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SOC 19-1021 · O*NET 19-1021.00
Biochemists and biophysicists study the chemical composition or physical principles of living cells and organisms and their electrical and mechanical energy: share research findings, mentor graduate students, develop new methods to study the mechanisms of biological processes, write grant proposals, design and conduct experiments using equipment such as lasers or accelerators or mass spectrometers, determine the three-dimensional structures of biological macromolecules, study the chemical effects of substances such as drugs and hormones on tissues and life processes, develop or test new drugs intended for market, produce proteins for medicinal or industrial use using recombinant DNA techniques, and analyze biochemical or biophysical data. The U.S. side corresponds to O*NET 19-1021.00 (Biochemists and Biophysicists), which is Job Zone Five (extensive preparation needed, mostly graduate-level education); O*NET marks this occupation as Bright Outlook; the wage and employment and industry data are all reported on a standalone basis for this occupation, and the page does not state that they are taken from other occupations; the employment projection is faster than average (5% to 6%; the employment trends page gives 35,600 people in 2024 → 37,600 people in 2034, 6%, with about 2,900 job openings per year on average). On the mainland China side, this page has not obtained a public occupational wage entry precisely corresponding to this occupation, and according to the evidence standard retains the boundary that no data can be safely used, without filling it in with industry averages, parent occupations or U.S. data; experimental and research activities in mainland China are subject to the Biosecurity Law of the People's Republic of China and the Regulations on the Safety Administration of Hazardous Chemicals and other provisions.
Model impact index for three equally weighted representative core tasks; not a measured share of working time or a job-loss probability. floor((50+0+75)/3+0.5)=42; fermatmind-ai-impact-v1; 2026-10-18.
One sentence: this is a scientific position centered on hypotheses and experiments and data that delivers reviewable research conclusions through prolonged uncertainty and repeated verification; the core is experimental design and execution and data analysis and presentation of results and compliance, not the imagination of living phenomena; its U.S. wages and employment are reported on a standalone basis for this occupation, and the employment projection is faster than average; on the mainland China side no precise occupational wage entry has been obtained, and this page does not fill it in with industry averages or parent occupations or U.S. data.
Occupational identity and scope must be checked separately: O*NET lists 19-1021.00 (Biochemists and Biophysicists) as Job Zone Five (Extensive Preparation Needed), with an educational composition of 40% requiring post-doctoral training, 25% requiring a bachelor's degree, and 25% requiring a doctoral degree (the page lists only these three items); the interest code is Investigative; the page marks this occupation as Bright Outlook. The employment projection is faster than average (5% to 6%; the employment trends page gives 35,600 people in 2024 → about 37,600 people in 2034, 6%, while still projecting about 2,900 openings per year on average over the projection period). At the same time it must be noted: the wage and employment and industry data on this page are all reported on a standalone basis for this occupation on the O*NET page (the page contains no Wage data for ... or Employment data for ... labels taken from other occupations). Education, post-doctoral training, industry certification, employer hiring and position authorization, and the requirements of the applicable jurisdiction for biosecurity and laboratories and hazardous chemicals and human genetic resources are different states and must be verified item by item according to employer and position and jurisdiction; none of them can be automatically inferred from another.
Biochemists and biophysicists (U.S. O*NET19-1021.00) study the chemical composition and physical principles of living systems and related processes, and mainly deliver experiments, data, papers and research reports. The detailed page has 25 tasks: 20 core, 4 supplemental scored, and 1 newly added data analysis task without a score; 41 work activities and 14 detailed activities. Data analysis 99, documenting 94, creative thinking 94; these are occupational importance ratings, not adoption rates. China's Biosecurity Law as amended in 2024: Articles 34 through 38 distinguish research risks, and high/medium-risk research and development must be carried out by legal persons established in accordance with law within the territory with approval or filing in accordance with law, risk assessment and emergency plans; Articles 42 through 50 provide management by pathogenic microorganism and laboratory level. Research risk categories and laboratory protection levels are not the same indicator, and all biochemical research cannot be written as a uniform licensing matter.
Career direction comparison
The table below compares biochemists and biophysicists with five adjacent directions on the same set of dimensions: occupational direction, core work and outputs, key differences, and which choice suits each preference.
| Career direction | Core work and output | Key differences | Best-fit choice |
|---|---|---|---|
| Biochemists and biophysicists and data scientists | Complete data processing and modeling and result delivery, with outputs mainly in models and data products and reports. | Data scientists deliver data and modeling and prediction as their main output and usually work in a computational environment; biochemists and biophysicists take the experiments and data of life processes as their main object and need to design and conduct experiments themselves and be responsible for their physical and chemical meaning. | If you would rather do modeling and data products and algorithm delivery, compare data scientists first; if you would rather generate and interpret data at the bench, then this occupation suits you. |
AI impact on this career
AI can serve as a candidate aid for retrieval, drafting, preliminary data screening and record organization; this is an application judgment proposed by the editors according to the tasks, and this round has no adoption rate, measured productivity or overall substitution date for this occupation. Sequence/structure computational models, existing experimental automation and generative AI must be evaluated separately; the general O*NET automation context also does not measure GenAI. U.S. 19-1021: 35,200 employed in 2025, projected 39,500 in 2035; 12% growth from 2025 to 2035 (much faster than average), a net change of about 4,300 and about 2,900 job openings per year on average. Openings include replacement, not net new positions or an individual's probability of being hired. AI Impact Score 42% is an editorial estimate. Model impact index for three equally weighted representative core tasks; not a measured share of working time or a job-loss probability. floor((50+0+75)/3+0.5)=42; fermatmind-ai-impact-v1; 2026-10-18.The three tasks, ratings and sources are listed in the FermatMind method source record on this page.
FermatMind AI Impact Score estimation method v1
FermatMind / 费马测试 · 2026-10-18
Chinese mainland salary reference
Precise Chinese occupational wages still lack sufficient evidence; National Bureau of Statistics 2025 broad-scope references: scientific research and technical services non-private 182,064 and private 83,560 yuan/year; above-scale enterprises in that industry 173,855 and professional and technical personnel 172,877 yuan/year. Education industry non-private 133,539 and private 63,908; manufacturing non-private 113,594 and private 76,055 yuan/year. Choose according to the industry of the actual institution; all are industry/broad job category averages and are not this occupation's wages, starting salary, city monthly wage or median; Chinese and U.S. industries are not equivalent.
Chinese occupational classifications and U.S. 19-1021 cannot be treated as equivalent merely because of the translated name. This round did not verify a precise occupational entry and wage mapping; choose references according to actual research duties and the industry of the institution.
Precise Chinese occupational wages still lack sufficient evidence; National Bureau of Statistics 2025 broad-scope references: scientific research and technical services non-private 182,064 and private 83,560 yuan/year; above-scale enterprises in that industry 173,855 and professional and technical personnel 172,877 yuan/year. Education industry non-private 133,539 and private 63,908; manufacturing non-private 113,594 and private 76,055 yuan/year. Choose according to the industry of the actual institution; all are industry/broad job category averages and are not this occupation's wages, starting salary, city monthly wage or median; Chinese and U.S. industries are not equivalent.
U.S. wage reference
Direct answer: the public U.S. data give this occupation's hourly and annual wage percentiles and the 2025 to 2035 employment and projection (overall much faster than average); what can be checked are the percentiles, median and projection figures, and their respective scopes and data periods.
| Wage statistical position | Annual wage reference | Conversion boundary | How to understand this position |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lowest 10% | 74,290 USD/year (10th percentile) | Official annual wage, not an individual monthly income | The 10th percentile is an annual wage of 74,290 USD; this is the low end of the distribution, does not represent all newcomers, and does not constitute an income promise. |
| Median (50%) | 127,410 USD/year (median) | Official annual wage, not an individual's take-home pay |
Occupational fit guide
Direct answer: the more explanatory fit signals are being willing to trace every conclusion back to the original data and experimental conditions, being able to keep records consistent through long repeated experiments and uncertain results, handling anomalies and negative results according to procedure and leaving a trail, and handing experimental activities and resource disposition issues beyond one's authorization to authorized people; relying on liking biology and chemistry or being able to use instruments alone cannot decide it.
You may be better suited to： You can break a research question into testable hypotheses and design controls and sampling plans, can collect and truthfully record raw data and instrument parameters and reagent lots according to procedure, can stop and review and report when data are anomalous or results do not match the hypothesis or something is beyond your authorization, and accept review and correction.
These situations require caution： You only want to get results out and are unwilling to trace the raw data and experimental conditions; you treat picking data first and adding the conditions later as acceptable; or you skip approval and records on experimental activity levels and the disposal of human genetic resources and hazardous chemicals; situations requiring caution also include difficulty adapting to prolonged uncertainty and repeated experiments and the rhythm of instrument operation.
Work pressure, risks and occupational boundaries
Direct answer: key risks include crossing experimental activity and biosecurity level boundaries, exposure to chemicals and biological agents and radiation, compliance of human genetic resources and biological samples and data, research integrity and the traceability of data and records, long experimental postures and repetitive actions and eye strain, and the external presentation of research results beyond authorization; the control approach is to work first within the approved or filed scope and carry out risk assessment, operate according to institutional procedures and wear the corresponding protection, truthfully record raw data and parameters and reagent lots and anomalies, handle samples and data and personal information on the principles of legality and propriety and necessity, and stop and escalate when beyond authorization or when anomalies are found.
The O*NET occupational task and work context descriptions explain exposures and work arrangements and do not give individual disease incidence rates; China's Biosecurity Law as amended in 2024: Articles 34 through 38 distinguish research risks, and high/medium-risk research and development must be carried out by legal persons established in accordance with law within the territory with approval or filing in accordance with law, risk assessment and emergency plans; Articles 42 through 50 provide management by pathogenic microorganism and laboratory level. Research risk categories and laboratory protection levels are not the same indicator, and all biochemical research cannot be written as a uniform licensing matter. Article 55 of that law requires human genetic resource activities to conform to ethics; Article 56 provides for approval by the competent health department according to specific situations such as collection, preservation, international scientific research cooperation, and materials leaving the country, and there are statutory exclusions and clinical trial filing exceptions; Article 57 requires resource information provided to or opened for use abroad to be reported in advance with a backup submitted. Not all samples and all uses require approval in every case, and institutional authorization cannot replace statutory requirements. China's Law on the Safety of Hazardous Chemicals takes effect on 2026-05-01, and Article 5 clarifies the responsibilities and training and assessment of user units such as schools and research institutions; Articles 46 through 51 require safety conditions, procedures, and Chinese-language safety data sheets and labels to be implemented according to type, hazardous characteristics, quantity and method. The safe use permit under Article 48 is aimed at chemical enterprises engaged in production with prescribed varieties and quantities, and not every research laboratory needs the same permit; radioactive substances and others follow their applicable rules separately, and waste disposal must also be verified separately against environmental protection provisions.
Getting started, qualifications and career development
O*NET asks how much education new hires need, and respondents answered 40% post-doctoral training, 25% bachelor's, 25% doctorate; this is not the education distribution of all employees. BLS explains that independent research and development positions require a doctorate and that many doctorates first take temporary post-doctoral positions; bachelor's and master's degrees can meet some entry-level positions. Job Zone Five is the preparation range, not a requirement of more than five years of experience for every position. The O*NET training directory has 967 related programs, based on the IPEDS 2025 to 26 institution directory and 2024 to 25 degree-award data and the CIP-occupation crosswalk; it is not 967 real-time enrollment announcements. The certification directory has 18 related records, including analytical chemistry, toxicology, environmental safety, medical genetics, andrology laboratory and advanced biotherapy directions; it does not equal 18 items being a general threshold, and the conditions, fees and validity periods were not verified in this round.
Occupational outlook and related occupation transitions
U.S. 19-1021: 35,200 employed in 2025, projected 39,500 in 2035; 12% growth from 2025 to 2035 (much faster than average), a net change of about 4,300 and about 2,900 job openings per year on average. Openings include replacement, not net new positions or an individual's probability of being hired.
United States · official_statistic
35,200 people (U.S. this occupation, 2025)
Employment scale
This is the number of people employed given by the O*NET employment trends page for this occupation; the employment scale of this occupation is moderate and highly concentrated in science and technology service institutions, and recruitment demand at an individual institution or in a region may differ greatly from the national scope.
Does not establish：The scope and data period differ and cannot be mixed, nor can they be used to estimate a broader occupational group.
Study the chemical composition or physical principles of living cells and organisms and their electrical and mechanical energy and related phenomena: write scientific papers or present at academic conferences to share research findings, mentor undergraduate or graduate students and supervise their research, apply methods from mathematics and physics and chemistry or biology to study the physical principles of living cells or organisms, manage a laboratory team or oversee the quality of the team's work, develop new methods to study the mechanisms of biological processes, write research grant proposals, design or conduct experiments using equipment such as lasers or accelerators or mass spectrometers, determine the three-dimensional structures of biological macromolecules, design or build the experimental equipment needed for a specific research project, and write reports or recommendations based on research results; and depending on the research direction, study the chemistry of processes such as cell development and respiration and digestion and the energy changes of growth and aging and death, study the mutations that cause cancer or other diseases, study the chemical effects of drugs and serum and hormones or food on tissues or life processes, use atomic isotopes to study the transformation of substances within cells, develop or carry out tests to detect diseases and genetic disorders or other abnormalities, develop or test new drugs intended for commercial launch, isolate and analyze or synthesize vitamins and hormones and allergens and minerals or enzymes and determine their effects on body functions, study the molecular or chemical aspects of immune system function, study how traits are passed from generation to generation, prepare medicinal compounds intended for commercial launch, develop methods for processing or storing or using food and drugs or compounds, study the nature and composition or expression of genes and how genetic engineering affects these processes, produce proteins for medicinal or industrial use using recombinant DNA techniques, and analyze biochemical or biophysical data.
Choose a real task from this page for a small practice project or a conversation with someone in the field. Use the planning guides to set a date, an output and feedback questions before deciding whether to continue.
Signals to keep exploring: you are willing to trace a conclusion back to the original data and experimental conditions and instrument parameters; you can spend long periods at the bench and in front of instruments doing repeated measurements and keep the records consistent; when results do not match the hypothesis or the data are anomalous you are willing to review and record truthfully rather than selecting favorable data; you are willing to stop and report first when experimental activities or biosecurity levels exceed the approval or filing.
Conditions for pausing your investment first: you have not yet completed, under any supervised condition, one full closed loop of proposing a hypothesis, designing experiments and controls, collecting and recording raw data, analyzing and reviewing, and stating things truthfully, or you can only explain your interest by liking biology and chemistry; nor should you treat being able to operate a particular instrument or use a particular analysis software as proof that you can independently design high-risk experiments or independently handle experimental activities involving human genetic resources and pathogenic microorganisms. Biosecurity and experimental activity levels, the collection and preservation and external provision of pathogenic microorganisms and human genetic resources, the conditions for using hazardous chemicals, and the recording and preservation of research data must be carried out in accordance with the applicable jurisdiction and competent authorities and employer systems and must leave a traceable record; this page does not provide any experimental method, practice for circumventing regulation or criterion for determining biosecurity levels.
One-sentence judgment: biochemists and biophysicists are not people who produce pretty data with instruments, but research positions that take the chemical composition or physical principles of living cells and organisms as their object and write hypothesis, experimental design, data collection and analysis, and presentation of results into a reviewable chain of evidence: write papers or share research findings at conferences, mentor graduate students, develop new methods to study the mechanisms of biological processes, write grant proposals, design and conduct experiments using equipment such as lasers or accelerators or mass spectrometers, determine the three-dimensional structures of biological macromolecules, study the effects of substances such as drugs and hormones on tissues and life processes, develop or test new drugs intended for market, produce proteins for medicinal or industrial use using recombinant DNA techniques, and analyze biochemical or biophysical data; people who only want ready-made conclusions and are unwilling to trace the original data and control conditions, unwilling to work within the authorized level according to biosecurity and hazardous chemical rules, and unwilling to truthfully record and review uncertainty and negative results are not suited to it.
