The Datum Report

Occupation 2113 · Professional occupations

Biochemists and biomedical scientists

Half of full-time biochemists and biomedical scientists in the UK earn more than £47,892 a year, and half earn less.

Biochemists and biomedical scientists examine and investigate the chemical processes of living organisms, including their inter-relationships, environments and diseases, and perform laboratory tests on tissue, blood and other samples to diagnose diseases, toxins or health conditions.

How people enter it

Entrants usually possess a degree. Entry may also be possible with an appropriate BTEC/SQA award, an HNC/NHD, or other academic qualifications. Further specialist training is provided on the job. Some employers may expect entrants to hold a postgraduate qualification or gain professional qualifications.

What the work involves

• studies the chemical form, structure, composition and function of living organisms
• identifies and studies the chemical substances, including microbial infections, involved in physiological processes and the progress of disease
• performs tests to study physiological and pathological characteristics within cells and other organisms
• researches the effects of internal and external environmental factors on the life processes and other functions of living organisms
• performs tests to help clinicians diagnose and treat various conditions, evaluates existing treatments and researches new ways to treat diseases
• researches, develops and quality checks new products in the pharmaceuticals, food production and agricultural Industries

Also called

Clinical technologist · Endocrinologist · Histopathologist · Medical technologist · Medical researcher

What it pays

How pay has changed

Median gross annual pay for biochemists and biomedical scientists, full-time employees, 2023 to 2025. Each point is that year's ASHE April snapshot as published — revisions are not backfilled into earlier years, and a year ONS withheld is a gap rather than a joined line.

ONS, ASHE Table 14 - occupation by four-digit SOC (national). Table

Year-on-year change

The change from each year to the next, in per cent, computed from the figures in the chart above — so the two cannot disagree.

ONS, ASHE Table 14 - occupation by four-digit SOC (national). Table

Pay by region

Median gross annual pay for full-time employees, ranked, against the UK figure. 10 of 11 regions are published: ONS withholds a cell where the survey sample cannot support it, and those are shown as gaps rather than dropped — an absent region is not a region without the work in it.

ONS, ASHE Table 14 - occupation by four-digit SOC (national). Period 2025. Table

Every regional figure

ONS does not publish occupational pay below region. Cells the survey could not support are shown as withheld, with its reason — adding a region split to a specific occupation leaves roughly a tenth of cells publishable.

Common questions

Classified alongside this

Biological scientists · Chemical scientists · Natural and social science professionals n.e.c. · Physical scientists · Social and humanities scientists