Jobs / Science and research / 19-1021.00
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.
- US jobs
- 33,830
- Median wage
- $127,410 a year
- Job family
- Science and research
Can agents do the work of biochemists and biophysicists?
We read the evidence at the level of the job family, Science and research:
- Task levelPartialThin evidence. CORE-Bench asks agents to reproduce the results of published papers in computer science, social science, and medicine from the authors' code and data. Princeton's HAL team declared it solved in December 2025: Claude Code with Claude Opus 4.5 scored 95.5% after manual regrading. No benchmark in our collection tests new experiments or lab work.
- Project levelNot yetThin evidence. On PaperBench, where agents replicate machine learning papers from scratch, the best official result is 26.0% (o1, April 2025). On a small subset, ML PhDs scored 41.4% against o1's 26.6%. No newer official results exist, and no benchmark tests research projects in other sciences.
Benchmarks for the job family
These cover work in science and research, not always this occupation's tasks.
- 95.5%Claude Code + Claude Opus 4.5 (after manual regrading) · 3 Dec 2025Solved
Typical tasks
From O*NET 31.0. Core tasks first. Few of these tasks have a benchmark today.
- Share research findings by writing scientific articles or by making presentations at scientific conferences.
- Teach or advise undergraduate or graduate students or supervise their research.
- Study physical principles of living cells or organisms and their electrical or mechanical energy, applying methods and knowledge of mathematics, physics, chemistry, or biology.
- Manage laboratory teams or monitor the quality of a team's work.
- Develop new methods to study the mechanisms of biological processes.
- Write grant proposals to obtain funding for research.
- Design or perform experiments with equipment, such as lasers, accelerators, or mass spectrometers.
- Determine the three-dimensional structure of biological macromolecules.
- Design or build laboratory equipment needed for special research projects.
- Prepare reports or recommendations, based upon research outcomes.
- Study spatial configurations of submicroscopic molecules, such as proteins, using x-rays or electron microscopes.
- Study the chemistry of living processes, such as cell development, breathing and digestion, or living energy changes, such as growth, aging, or death.
Other job titles for this occupation (26)
Analytical Research Chemist · Biochemist · Biophysics Researcher · Scientist · Biochemistry Scientist · Biological Chemist · Biophysicist · Chemist · Chemistry Scientist · Clinical Biochemist · Clinical Laboratory Scientist · Clinical Researcher · Forensic Toxicologist · Formulation Scientist · Molecular Biologist · Pharmaceutical Scientist · Physical Biochemist · Postdoctoral Associate (Postdoc Associate) · Postdoctoral Research Associate (Postdoc Research Associate) · Postdoctoral Researcher (Postdoc Researcher) · Postdoctoral Scholar (Postdoc Scholar) · Protein Biochemist · Protein Biochemistry Scientist · R&D Scientist (Research and Development Scientist) · Research Biochemist · Toxicologist