The work of biochemists and biophysicists can be divided into three categories: experimental and research tasks (propose hypotheses and design experiments and controls; design or conduct experiments using equipment such as lasers or accelerators or mass spectrometers; determine the three-dimensional structure or spatial configuration of biological macromolecules such as proteins using X-rays or electron microscopes; design or build the experimental equipment needed for a specific research project; isolate and analyze or synthesize vitamins and hormones and allergens and minerals or enzymes and determine their effects on body functions; develop or carry out tests to detect diseases and genetic disorders or other abnormalities; develop or test new drugs intended for commercial launch and prepare medicinal compounds; produce proteins for medicinal or industrial use using recombinant DNA techniques); data and record and sample management (collect and record raw data and instrument parameters and reagent lots and control conditions; analyze biochemical or biophysical data; preserve samples and data and experimental records according to procedure and keep them traceable; update methods and parameters as needed); and result analysis and papers and external presentation (write scientific papers or present at academic conferences to share research findings; write reports or recommendations based on research results; write research grant proposals; mentor undergraduate or graduate students and supervise their research; manage a laboratory team or oversee the quality of the team's work). What the three categories share is writing hypothesis and conditions and data and judgment clearly, rather than taking the desired result first and adding the conditions afterwards.
Experimental and research tasks
Data and record and sample management
Biochemists and biophysicists take the chemical and physical mechanisms of life processes as their main object; bioinformatics scientists take computational methods and data as their main object; geneticists take genes and hereditary mechanisms as their main object; microbiologists take microorganisms as their main object; medical scientists take disease mechanisms and clinical research as their main object; chemists take chemical substances and reactions as their main object; physicists take physical laws and measurement as their main object; bioengineers and biomedical engineers deliver engineering design and devices or systems; and molecular and cellular biologists take mechanisms at the molecular and cellular level as their main object. Adjacent occupations share the common sense of experimentation and data and safety and compliance, but the core object, delivery results, authorization and responsibility differ, and work involving biosecurity and hazardous chemicals and human genetic resources is also subject to the requirements of the respective jurisdiction.
| Dimension | Primary track | Comparison track |
|---|---|---|
| Core purpose | Conduct experiments according to procedure and leave records explaining the hypothesis and experimental design and control conditions, raw data and instrument parameters and reagent lots, data processing and analysis methods and versions, and anomalies and negative results and the parts needing re-measurement, so that colleagues in the same group and the mentor or project leader and reviewers can review on that basis. | Reviewable experimental records and data and analytical conclusions |
| Main objects and basis | The objects are the hypotheses and experiments and data and conclusions of a research project, as well as the raw data and experimental records and samples and instrument parameters that support these conclusions; the basis is the employer's research standards and data management procedures and laboratory safety and biosecurity systems, the operating procedures for instruments and reagents and methods, and the regulatory requirements of the applicable jurisdiction for biosecurity and pathogenic microorganism laboratories and human genetic resources and hazardous chemical management. | Experimental records and raw data |
| Core process | Propose hypotheses and design experiments and controls → assess risks and the authorization boundary → implement within the approved scope and collect raw data → analyze and review anomalies and negative results → form conclusions and a statement of limitations → record methods and versions and manual handling traces and accept review. | Hypothesis, design, implementation, review, presentation, trail |
| Main outputs | The hypothesis and experimental design and control conditions, raw data and instrument parameters and reagent lots, data processing and analysis methods and versions, anomalies and negative results and the parts needing re-measurement, and the conclusions and uncertainty and limitations. | Reviewable experimental records and data and conclusions |
| Responsible party | Routine experimental operations and data collection and analytical conclusions are borne by the person themselves according to the duties of the position; when it is involved whether experimental activities exceed the approved or filed scope and biosecurity level, the collection and preservation and external provision of pathogenic microorganisms and human genetic resources, the use and storage and waste disposal of hazardous chemicals, how research data and samples and personal information are provided externally, and how research results are published externally and authorship, they are decided by personnel with the corresponding duties and authorization in accordance with the applicable jurisdiction and competent authorities and employer systems, and work must stop and be reported when experimental conditions do not comply or data are anomalous or something beyond the person's authorization is involved. | The person themselves and the research team and the project leader and reviewers |
| Authority and approval | O*NET asks how much education new hires need, and respondents answered 40% post-doctoral training, 25% bachelor's, 25% doctorate; this is not the education distribution of all employees. BLS explains that independent research and development positions require a doctorate and that many doctorates first take temporary post-doctoral positions; bachelor's and master's degrees can meet some entry-level positions. Job Zone Five is the preparation range, not a requirement of more than five years of experience for every position. The O*NET training directory has 967 related programs, based on the IPEDS 2025 to 26 institution directory and 2024 to 25 degree-award data and the CIP-occupation crosswalk; it is not 967 real-time enrollment announcements. The certification directory has 18 related records, including analytical chemistry, toxicology, environmental safety, medical genetics, andrology laboratory and advanced biotherapy directions; it does not equal 18 items being a general threshold, and the conditions, fees and validity periods were not verified in this round. | Education and preparation |
| Conclusion boundary | Education, research training, related certification, institutional appointment, institutional authority and statutory approval/filing are separately verified states. U.S. 19-1021: 35,200 employed in 2025, projected 39,500 in 2035; 12% growth from 2025 to 2035 (much faster than average), a net change of about 4,300 and about 2,900 job openings per year on average. Openings include replacement, not net new positions or an individual's probability of being hired. | Not mutually substitutable |
Break the research question into testable hypotheses, design controls and replication and sampling plans, and assess feasibility and risks and required authorization in advance.
Operate instruments and reagents according to procedure within the approved laboratory level and authorized scope, and record raw data and instrument parameters and reagent lots and control conditions by number.
Analyze data with public methods and reproducible processes, and review and re-measure anomalies and negative results first rather than taking only the parts you want.
Preserve raw data and experimental records and samples according to institutional data management and sample management rules, and record methods and versions and manual handling traces.
Write papers and reports and grant proposals, truthfully state conclusions and uncertainty and limitations, and handle authorship and data sharing according to institutional rules.
When experimental conditions do not comply or data are anomalous or biosecurity or human genetic resources or hazardous chemicals are involved or something is beyond your authorization, report and hand over according to the authorization chain and record truthfully, without relaxing conditions or handling it on your own.
Before onboarding, verify at least six items: occupational scope and employer entity (O*NET 19-1021.00 is the U.S. scope, and the wage and employment and industry data are all reported on a standalone basis for this occupation); education and post-doctoral training; industry certification (including analytical chemistry and toxicology and environment and laboratory safety directions); employer hiring and the scope of position authorization (whether it includes high-risk experimental activities and the disposition of human genetic resources and decisions on external publication of research results); the requirements of the applicable jurisdiction for biosecurity and laboratories and hazardous chemicals and human genetic resources; and the terms of employment and pay basis (contract term and funding source and performance structure).
