Annual Salary
£24,000 to £50,000
Average UK salary in 2023 was £34,963
(source Office for National Statistics)
Swap to Maths or STEM or go back to all job sectors or go to green jobs
Swap to Maths or STEM or go back to all job sectors or go to green jobs
Biochemists investigate the chemical processes that take place inside all living things, such as viruses, bacteria and people.
Average UK salary in 2023 was £34,963
(source Office for National Statistics)
You could work: evenings; on shifts
There will be
2.4% more Biochemist jobs in 2027.
Biochemists work in many sectors of the economy.
You could work in areas such as disease, pharmaceutical drugs, food products or academic research. You may also teach at a university.
In most roles you can expect to:
You may need to wear protective clothing.
You could work at a research facility, in a laboratory or at a university.
You can get into this job through:
You'll usually need a relevant science degree, like:
If you do not meet the entry requirements for one of these subjects, you may be able to do a foundation year.
Postgraduate courses
For some jobs you may also need a postgraduate qualification like a master's degree or PhD.
Some degree courses include an integrated master's qualification like MBiolSci, MBiochem or MSci. You'll usually have more time for independent research and they're designed to lead directly onto further postgraduate study like a PhD.
Laboratory experience
It's important to get experience of working in a laboratory during your degree course.
You can do this through a:placement; internship; year in industry scheme; Summer Vacation Studentship
You'll usually need:
You could start out as a laboratory technician and study on the job for a degree.
You could train to be a clinical biochemist in the NHS through the NHS Scientist Training Programme (STP).
You can demonstrate your professional status and keep your knowledge up to date by joining a professional body like the:Biochemical Society; Royal Society of Biology
You can find out more about becoming a biochemist from the:Biochemical Society; Royal Society of Biology; Association for Clinical Biochemistry and Laboratory Medicine
With experience, you could:develop a specialism; manage a team, department or project; move into product sales, marketing or science communication; become a freelance consultant
You'll need: