Biochemists and biomedical scientists salary in the UK
The median full-time salary for biochemists and biomedical scientists in the UK is £47,892 (ONS, 2025). After tax and National Insurance at 2026/27 rates that is about £3,167 a month.
Pay range for biochemists and biomedical scientists
This is the ONS occupation group "Biochemists and biomedical scientists" (SOC 2020 code 2113). ONS figures for 2025 show that one in ten earn less than £30,985, a quarter earn less than £37,637, half earn less than £47,892 and a quarter earn more than £56,662.
| Point in the pay range | Gross a year | Gross a month | Take-home a year | Take-home a month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | £30,985 | £2,582 | £25,829 | £2,152 |
| 25th percentile | £37,637 | £3,136 | £30,618 | £2,552 |
| Median (50th percentile) | £47,892 | £3,991 | £38,002 | £3,167 |
| 75th percentile | £56,662 | £4,722 | £43,421 | £3,618 |
| 90th percentile | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published |
Take-home at England, Wales and Northern Ireland rates. Not published means ONS did not publish that figure because the estimate is not reliable enough. ONS rates the median for biochemists and biomedical scientists as precise: its sampling error (coefficient of variation) is 4.4%. ONS estimates about 39,000 full-time employee jobs in this occupation. ONS says job counts like this are indicative only.
Where biochemists and biomedical scientists rank
The median for biochemists and biomedical scientists ranks 68th of 362 occupations on this site, in the top quarter, and 43rd of 91 in professional occupations. It is £8,853 (22.7%) higher than the UK median of £39,039 for all full-time employee jobs. ONS change on the previous year: the median for biochemists and biomedical scientists rose 4.3%, the same rise as the UK median for all full-time jobs.
Jobs with the nearest medians: Medical radiographers (£48,439), Psychotherapists and cognitive behaviour therapists (£47,971), Production and process engineers (£47,946), Artists (£47,763), Construction project managers and related professionals (£47,665) and Secondary education teaching professionals (£47,632).
How spread out pay is
The middle half of full-time biochemists and biomedical scientists earn between £37,637 and £56,662, a gap of £19,025, or 39.7% of the median. That is £5,722 narrower than the £24,747 gap for all UK jobs, and the 61st widest of the 223 jobs where ONS published both figures, in the upper half of the list.
The mean for biochemists and biomedical scientists (total pay divided by the number of employees) is £53,074, which is £5,182 (10.8%) higher than the median. When the mean is above the median, a smaller number of higher salaries are pulling the average up. For all UK full-time jobs the mean is 24.3% above the median, so the gap for biochemists and biomedical scientists is smaller.
Biochemists and biomedical scientists and related jobs
Among these 6 jobs in the same ONS minor group, this one has the 2nd highest median. The highest median among them is £55,518 (physical scientists) and the lowest £39,899 (social and humanities scientists).
| Job | SOC code | Median salary | Take-home a month |
|---|---|---|---|
| Physical scientists | 2114 | £55,518 | £3,563 |
| Biochemists and biomedical scientists | 2113 | £47,892 | £3,167 |
| Biological scientists | 2112 | £45,382 | £3,016 |
| Natural and social science professionals n.e.c. | 2119 | £43,384 | £2,896 |
| Chemical scientists | 2111 | £39,983 | £2,692 |
| Social and humanities scientists | 2115 | £39,899 | £2,687 |
Take-home pay against all jobs
At the median, biochemists and biomedical scientists take home about £3,167 a month, against £2,636 on the UK median for all jobs. Scotland has its own income tax bands, so take-home pay on the same salary is different there.
| Group | Median a year | Take-home a month | Take-home a month in Scotland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Biochemists and biomedical scientists | £47,892 | £3,167 | £3,081 |
| All full-time employee jobs, UK | £39,039 | £2,636 | £2,631 |
Related pages
All jobs in the Professional occupations table, average salary by area, the take home pay calculator, salary to hourly calculator and pay rise calculator.
How this is worked out
Pay: ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE), 2025 provisional, SOC 2020 unit group 2113. Take-home: 2026/27 rates, tax code 1257L, no pension or student loan. How to read these figures.
Sources
- ASHE Table 14: earnings by occupation (4-digit SOC), 2025 provisional (ONS)
- ASHE Table 7: earnings by place of work, local authority, 2025 provisional (ONS)
- SOC 2020 Volume 1: structure and descriptions of unit groups (ONS)
- Income Tax rates and Personal Allowances (GOV.UK)
- Scottish Income Tax (GOV.UK)
- National Insurance: how much you pay (GOV.UK)
Figures checked on 12 October 2026. ONS plans to publish its next ASHE figures on 22 October 2026. Read how we calculate or tell us about a mistake.
Frequently asked questions
On the median full-time salary of £47,892, take-home pay is about £3,167 a month (£38,002 a year) after 2026/27 income tax and National Insurance, with tax code 1257L and no pension or student loan. In Scotland, where income tax is different, it is about £3,081 a month.
ONS figures for full-time jobs (2025) show that one in ten earn less than £30,985, a quarter earn less than £37,637, half earn less than £47,892 and a quarter earn more than £56,662. ONS did not publish every point in the range because some estimates are not reliable enough.
Yes. The median for biochemists and biomedical scientists is £47,892, which is £8,853 (22.7%) higher than the UK median of £39,039 for all full-time employee jobs (ONS, 2025). It ranks 68th of 362 occupations on this site.