Occupational scope
| Biochemists and biophysicists and bioengineers and biomedical engineers | Complete design and verification and engineering delivery, with outputs mainly in design schemes and devices or systems and verification reports. | Bioengineers and biomedical engineers deliver engineering design and devices or systems or processes, driven by engineering standards and product requirements; biochemists and biophysicists deliver mechanism discovery and reproducible experimental evidence, driven by scientific questions. | If you would rather do device and system or process design and verification, compare bioengineers and biomedical engineers first; if you would rather pursue mechanisms and evidence, then this occupation suits you. |
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| Biochemists and biophysicists and nanosystems engineers | Complete nanosystem design and integration, with outputs mainly in system schemes and devices and test results. | Nanosystems engineers deliver the design and integration and engineering realization of nanoscale systems and lean toward engineering and manufacturing; biochemists and biophysicists study the structures and processes of biological molecules and lean toward basic mechanisms and experimental evidence. | If you would rather do nanoscale system design and integration, compare nanosystems engineers first; if you would rather study the structures and processes of biological molecules, then this occupation suits you. |
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| Biochemists and biophysicists and nanotechnology engineering technologists and technicians | Complete equipment operation and process execution and maintenance records, with outputs mainly in operation and maintenance and test records. | Nanotechnology engineering technologists and technicians take on equipment operation and process execution and maintenance, with implementation according to procedure as their main duty; biochemists and biophysicists bear responsibility for hypothesis and design and interpretation and presentation. | If you would rather operate and maintain precision equipment and processes according to procedure, compare nanotechnology engineering technologists and technicians first; if you would rather bear design and interpretation responsibility, then this occupation suits you. |
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| Biochemists and biophysicists and animal scientists | Complete animal production and nutrition and breeding research, with outputs mainly in trial and feeding and breeding records and research conclusions. | Animal scientists take animal production and nutrition and welfare and breeding as their main object and often work in agriculture and farming and veterinary related contexts; biochemists and biophysicists take the chemical and physical mechanisms at the molecular and cellular level as their main object. | If you would rather do animal production and nutrition and welfare and breeding, compare animal scientists first; if you would rather do mechanism research at the molecular and cellular level, then this occupation suits you. |
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| Biochemists and biophysicists and chemists | Complete substance synthesis and analysis, with outputs mainly in synthetic routes and analytical methods and compound data. | Chemists take chemical substances and reactions and synthesis and analytical methods as their main object and mostly work in chemical and materials and industrial contexts; biochemists and biophysicists apply chemical and physical methods to living systems, and their object is living organisms and biological molecules. | If you would rather do substance synthesis and analytical methods and chemical processes, compare chemists first; if you would rather apply chemical and physical methods to living systems, then this occupation suits you. |
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All six directions share a foundation of experimentation and data and safety and compliance common sense, but the core objects, delivery results, external authority and authorization requirements differ; the same laboratory or analytical experience cannot be directly converted into the authorization or decision authority of another direction (for example, whether design and interpretation responsibility is borne and whether human genetic resources and pathogenic microorganisms are involved differ considerably), and this page only compares the differences in duties under public scope.
Conclusion: the basis for choosing a direction is the core object and delivery results and external authority and authorization requirements, not whether the work is done in a laboratory; once the direction is set, verify item by item the education and training and certification of the target direction and the authorization requirements for experimental activities and data and resource disposition.
Editorial ratings use the existing occupational responsibilities and AI task analysis on this page. They are not adoption rates, measured effects, job-disappearance or personal-unemployment probabilities, or official scores from Stanford or another external institution. No measured time weights or future robot deployment are assumed.
Editorial suggestion (no measured deployment of tools for this occupation was obtained): what can be assisted is the rollback-able stages such as literature search and review compilation, data cleaning and statistics and visualization, sequence and structure prediction, and record organization and inventory and schedule management; these are assistive capabilities and their output still needs manual review and comparison with raw data before use. Technical feasibility does not mean adoption.
It depends on the laboratory's level of informatization and automation, the maturity of data collection and processing platforms, and the data management and review arrangements; this page does not speculate about the pace of adoption and has no adoption rate statistics for this occupation.
Task exposure, actual adoption, productivity and employment are different objects of measurement; the BLS data presented by O*NET give this occupation a scope of 12% for 2025 to 2035 (much faster than average) and about 2,900 average annual openings, and the two cannot substitute for each other.
| Work area | Task | Current change | Human control point |
|---|---|---|---|
| Experimental activities and the authorization boundary | First distinguish the risk category of biotechnology research and development, the protection level of the pathogen laboratory, the handling of human genetic resource materials/information and the use of hazardous chemicals; verify the statutory conditions and institutional duties item by item, and do not call every stage uniformly subject to the same approval. | Material retrieval can use tools, but the level determination and authorization responsibility still rest with the person themselves and the institution. | Judge whether the experimental activities of this research are within the approved or filed scope and biosecurity level. |
| Experimental design and implementation | Implement the experiment according to the design and collect raw data, record instrument parameters and reagent lots and control conditions, and keep the design and implementation basis together. | Processes and statistics can assist, but the design and implementation conclusions still rest with the person themselves and the reviewers. | Judge whether the hypothesis of this research is testable and whether the experimental design and controls and sampling plan support the conclusions. |
| Data analysis and review | Analyze data with public methods and reproducible processes, review and re-measure anomalies and negative results first, and record methods and versions and manual handling traces. | Statistics and visualization can use tools, but responsibility for judging data usability and for review still rests with the person themselves. | Judge whether the data are usable and whether anomalies and negative results have been reviewed and re-measured. |
| Records and sample preservation | Preserve raw data and experimental records and samples according to institutional data management and sample management rules, keep numbers and versions retrievable and follow access authority, and manage them according to retention period requirements. | Archiving can use systems, but responsibility for completeness and compliance still rests with the person themselves. | Judge whether experimental records and raw data and samples are preserved according to procedure and are traceable. |
| Presentation of results and external publication | Handle papers and reports and grant proposals and data sharing and authorship according to institutional rules, truthfully state conclusions and uncertainty and limitations, and report in advance according to the system when human genetic resource information is provided externally. | Writing and layout can assist, but compliance responsibility for the statement and authorship still rests with the person themselves and authorized personnel. | Judge whether the external presentation of experimental results and conclusions and authorship and data sharing exceed the boundary. |
| Biosecurity and resource compliance boundaries | If situations such as exceeding the approved scope and biosecurity level or illegally providing human genetic resources are found, stop the related work immediately and report and cooperate with the investigation according to institutional procedure, without participating in or assisting with them. | Regulatory and institutional materials can assist, but the compliance judgment and the decision to stop work and report still rest with the person themselves and authorized personnel. This page does not provide any experimental method, biosecurity level determination criterion or practice for circumventing regulation. | Judge whether biosecurity or hazardous chemicals or human genetic resources and other prohibited or approval-requiring situations are involved. |
| Approval and training for specialized stages | Where stages requiring specific approval are involved, obtain approval or filing according to the system and complete training and assessment before working, and do not carry them out when the conditions are not met. | Institutional and training materials can assist, but the judgment of whether conditions are met and whether to carry it out still rests with the person themselves and authorized personnel; this page does not provide any experimental operating method. | Judge whether this research involves stages requiring specific approval such as pathogenic microorganisms and laboratory animals and hazardous chemicals and radioactive substances. |
The five evidence cards below explain the source, object of study, conclusion and limits of use respectively; they support official responsibilities, task scope, technology signals, employment projections and industry distribution, and are not automation substitution rates or position count forecasts.
The table below compares the differences among three groups of stages in terms of automation impact: what can be assisted, and what judgments and responsibilities still rest with people.
AI primarily changesEditorial suggestion (no measured deployment of tools for this occupation was obtained): literature search and review compilation, data cleaning and statistics and visualization, sequence and structure prediction and record organization can be assisted.
Human responsibility remainsPropose hypotheses and design controls and sampling plans, judge whether samples and data are usable, interpret anomalies and negative results and bear responsibility for the conclusions, and ensure that the experimental activities conform to the approved or filed scope and biosecurity level.
AI primarily changesEditorial suggestion (no measured deployment of tools for this occupation was obtained): raw data and instrument parameters and reagent lots can be organized and compared with the help of systems.
Human responsibility remainsJudge whether the data are usable by combining raw data with instrument records and control conditions, and do not treat tool output as confirmed experimental results.
AI primarily changesEditorial suggestion (no measured deployment of tools for this occupation was obtained): experimental records and data and result charts can be automatically generated and archived.
Human responsibility remainsJudge whether records and data are reviewable and reproducible, and stop and report when anomalous data or non-complying conditions or something beyond your authorization are found.
The following five steps are editorial tool trial checking suggestions organized according to the research tasks; there is no specific institutional SOP evidence, and no uniform stop/resume permission is set.
