Because of the transferable, and highly employable skills you can develop while pursuing your bachelor's degree in biochemistry, you'll have a wide variety of career options when you graduate.
In fact, we've listed 56 in our database and counting (career guides for these options can be found mid-way down this page).
For example, if you want to get into the working world right after graduation, you can pursue entry-level careers in many areas of science such as medicine, agriculture and the environment.
Or, since an undergrad program can effectively prepare you for a variety of graduate programs in the physical sciences, you can likely pursue a graduate degree (if you qualify), which will help you set a proper foundation for careers in research, teaching, and applied careers.
What Else You Can Do With a Biochemistry Degree
But that’s just the tip of the career options iceberg. You'll also have the choice to pursue a career outside of science altogether - meaning you could end up working as anything from an accountant to an event planner or even a sales manager.
Biochemistry programs are also excellent preparation for professional schooling in a wide variety of fields, ranging from dentistry and medicine, to business administration and law. This makes biochemistry an excellent option if you’re considering a career in any of these areas.
What is Biochemistry?
Biochemistry is the study of molecules and mechanisms in living organisms. Its goal is to understand and explain the operation of living organisms by examining their chemical, molecular, and cellular properties. Through coursework and lab work, biochemistry you’ll explore the structure and function of the key biomolecules (proteins, lipids, carbohydrates and nucleic acids) that allow the growth and development of all organisms.
In addition to covering the fundamentals of biomolecules, coursework in most programs also typically covers the principles of biochemistry, principles of genetics, metabolism and molecular biology, general microbiology, physical chemistry and other areas.
The Role of Biochemistry in Industry
Biochemistry plays an important role in a wide variety of areas. Progress in this field has applications that span areas such as agriculture, the environment, medicine, cosmetics, and a variety of others. In fact, developments in biochemistry lead all the way to law and public policy.
Thanks to biochemistry, we can screen unborn babies for disease, develop new medicines to treat and cure various diseases, protect crops from pests and disease, combat pollution, design products that are biocompatible, and do many other things to make our food, bodies, and planet safer.
In industry, biochemistry is often a collaborative field. Biochemists typically work with professionals from various fields to accomplish their goals. These professionals can range from other scientists, to engineers, to marketing and sales teams, to legal professionals, and everyone in between!
Careers with a Biochemistry Degree
A degree in biochemistry serves as an excellent foundation for careers both in and out of science, including:
• Blogger
• Clinical Research Coordinator
• Dentist
• Doctor
• Medical Laboratory Technologist
• Regulatory Affairs Specialist
Please Note: Some of the above listed careers require additional education, training and/or experience. Click on careers that are of interest to you to find out more about the qualifications you’ll need.
Who Employs Biochemistry Graduates?
The following list is a brief sampling of the kind of employers (in career fields directly related to biochemistry) that might hire you after you've graduated, as well as a brief overview of the type of function you may be hired to carry out.
• Agribusiness Companies: Developing safer and more effective agricultural products
• Hospital Laboratories: Analyzing samples from patients to provide treatment advice
• Pharmaceutical Companies: Developing drugs and other pharmaceutical products
• University Laboratories: Researching anything from gene therapy to disease treatments
• Cosmetic Companies: Creating safer and more effective products
• Food Product Development or Regulation Companies: Ensuring the safety of food
• Law Firms: Dealing with scientific cases
• Government (all levels): Providing advice on the latest scientific issues
• Sales and Marketing Firms: Marketing and selling the latest technology
• Publishing Companies: Commissioning, proofreading and peer reviewing scientific articles
Transferrable Skills You Can Gain
As a biochemistry graduate, your career options aren’t just limited to scientific professions. Because of the transferable skills you’ll gain, you’ll make a competent employee in almost any industry, and in virtually any profession. For example, you could end up working as anything from an accountant to a marketing manager or event planner.
The transferable skills you can gain as a student include:
• Analytical skills
• Numeracy and math
• Preparing reports
• Presentation skills
• Time management
• Problem solving and logical thinking
• Skills with various computer applications
• Planning skills
• Observational skills
Areas of Specialty for Study and Careers
Since biochemistry is a fairly broad field, it allows you to specialize in a variety of areas, depending on what your personal, academic and professional interest are. For example, you may choose to pursue further study, or a career in one of the following areas (not a comprehensive list):
Antibiotics: Class of natural and synthetic compounds that inhibits the growth of, or kills, other micro-organisms.
Proteomics: The study and cataloging of proteins in the human body. What are the component proteins, how they interact with each other, what kinds of metabolic networks or signaling networks they form, etc. These proteins and how they interact with each other may hold the keys to curing diseases in humans or targets for drug development.
Genomics: Large-scale investigation of the structure and function of genes. This knowledge aids in drug discovery and development, agro-science research, as well as other fields.
Neurobiology: Branch of biology that deals with the anatomy and physiology and pathology of the nervous system.
Neurochemistry: Includes research on the molecular, chemical, and cellular biology of the nervous system.
Reproductive Biochemistry: The study of the biochemistry, physiology, endocrinology, cell biology, genetics and molecular biology relating to human and animal reproduction.
Molecular Biology: The study of genetic composition and the mechanisms of living organisms at the molecular level.
Immunology: The study of disorders and treatments of the immune system including its structure and function, disorders of the immune system, immunization and organ transplantation.
Biotechnology: Use of living organisms to make a product or run a process developed through basic research and now applied to research and product development.
Genetic Engineering: The manipulation of an organism's genetic material to modify the proteins it produces, the selective, deliberate alteration of genes.
Toxicology: The study of the harmful effects of substances on the body, including the level of toxicity, the mechanism by which toxicity occurs and how it can be controlled, the study of the harmful effects of chemicals on the health of organisms.
Enzymology: The branch of biochemistry dealing with the chemical nature and biological activity of enzymes.
Bio-inorganic Chemistry: Knowledge of biological functions of metal complexes in living organisms.
Consider an Advanced Degree
An advanced degree (such as a professional, master’s or doctoral degree) enables you to develop highly specialized knowledge. This can open the doors to careers that aren’t accessible with only an undergraduate degree, including many research, consulting and teaching positions.
A Bachelor of Science degree in biochemistry serves as excellent preparation for further study in various fields. If you are considering a career in a field that's closely related to biochemistry, then you should strongly consider further study. This may be in the form of a graduate or professional degree in one of the following fields:
• Medicine
• Veterinary Medicine
• Dentistry
• Nutrition
• Pharmacy
• Business Administration
• Law
• Areas of specialty within biochemistry (listed below)
Biochemistry Scholarships
If you’re a student looking for help in paying for school, then you’re in luck! Our scholarships database has scholarships that are specific to biochemistry, as well as those that are open to any field of study.
Success Tip: Be sure to apply for any and all scholarships for which you qualify, as there are millions of dollars of scholarships in North America that go unused every year due to a lack of applicants.
Average Salary Levels for Grads
The average salary you could earn with a biochemistry degree varies based on a wide variety of factors, such as:
• The type, size, and budget of your employer
• The discretion of your employer
• Your level of education and experience
• Your level of certification (if applicable)
• The region in which you work
• How much overtime you are able to work (if applicable)
• The amount of responsibility inherent in your position
• Your level of experience (people with several years worth of experience can often earn substantially in their profession more than what’s listed below)
Most importantly, however, the salary you could earn varies based on the career field you enter. Below is an overview of the average earnings of people in a few career fields that are relevant to this degree.
Please Note: The salary information listed below is meant only to serve as a guideline. In many cases, workers in these fields can earn a much lower, or much higher, salary than is stated below.
Biochemist
Alberta: $79,450 (ALIS)
Canada: $75,000 (PayScale)
United States: $82,180 (BLS)
Biologist
Alberta: $84,998 (ALIS)
Canada: $63,381 (indeed)
United States: $69,960 (BLS)
Biomedical Engineer
Alberta: $98,254 (ALIS)
Canada: $63,240 (indeed)
United States: $88,040 (BLS)
Biostatistician
Alberta: N/A
Canada: $69,308 (PayScale)
United States: $89,472 (indeed)
Blogger
Alberta: N/A
Canada: N/A
United States: $36,580 (indeed)
Brewmaster
Alberta: N/A
Canada: $50,825 (Canada)
United States: N/A
Cell Biologist
Alberta: $84,988 (ALIS)
Canada: N/A
United States: $69,960 (BLS)
Chemical Engineer
Alberta: $107,372 (ALIS)
Canada: $83,726 (indeed)
United States: $102,160 (BLS)
