysicists is Doctoral or professional degree. Employers generally expect None of related work experience. On-the-job training typically involves None. Requirements can vary by employer and specialization.
Which companies employ Biochemists and biophysicists?
Biochemists and biophysicists roles exist across many industries and employers. Workforce composition is estimated from BLS industry-occupation employment distributions matched to SEC-registered public companies.
AI Exposure Rating
Medium automation risk based on 10 analyzed tasks. Most tasks require human judgment and are resistant to automation.
Nationwide occupations with similar workforce profiles
Two data-derived peer sets for Biochemists and biophysicists: AI-exposure neighbors and BLS 2034 growth neighbors (distinct comparison neighborhoods, cross-occupation).
Similar AI exposure score
Nearest O*NET task-automability scores nationwide (29% here).
- Construction managers · AI exposure 29%
- Crane and tower operators · AI exposure 29%
- Electrical and electronics repairers, powerhouse, substation, and relay · AI exposure 29%
- Fine artists, including painters, sculptors, and illustrators · AI exposure 29%
Similar projected growth (2024–2034)
Nearest BLS employment change rates nationwide (+5.8% here).
- Buyers and purchasing agents · growth +5.8%
- Lifeguards, ski patrol, and other recreational protective service workers · growth +5.8%
- Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines · growth +5.8%
- Training and development managers · growth +5.8%
Peers are nearest-neighbor matches on published BLS + O*NET metrics among occupations with ≥10,000 workers in 2024; corpus ranks above sort the full tracked set.
Related Occupations
Showing 6 of 30 occupations with a comparable automation-risk profile.
What to do with this
Use Biochemists and biophysicists' numbers above to compare, not just read in isolation.
- Compare Biochemists and biophysicists side by side against another occupation on wage, growth, and AI exposure. Workforce comparison tool
- Understand how the AI exposure score above is actually calculated before treating it as a verdict. Reading AI exposure scores
- See the full ranked list of occupations with the lowest automation exposure nationwide. Safest occupations from AI
AI exposure scores estimate task automatability from O*NET data; they are not a certainty of job loss, and BLS growth projections are estimates, not guarantees.
Data sources: Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections 2024–2034 and O*NET Database 30.0. Employment figures are rounded. Wage data from BLS Occupational Employment Statistics (OES).