China's Biosecurity Law as amended in 2024: Articles 34 through 38 distinguish research risks, and high/medium-risk research and development must be carried out by legal persons established in accordance with law within the territory with approval or filing in accordance with law, risk assessment and emergency plans; Articles 42 through 50 provide management by pathogenic microorganism and laboratory level. Research risk categories and laboratory protection levels are not the same indicator, and all biochemical research cannot be written as a uniform licensing matter. Article 55 of that law requires human genetic resource activities to conform to ethics; Article 56 provides for approval by the competent health department according to specific situations such as collection, preservation, international scientific research cooperation, and materials leaving the country, and there are statutory exclusions and clinical trial filing exceptions; Article 57 requires resource information provided to or opened for use abroad to be reported in advance with a backup submitted. Not all samples and all uses require approval in every case, and institutional authorization cannot replace statutory requirements.
Editorial suggestion (no measured deployment of tools for this occupation was obtained): give tools only the rollback-able and reviewable stages, such as literature search and review compilation, data cleaning and statistics and visualization, sequence and structure prediction, and record organization and inventory and schedule management.
The person themselves reviews tool output against raw data and instrument records and control conditions, records deviations and anomalies, and does not treat tool output as confirmed experimental results.
Truthfully preserve the hypothesis and experimental design and control conditions, raw data and instrument parameters and reagent lots, data processing and analysis methods and versions, anomalies and negative results, and the conclusions and limitations, so that the process is reviewable and reproducible, and retain and keep them as required by the institution.
China's Biosecurity Law as amended in 2024: Articles 34 through 38 distinguish research risks, and high/medium-risk research and development must be carried out by legal persons established in accordance with law within the territory with approval or filing in accordance with law, risk assessment and emergency plans; Articles 42 through 50 provide management by pathogenic microorganism and laboratory level. Research risk categories and laboratory protection levels are not the same indicator, and all biochemical research cannot be written as a uniform licensing matter. Article 55 of that law requires human genetic resource activities to conform to ethics; Article 56 provides for approval by the competent health department according to specific situations such as collection, preservation, international scientific research cooperation, and materials leaving the country, and there are statutory exclusions and clinical trial filing exceptions; Article 57 requires resource information provided to or opened for use abroad to be reported in advance with a backup submitted. Not all samples and all uses require approval in every case, and institutional authorization cannot replace statutory requirements. China's Law on the Safety of Hazardous Chemicals takes effect on 2026-05-01, and Article 5 clarifies the responsibilities and training and assessment of user units such as schools and research institutions; Articles 46 through 51 require safety conditions, procedures, and Chinese-language safety data sheets and labels to be implemented according to type, hazardous characteristics, quantity and method. The safe use permit under Article 48 is aimed at chemical enterprises engaged in production with prescribed varieties and quantities, and not every research laboratory needs the same permit; radioactive substances and others follow their applicable rules separately, and waste disposal must also be verified separately against environmental protection provisions.
Treating tool output as confirmed experimental results leads to incorrect control conclusions and non-reproducible results and misleading external statements.
Control: Mark tool output as reference and adopt it only after comparing it with raw data and instrument records and control conditions and experimental records.
Samples and genetic data and personal information and experimental records may involve human genetic resources and privacy and data security, and sending them out or handling them improperly creates compliance and trust risks.
Control: Personal information processing in China is checked against the Personal Information Protection Law for a lawful basis, necessity and security measures; identifiable personal medical health and the like are sensitive personal information with requirements for a specific purpose, sufficient necessity and strict protection. Not all scientific research data or non-human samples are sensitive personal information; human genetic resource rules and personal information rules should be judged separately, and foreign requirements cannot be replaced by Chinese provisions.
Experimental records and raw data need to be traceable, and output without a time and personnel and method and parameter explanation will be hard to review.
Control: Keep experimental records and raw data and processing records, noting the time, operator, methods and parameters and versions and manual modification traces.
Selectively keeping data, modifying raw data after the fact, or continuing work when experimental activities exceed the approved or filed scope and biosecurity level may violate research standards and biosecurity management provisions.
Control: Check item by item against institutional research standards and laboratory and biosecurity systems and jurisdictional requirements, stop and review immediately when an inconsistency is found, and record the corrections and what was reported.
Experimental data and conclusions must be attributable and traceable.
Control: Write the anomalies and disposition and follow-up arrangements into the records, and report immediately according to procedure when biosecurity or anomalous data or something beyond your authorization is involved.
First practice the hypothesis, design, implementation, review, presentation, trail closed loop on fixed fictional materials: given a set of fictional research questions and hypotheses, a fictional experimental design and control and sampling plan, and a set of fictional raw data and instrument parameter and reagent lot records, write out in order the basis for the design and controls, the data collection and processing process, the review process for anomalies and negative results, and how to write up conclusions and limitations, and only then discuss the position; at the same time verify the target institution's experimental activity level and authorization and data management and safety training arrangements.
Editorial suggestion (no measured deployment of tools for this occupation was obtained): use literature search and review compilation, data cleaning and statistics and visualization, sequence and structure prediction, reagent and parameter and lot record organization, and experiment scheduling and inventory management to improve efficiency, but the judgment of experimental design and controls, the judgment of whether samples and data are usable, the interpretation of anomalies and negative results, and the handling of biosecurity levels and human genetic resources and hazardous chemicals are still borne by the person themselves and by authorized personnel in accordance with institutional procedures and the applicable jurisdiction, and tool output must be manually reviewed and compared with raw data before entering the formal records.
Editorial suggestion (no measured deployment of tools for this occupation was obtained): when introducing literature or data analysis or prediction tools, specify the stages where they may be used, the standards for protecting samples and genetic data and personal information, and the responsible persons for review and authorization when the experimental activity level, the collection and preservation and external provision of human genetic resources, the use and disposal of hazardous chemicals, and the external publication of data and results are involved, and retain the final judgment and disposition decisions of the responsible personnel.
Editorial suggestion (no measured deployment of tools for this occupation was obtained): focus teaching on hypotheses and experimental design and controls, raw data and instrument parameter and reagent lot records, the versioning and reproducibility of data processing, the handling of anomalies and negative results, and the scope of application of biosecurity and hazardous chemicals and human genetic resources, while also training critical use of tool output and prediction results, so that tool output is not used to replace experimental design and data review.
The O*NET and ILO summaries read in this round do not support an overall substitution rate for this occupation; the absence of a measurement must not be written as technology being forever unable to substitute. Experimentation, sample and raw data verification and compliance responsibilities should be assigned according to the position and jurisdiction.
Source: BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook (main link); the ILO task exposure method is an auxiliary source and does not give an overall substitution rate for this occupation.Original source ↗
Job postings Python4%, R2%, MATLAB1% indicate that some postings mention them, which does not prove that most positions require them or that no one needs programming; specific tool requirements are subject to the job description.
Source: O*NET hot technologies: U.S. job posting mention signals, not a uniform entry requirement.Original source ↗
Editorial suggestion (no measured deployment of tools for this occupation was obtained): literature search and review compilation, data cleaning and statistics and visualization, sequence and structure prediction, and record organization and inventory and schedule management; all are rollback-able and reviewable assistive stages.
Source: O*NET detailed tasks (main link); the candidate ranking is an editorial judgment, and the ILO task exposure method does not prove an occupational substitution rate.Original source ↗
The BLS data presented by O*NET give this occupation a scope of 12% for 2025 to 2035 (much faster than average) and about 2,900 average annual openings over the projection period; this scope describes an occupational group and does not represent an individual's probability of being hired.
Source: O*NET current U.S. employment trends: occupation or parent scope as explained in the answers.Original source ↗
No. The judgment of experimental design and controls, the review of the usability of raw data and samples, the interpretation of anomalies and negative results, and disposition decisions involving biosecurity levels and human genetic resources and hazardous chemicals must be borne by the person themselves and by authorized personnel in accordance with institutional procedures and the applicable jurisdiction; systems can be used for retrieval and organization and analysis, but cannot replace judgment and the bearing of responsibility.
