Average Salary

• A 2009 survey by the American Chemical Society found that the median salary for biochemists with a PhD was $100,000. Those with a Master's earned a median salary of $80,619, while biochemists with a Bachelor's degree earned a median wage of $66,252. Respondents with a PhD also reported a median bonus of $12,000 in 2009, while those with a Master's or Bachelor's degree reported median bonuses of $7,500 and $5,000, respectively.
  
  The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that biochemists in research and development positions earned a mean salary of $43.66 per hour, or $90,810 per year as of May 2010. A PhD is required for this type of research work in biochemistry.
  
  

Starting Salaries

• The University of Iowa estimates that graduates with a Bachelor's degree in biochemistry earn an average starting salary of $30,000. Those with a PhD in this field receive an average starting salary of $60,000.
  
  According to Ohio State University, graduates with a Bachelor's degree in biochemistry earn starting salaries between $30,000 and $40,000, while those with an advanced degree average starting salaries from $45,000 to $65,000.
  
  

Salaries for all Biochemists

• Biochemists of all levels of education earned a mean wage of $41.63 per hour, or $86,580 per year as of May 2010, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The median wage for this field is $38.17 per hour, or $79,390. The lowest ten percent of earners receive $43,050 per year, while the top ten percent receive $142,420.
  
  

Salaries by State

• According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Georgia offers the highest average wages for biochemists, with a mean salary of $105,830. In North Carolina, biochemists earn an average of $105,040, followed by $102,900 in Pennsylvania. Tennessee and Delaware round out the five states that pay the highest wages in this field.