Biochemists and Biophysicists build complex problem solving, judgment and decision making and instructing skills that carry over to other work. Below are 25 careers ranked by how closely their skills match, with pay from BLS May 2025. The closest match is Physicists (86%).
Updated October 2026 · Data: O*NET 31.0 and BLS OEWS May 2025 · How we match careers
Sorted by skill match.
| # | Career | Skill match | Median pay | Pay change | Extra education |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Physicists | 86% | $172,250 | +35% | None |
| 2 | Nanosystems Engineers | 85% | $122,930Pay for the broader BLS group “Engineers, All Other” | Not compared | None |
| 3 | Bioengineers and Biomedical Engineers | 80% | $109,370 | −14% | None |
| 4 | Astronomers | 77% | $128,820 | +1% | None |
| 5 | Materials Scientists | 77% | $117,790 | −8% | None |
| 6 | Microsystems Engineers | 74% | $122,930Pay for the broader BLS group “Engineers, All Other” | Not compared | None |
| 7 | Mathematicians | 73% | $126,710 | −1% | None |
| 8 | Nuclear Engineers | 72% | $133,970 | +5% | None |
| 9 | Materials Engineers | 71% | $112,860 | −11% | None |
| 10 | Medical Dosimetrists | 71% | $147,470 | +16% | None |
Compared with Biochemists and Biophysicists, median $127,410. Skill match is our estimate (0–99) from O*NET 31.0 skills, knowledge, work activities and interests, adjusted for preparation and big pay drops. Pay: BLS OEWS May 2025, national median.
How important each skill is in work as biochemists and biophysicists (O*NET importance, scale 1–5).
The gaps that show up most often across your top 10 matches.
Free and low-cost training: use the CareerOneStop training finder below.
A concrete first step, the skills to add, and the hard parts of each job, from O*NET 31.0 education, training and work context data.
86% skill match · $172,250 · +35% pay
Programming · Technology Design · Systems Evaluation
No work-context factor stands out as unusually hard in O*NET data.
85% skill match · $122,930 (broader BLS group)
Technology Design · Negotiation · Service Orientation
No work-context factor stands out as unusually hard in O*NET data.
80% skill match · $109,370 · −14% pay
Technology Design · Installation · Troubleshooting
No work-context factor stands out as unusually hard in O*NET data.
If you want to stay close to what you do now, these roles are the nearest.
The closest matches are Physicists (86% skill match, median $172,250), Nanosystems Engineers (85% skill match, median $122,930) and Bioengineers and Biomedical Engineers (80% skill match, median $109,370), based on O*NET 31.0 data and BLS May 2025 pay.
Among the 25 matches, 7 pay more than biochemists and biophysicists at the median. The biggest increases: Physicists (+35%, $172,250), Computer Hardware Engineers (+27%, $161,740) and Medical Dosimetrists (+16%, $147,470).
25 of the 25 matches usually need no more education than you have now, based on O*NET Job Zones.
We compare the importance of skills, knowledge, work activities and interests in O*NET 31.0 for your job and every other career, then adjust for extra preparation and big pay drops. The full method is on our Methodology page.