Source: Biosecurity Law (main link); the scope of application of the Law on the Safety of Hazardous Chemicals and the personal information rules is given in the corresponding sources in the body text, and authority must also be verified against institutional procedures.Original source ↗
The occupational text and ILO summary read in this round contain no disappearance year for this occupation; the current BLS projection is 12% growth from 2025 to 2035, but a projection cannot prove that no individual task will change in the future.
Source: O*NET current U.S. employment trends (main link); the ILO task exposure method does not provide a disappearance year for occupations, and the boundaries of the editorial method are given in the answers.Original source ↗
Prioritize experimental design and controls, raw data and instrument parameter and reagent lot records, the versioning and reproducibility of data processing, the handling of anomalies and negative results, and the scope of application of biosecurity and hazardous chemicals and human genetic resources; system and tool skills come after experimental ability and data review. Specific requirements are subject to employer rules.
Source: O*NET training and education informationOriginal source ↗
Task change, deployment and employment outcomes are judged separately; the China wage module gives matched broad industry references and retains the precise occupational gap.
Science research services non-private 182,064/private 83,560 yuan/year, above-scale industry enterprises 173,855 and professional and technical personnel 172,877 yuan/year; the populations of each scope differ and they are not the same wage distribution.
Insufficient evidence: no official or verifiable source supports a city-level monthly wage range for this occupation.
Scenario comparisons require the institution type and employment form to match; this page does not provide a precise monthly wage range for this occupation.
| Education background | Common position directions | Explanation and checking suggestions |
|---|---|---|
| Mainly research methods and safety training and on-the-job mentoring | Biochemical and biophysical research positions in universities and research institutes and the R&D and quality departments of pharmaceutical and biotechnology enterprises and testing and contract research organizations. | O*NET asks how much education new hires need, and respondents answered 40% post-doctoral training, 25% bachelor's, 25% doctorate; this is not the education distribution of all employees. BLS explains that independent research and development positions require a doctorate and that many doctorates first take temporary post-doctoral positions; bachelor's and master's degrees can meet some entry-level positions. Job Zone Five is the preparation range, not a requirement of more than five years of experience for every position. |
| Precise Chinese occupational wages still lack sufficient evidence; National Bureau of Statistics 2025 broad-scope references: scientific research and technical services non-private 182,064 and private 83,560 yuan/year; above-scale enterprises in that industry 173,855 and professional and technical personnel 172,877 yuan/year. Education industry non-private 133,539 and private 63,908; manufacturing non-private 113,594 and private 76,055 yuan/year. Choose according to the industry of the actual institution; all are industry/broad job category averages and are not this occupation's wages, starting salary, city monthly wage or median; Chinese and U.S. industries are not equivalent. | Specialist positions such as structural biology and mass spectrometry and omics and biophysical measurement and computational biology and drug discovery and quality control. | Institution types and job duties differ (universities and research institutes, corporate R&D and quality departments, testing and contract research organizations), and the job title and duties must be confirmed in the employment terms. |
| Experimental activity level and resource disposition authorization | Positions involving experimental activities with pathogenic microorganisms and highly pathogenic pathogenic microorganisms, the collection and preservation and external provision of human genetic resources, and determinations on the disposal of hazardous chemicals and radioactive substances. | China's Biosecurity Law as amended in 2024: Articles 34 through 38 distinguish research risks, and high/medium-risk research and development must be carried out by legal persons established in accordance with law within the territory with approval or filing in accordance with law, risk assessment and emergency plans; Articles 42 through 50 provide management by pathogenic microorganism and laboratory level. Research risk categories and laboratory protection levels are not the same indicator, and all biochemical research cannot be written as a uniform licensing matter. China's Law on the Safety of Hazardous Chemicals takes effect on 2026-05-01, and Article 5 clarifies the responsibilities and training and assessment of user units such as schools and research institutions; Articles 46 through 51 require safety conditions, procedures, and Chinese-language safety data sheets and labels to be implemented according to type, hazardous characteristics, quantity and method. The safe use permit under Article 48 is aimed at chemical enterprises engaged in production with prescribed varieties and quantities, and not every research laboratory needs the same permit; radioactive substances and others follow their applicable rules separately, and waste disposal must also be verified separately against environmental protection provisions. |
| Information and data and sample protection and record compliance | Positions involving the handling of samples and genetic data and personal information, the safekeeping of experimental records and raw data and access authority, and data correction and publication. | Article 55 of that law requires human genetic resource activities to conform to ethics; Article 56 provides for approval by the competent health department according to specific situations such as collection, preservation, international scientific research cooperation, and materials leaving the country, and there are statutory exclusions and clinical trial filing exceptions; Article 57 requires resource information provided to or opened for use abroad to be reported in advance with a backup submitted. Not all samples and all uses require approval in every case, and institutional authorization cannot replace statutory requirements. Personal information processing in China is checked against the Personal Information Protection Law for a lawful basis, necessity and security measures; identifiable personal medical health and the like are sensitive personal information with requirements for a specific purpose, sufficient necessity and strict protection. Not all scientific research data or non-human samples are sensitive personal information; human genetic resource rules and personal information rules should be judged separately, and foreign requirements cannot be replaced by Chinese provisions. |
When checking pay, first confirm the institution type, employment form (full-time or post-doctoral or project employment or outsourcing), the funding and contract term and performance structure, and the research direction and experimental activity level; do not convert overseas figures into a yuan expectation, and do not trust quotes that lack a sample and a position scope and a period.
Science research service contexts in China can refer to scientific research and technical services non-private 182,064/private 83,560 yuan/year; the U.S. industry share of 66% cannot be treated as the Chinese personnel proportion.
Chinese enterprise R&D is classified according to the actual institution; manufacturing non-private 113,594/private 76,055 yuan/year, which is only an industry reference and not the wage of a pharmaceutical sub-industry or of this occupation.
University contexts in China can refer to the education industry non-private 133,539/private 63,908 yuan/year, from which a post-doctoral wage cannot be derived; the U.S. other including education 14% also does not measure the Chinese industry structure.
AI and automation may change assistive stages such as retrieval and data cleaning and prediction and record organization, but they do not change the statistical scope for this occupation in mainland China: the statistical scope, covered population and data period must be read together with the wage figures.
| The median is an annual wage of 127,410 USD and an hourly wage of 61.26 USD; this value is reported on a standalone basis for this occupation and describes the midpoint of the whole distribution, not an individual's take-home pay. |
| Highest 10% | 201,110 USD/year (90th percentile) | Official annual wage, not an individual's take-home pay | The 90th percentile of 201,110 USD/year describes only the high end of the distribution, and this round has no direct evidence attributing that percentile to years of experience, certification or managerial duties. |
|---|
Wages · 10th percentile：74,290 USD/year (10th percentile)；The 10th percentile of 74,290 USD annual wage and 35.71 USD hourly wage is the low end of the distribution, not a floor or a guarantee for newcomers.
Wages · 25th percentile：95,000 USD/year (25th percentile)；In the same scope this is the 25th percentile of annual wages, corresponding to a 25th percentile hourly wage of 45.67 USD.；O*NET-shown BLS 2025 wage percentiles (standalone scope for this occupation)
Wages · median：127,410 USD/year (median)；This is the median annual wage reported on a standalone basis for this occupation (2025 OEWS), corresponding to a median hourly wage of 61.26 USD. The median is not an entry-level wage and does not constitute an income promise, and actual earnings are also affected by industry and employer type and education and job level and funding and contract term.；O*NET-shown BLS 2025 wage percentiles (standalone scope for this occupation)
Wages · 75th percentile：163,460 USD/year (75th percentile)；In the same scope this is the 75th percentile of annual wages, corresponding to a 75th percentile hourly wage of 78.59 USD.；O*NET-shown BLS 2025 wage percentiles (standalone scope for this occupation)
Wages · 90th percentile：201,110 USD/year (90th percentile)；The 90th percentile is 201,110 USD in annual wage and 96.69 USD in hourly wage； OEWS is pre-tax straight-time wages for employed persons, and commissions, incentive pay and production bonuses may be included while overtime and non-production bonuses and the like are excluded； self-employment business income or enterprise contract settlement amounts do not equal employee wages. Employed persons at outsourcing firms cannot all be excluded merely because the company is outsourced, and this round lacks a breakdown of bonuses, equity and employment forms for this occupation.