Chiropractor
Alberta: N/A
Canada: $69,700 (indeed)
United Sates: $68,640 (BLS)
Clinical Chemist
Alberta: $79,450 (ALIS)
Canada: $51,987 (indeed)
United States: $74,740 (BLS)
Clinical Technician
Alberta: $77,398 (ALIS)
Canada: N/A
United States: $51,770 (BLS)
Crime Lab Assistant
Alberta: $62,913 (ALIS)
Canada: N/A
United States: $57,850 (BLS)
Dentist
Alberta: $154,564 (ALIS)
Canada: N/A
United States: $158,120 (BLS)
DNA Analyst
Alberta: $62,913 (ALIS)
Canada: N/A
United States: $57,850 (BLS)
Doctor
Alberta: $230,100 (ALIS)
Canada: $271,000 (Global News - Via Canadian Institute of Health Report)
United States: $208,000 (BLS)
Entomologist
Alberta: $984,988 (ALIS)
Canada: N/A
United States: $62,290 (BLS)
Epidemiologist
Alberta: $84,988 (ALIS)
Canada: N/A
United States: $69,660 (BLS)
Food and Drug Inspector
Alberta: $80,949 (ALIS)
Canada: $44,418 to $111,523 (Canadian Food Inspection Agency)
United States: $64,660 (BLS)
Food Chemist
(See “Food Scientist”)
Food Microbiologist
(See “Food Scientist”)
Food Safety Auditor
Alberta: $80,949 (ALIS)
Canada: N/A
United States: $71,780 (BLS)
Food Scientist
Alberta: $80,949 (ALIS)
Canada: N/A
United States: $71,780 (BLS)
Forensic Lab Analyst
Alberta: $62,913 (ALIS)
Canada: N/A
United States: $57,850 (BLS)
Hydrologist
Alberta: $128,940 (ALIS)
Canada: $57,391 (PayScale)
United States: $79,990 (BLS)
Laboratory Manager
Alberta: N/A
Canada: $63,590 (PayScale)
United States: $60,174 (indeed)
Medical Laboratory Technologist
Alberta: $77,398 (ALIS)
Canada: $67,160 (Glassdoor)
United States: $51,770 (BLS)
Patent Agent
Alberta: N/A
Canada: N/A
United States: $116,000 (BLS)
Petroleum Chemist
Alberta: N/A
Canada: N/A
United States: $69,767 (PayScale)
Pharmaceutical Chemist
Alberta: N/A
Canada: N/A
United States: $60,476 (Glassdoor)
Pharmacist
Alberta: $98,037 (ALIS)
Canada: $103,926 (Glassdoor)
United States: $124,170 (BLS)
Pharmacologist
Alberta: $84,998 (ALIS)
Canada: N/A
United States: $82,090 (BLS)
Quality Control Specialist
Alberta: N/A
Canada: $55,114 (PayScale)
United States: $37,340 (BLS)
Regulatory Affairs Manager
Alberta: N/A
Canada: $82,478 (indeed)
United States: $105,290 (Glassdoor)
Regulatory Affairs Specialist
Alberta: N/A
Canada: $58,942 (PayScale)
United States: $67,510 (Glassdoor)
Research Assistant
Alberta: $41,027 (ALIS)
Canada: $32,796 (Glassdoor)
United Sates: $26,560 (BLS)
Sales Representative
Alberta: $62,683 (ALIS)
Canada: $61,624 (indeed)
United Sates: $60,340 (BLS)
Science Advisor
Alberta: N/A
Canada: $102,798 (PayScale)
United States: $121,768 (Glassdoor)
Science Writer
Alberta: $58,979 (ALIS)
Canada: $56,634 (PayScale)
United States: $57,549 (BLS)
Toxicologist
Alberta: $84,998 (ALIS)
Canada: N/A
United States: $74,631 (Glassdoor)
Water Quality Analyst
Alberta: N/A
Canada: N/A
United States: $53,460 (PayScale)
The name in brackets next to the salary data for each region is the sources from which the data was obtained. Please note, the salary data that is sourced from the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) represents median salary figures, rather than average salary figures.
Salary Data Reference Information
ALIS: Alberta Learning and Information Service (alis.alberta.ca), sponsored by the Government of Alberta. For an overview of their salary survey methodology, please visit here.
PayScale: Private organization owned by PayScale Incorporated (payscale.com). For an overview of their salary survey methodology, please visit here.
BLS: United States Bureau of Labor Statistics (bls.gov), sponsored by the federal government of the United States of America. For details regarding their salary survey methodology, please visit here.
Glassdoor: indeed is a private organization owned by Glassdoor incorporated (glassdoor.com). For an overview of their salary survey methodology, please visit here.
Canadian Food Inspection Agency: For the career profile of “Food & Drug Inspector”
Professional Associations
To find out more about careers directly related to your biochemistry degree, consult the following professional association websites. They offer career-related information, and many have opportunities for student membership, as well as job placement and mentoring opportunities.
Canada
Canadian Institutes of Health Research
Canadian Society for Molecular Biosciences
Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada
United States
American Association for Clinical Chemistry
American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
International
International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