The median is not an entry-level wage: it means that half of practitioners earn above and half below that value; the 10th and 25th percentiles are closer to the low end of the range, but earnings are still affected by industry and employer type and specialization direction and funding and performance arrangements.
This occupation publishes both hourly and annual wage percentiles, which share the same source; hourly wage multiplied by hours cannot be used to derive an individual's annual income, because of differences in funding cycles and contract terms and performance arrangements.
The figures come from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS, 2025, standalone scope for this occupation) and the BLS 2025 to 2035 employment projection presented by O*NET (overall much faster than average).
Actual earnings are also affected by industry and employer type, specialization direction and job level, and funding and contract terms and performance arrangements.
| Industry | Median wage for this occupation within that industry | How to understand this value |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific research and development services | 131,910 USD/year (2025 median for this occupation x that industry) | BLS OOH has published the wage for this occupation in the scientific research and development industry, which is not the average of the whole professional scientific and technical services category; employers in that sub-industry account for 61%. |
| Pharmaceutical manufacturing | 109,030 USD/year (2025 median for this occupation x that industry) | The pharmaceutical manufacturing sub-industry wage cannot be generalized to all manufacturing; employers in this occupation account for 17%. |
| State universities and colleges and professional schools | 69,220 USD/year (2025 median for this occupation x that industry) | Only for that state institutional type, not the income of all universities or post-doctoral positions; employers in this occupation account for 5%. |
| Wholesale trade | 145,050 USD/year (2025 median for this occupation x that industry) | Wholesale industry employers account for 2% of this occupation; together with scientific research, pharmaceuticals and state universities this is an occupation x industry median wage, not equity or enterprise settlement income. |
Industry and employer type usually affect earnings: the funding and contract term structures of universities and research institutes, the compensation and equity or bonus structures of corporate R&D and quality departments in pharmaceutical and biotechnology enterprises, and the project settlement structures of testing and contract research organizations differ considerably.
Independent research, specialization, institutional industry and duties differ and may correspond to pay differences; this round has no measured seniority x wage or certification increment for this occupation, and a higher percentile cannot be directly predicted on that basis.
Work hours and assessment affect actual earnings: 85% of typical work weeks exceed 40 hours and 80% are fixed schedules; but experimental cycles and funding and publication milestones bring periodic concentrated work, and the performance and funding and contract structure also differ by employer.
This is the number of people employed given by the O*NET employment trends page for this occupation； the employment scale of this occupation is moderate and highly concentrated in science and technology service institutions, and recruitment demand at an individual institution or in a region may differ greatly from the national scope.；O*NET 19-1021.00 occupation summary (employment and projection fields)
The O*NET employment trends page gives a 12% growth for 2025 to 2035 on this occupation's scope (much faster than average)； growth and openings are different indicators: about 2,900 openings remain on average per year over the projection period, including replacement demand.；O*NET 19-1021.00 occupation summary (employment and projection fields)
This is the job openings scope over the projection period shown on the O*NET employment trends page, including growth and replacement. It is not the number of net new positions and does not constitute an individual hiring guarantee.；O*NET 19-1021.00 occupation summary (employment and projection fields)
Which Holland interest type is closer to biochemists and biophysicists?
The Holland interest code is I (Investigative): it corresponds to researching and exploring non-living objects and living organisms and forms of disease or other functional impairment or human behavior, often related to physical and life and medical or social sciences, and also appearing in the humanities and mathematics and statistics and information technology and health services fields; the specific interest areas are life sciences (studying living organisms and life processes, such as biochemistry and biophysics and molecular biology and physiology), medical sciences (studying human disease and health and treatment), physical sciences (studying matter and energy and natural laws) and mathematics and statistics. The interest type scores published on that page are Investigative 100, Realistic 69, Conventional 44, Artistic 27, Social 19, Enterprising 14.
Do not use it this way: Note: an interest test result matching the occupational interest code only means the direction is close; it does not mean you already have the ability to design and carry out biochemical or biophysical experiments and interpret data, nor does it mean you can obtain permission to work in a laboratory of a specific biosecurity level or to handle human genetic resources and hazardous chemicals.
Test my Holland career interestsWhich Big Five traits are more relevant to this job?
The editors, following the tasks, point to observable traits of meticulous recording, curiosity, patience and collaboration; the O*NET work styles are not a measured Big Five x performance study for this occupation, and this round has no validity or individual screening threshold for this occupation.
Do not use it this way: Note: treating personality scores as ability or hiring conclusions is a common misuse; this page does not provide score thresholds or type lists.
See my Big Five personality traitsCan MBTI be used to judge whether I am suited to being a biochemist and biophysicist?
This round did not obtain matching research on MBTI predicting the work performance of biochemists and biophysicists, and the existing occupational descriptions cannot support individual screening thresholds or best-type judgments. This page uses it only as an editorial reflection question; actual task records, review quality and communication performance must be verified separately and not replaced by assessment conclusions.
Do not use it this way: Note: this page does not list any best-fit type and does not endorse its use for selection or screening.
Understand my MBTI preferencesCan the Enneagram tell me whether I am suited to this occupation?
This round did not obtain matching research on the Enneagram predicting the work performance of biochemists and biophysicists, and the existing occupational descriptions cannot support individual screening thresholds or best-type judgments. This page uses it only as an editorial reflection question; actual task records, review quality and communication performance must be verified separately and not replaced by assessment conclusions.
Do not use it this way: Note: this page does not provide a correspondence between types and positions.
Explore my Enneagram patternsCan I be a biochemist and biophysicist if I am not good at mathematics?
This occupation is mainly about experiments and data: work activities are listed as 41 items on the detailed page with importance scores, the highest being analyzing data or information 99, documenting and recording information 94, thinking creatively 94, updating and using relevant knowledge 94, getting information 93, making decisions and solving problems 93, processing information 93, using computers 92, identifying objects and actions and events 89, interpreting the meaning of information for others 88, communicating with supervisors or peers or subordinates 84, monitoring processes and materials or surroundings 84, developing objectives and strategies 83, estimating quantifiable characteristics of products and events or information 83, and training and teaching others 79.
Does being a biochemist and biophysicist require high emotional intelligence?
Editorial suggestion: observe the following communication and anomaly handling behaviors; this round did not obtain a study of emotional ability effects for this occupation: there is a need to stay objective and patient under prolonged uncertainty and negative results and funding and publication pressure, to report according to procedure when experimental conditions do not comply or data are anomalous, and to maintain communication with colleagues in the same group and the mentor or project leader. But emotional ability cannot be defined by a single score and cannot replace institutional research procedures and laboratory and data management standards.
Note: this page does not provide emotional ability thresholds and does not equate high scores with competence.
Fits better when: Willing to answer scientific questions with data and modeling and computational tools, and to ground conclusions in a reproducible analysis workflow.
Watch for: Need to add training in statistics and machine learning and engineered data workflows; biochemical and biophysical experimental experience does not equal data engineering and modeling ability.
Explore related career: Data scientistsFits better when: Willing to turn discoveries into device and system or process design and accept the constraints of product and engineering standards.
Watch for: Need to add training in engineering design and verification and regulatory requirements; research experience does not equal the engineering realization and registration ability of devices or processes, and the two have different delivery and responsibility boundaries.
Explore related career: Bioengineers and biomedical engineersFits better when: Willing to do the design and integration of nanoscale systems and bear engineering realization responsibility.
Watch for: Need to add training in nanofabrication and integration and testing; research experience at the molecular and cellular level does not equal the engineering design and integration ability of nanosystems.
Explore related career: Nanosystems engineersFits better when: Willing to operate and maintain precision equipment and processes according to procedure and record results truthfully.
Watch for: Need to add training in equipment operation and maintenance and process standards; this direction is mainly about implementation according to procedure and does not bear research design and interpretation responsibility.
Explore related career: Nanotechnology engineering technologists and techniciansFits better when: Willing to do animal production and nutrition and welfare and breeding research and accept the constraints of the related rules.
Watch for: Need to add training in animal nutrition and breeding and welfare and biosecurity; research experience at the molecular level does not equal animal production and welfare management ability.
Explore related career: Animal scientistsFits better when: Willing to do systematic research on chemical substances and reactions and synthesis and analytical methods.
Watch for: Need to add training in synthetic and analytical chemistry; applying chemical methods to living systems and taking chemical substances themselves as the research object differ in questions and outputs.
Explore related career: ChemistsRather than a personality type, it is a way of working: being able to design experiments and controls according to institutional procedures and record truthfully, truthfully record raw data and parameters and reagent lots and anomalies and negative results, propose conclusion suggestions according to authorization and accept review and correction, and stay stable and objective through prolonged uncertainty and repeated verification.
Whether it suits you does not depend on introversion or extroversion. This occupation requires both completing experiments and data analysis independently and communicating with colleagues in the same group and the mentor or project leader and collaborators and graduate students; being able to maintain data and evidence awareness under funding and publication pressure matters more than personality type.
Yes. Working long hours at the bench and in front of instruments and long-term data analysis require focus and tolerance, and sharing research findings and mentoring graduate students also require communicating with different kinds of people; introversion or extroversion is not a condition in the official scope.
This round has no occupational evidence supporting a best-fit MBTI type; type preferences can only raise observation questions, and practical ability and authorization must be verified separately.
O*NET lists this occupation's interest code as I (Investigative), with specific interest areas of life sciences and medical sciences and physical sciences and mathematics and statistics: a preference for researching and exploring non-living objects and living organisms or disease or human behavior, often with physical and life and medical or social sciences as the background. Matching interest only means the direction is close and does not mean having experimental and data analysis ability or position authorization.
This round did not obtain matching research on personality and interest tools predicting the work performance of biochemists and biophysicists, and the existing occupational descriptions cannot support individual screening thresholds or best-type judgments. This page uses them only as editorial reflection questions; actual task records, review quality and communication performance must be verified separately and not replaced by assessment conclusions.
BLS makes clear that mathematics, calculus and statistics are important for this occupation; intellectual test scores are not used to draw thresholds. Those with weak foundations should add the relevant courses and data analysis training, and cannot substitute a personality type for them.
This round did not obtain a study of emotional ability effects for this occupation; the editors suggest observing the following behaviors: there is a need to stay patient and objective under prolonged uncertainty and negative results and funding and publication pressure, and to stop and report first when experimental conditions do not comply or data are anomalous. But emotional ability cannot be defined by a single score and cannot replace institutional research procedures and data management standards.
This round did not obtain matching research on the Enneagram predicting the work performance of biochemists and biophysicists, and the existing occupational descriptions cannot support individual screening thresholds or best-type judgments. This page uses it only as an editorial reflection question; actual task records, review quality and communication performance must be verified separately and not replaced by assessment conclusions.
Judge by reviewable output: a research record containing fictional research questions and hypotheses, experimental design and controls and sampling plans, raw data and instrument parameters and reagent lots, the data processing and analysis process, and the handling of anomalies and negative results and a statement of limitations.
Typical scenario：Carrying out high-risk or medium-risk experimental activities without approval or filing, conducting in a low-level laboratory experiments that require a high-level laboratory, or starting work directly while skipping risk assessment and emergency plans.
Roles most affected：Research participants and sample providers, as well as the person themselves and the employer
Possible consequence：Experimental activities exceeding the approved or filed scope or biosecurity level requirements bring risks of infection and leakage and environmental contamination, and may render research results invalid and create compliance liability.
How to reduce risk：China's Biosecurity Law as amended in 2024: Articles 34 through 38 distinguish research risks, and high/medium-risk research and development must be carried out by legal persons established in accordance with law within the territory with approval or filing in accordance with law, risk assessment and emergency plans; Articles 42 through 50 provide management by pathogenic microorganism and laboratory level. Research risk categories and laboratory protection levels are not the same indicator, and all biochemical research cannot be written as a uniform licensing matter. Verify the specific conditions against institutional duties before working; do not determine the level on your own or infer permission from an individual's education.
Evidence：O*NET 19-1021.00 occupation summary · O*NET 19-1021.00 detailed information (work context) · Biosecurity Law of the People's Republic of China (2024 amendment)
Typical scenario：Skipping protective equipment to save time, handling volatile or toxic substances in inadequately ventilated areas, or mixing and storing and disposing of chemicals without following procedure.
Roles most affected：The person themselves and colleagues in the same group and the laboratory safety officer
Possible consequence：If exposure to chemicals and biological agents and radiation is not protected according to procedure, it may cause acute injury or long-term health harm, and may contaminate samples and equipment and affect the reliability of experimental results.
How to reduce risk：China's Law on the Safety of Hazardous Chemicals takes effect on 2026-05-01, and Article 5 clarifies the responsibilities and training and assessment of user units such as schools and research institutions; Articles 46 through 51 require safety conditions, procedures, and Chinese-language safety data sheets and labels to be implemented according to type, hazardous characteristics, quantity and method. The safe use permit under Article 48 is aimed at chemical enterprises engaged in production with prescribed varieties and quantities, and not every research laboratory needs the same permit; radioactive substances and others follow their applicable rules separately, and waste disposal must also be verified separately against environmental protection provisions.
Evidence：O*NET 19-1021.00 detailed information (work context) · Law on the Safety of Hazardous Chemicals (effective 2026)
Typical scenario：Failing to carry out procedures in situations that legally require approval/filing, or providing human genetic resource information abroad without reporting in accordance with law; publicly disclosing identifiable personal information also requires checking the personal information law.
Roles most affected：Human genetic resource providers and research participants, as well as the person themselves and the institution
Possible consequence：Human genetic resource materials, information and identifiable personal data each have different conditions; illegally providing them across borders, lacking necessary ethical review or exceeding authorization may touch regulations, and all samples cannot be called the same sensitive resource.
How to reduce risk：Article 55 of that law requires human genetic resource activities to conform to ethics; Article 56 provides for approval by the competent health department according to specific situations such as collection, preservation, international scientific research cooperation, and materials leaving the country, and there are statutory exclusions and clinical trial filing exceptions; Article 57 requires resource information provided to or opened for use abroad to be reported in advance with a backup submitted. Not all samples and all uses require approval in every case, and institutional authorization cannot replace statutory requirements. Personal information processing in China is checked against the Personal Information Protection Law for a lawful basis, necessity and security measures; identifiable personal medical health and the like are sensitive personal information with requirements for a specific purpose, sufficient necessity and strict protection. Not all scientific research data or non-human samples are sensitive personal information; human genetic resource rules and personal information rules should be judged separately, and foreign requirements cannot be replaced by Chinese provisions.
Typical scenario：Keeping no raw data, or recording after the fact without time and personnel and basis, or selectively deleting or modifying recorded raw data.
Roles most affected：The person themselves
Possible consequence：Loss of control over raw data and experimental records and samples causes results to be non-reproducible and responsibility and basis to be unclear, and makes it impossible to demonstrate compliance in internal review and external audit and paper correction or retraction.
How to reduce risk：Preserve raw data and experimental records and samples according to institutional data management and sample management rules, truthfully record the time and operator and methods and parameters and versions and manual modification traces, keep numbers and versions retrievable, and manage them according to retention period requirements and access authority.
Evidence：O*NET 19-1021.00 occupation summary · O*NET 19-1021.00 detailed information (work context)
Typical scenario：Working consecutive overtime hours during an experimental cycle, holding a single posture for long periods to meet a submission milestone, or letting visual and neck and shoulder discomfort accumulate to the point of affecting operation and recording accuracy.
Roles most affected：The person themselves
Possible consequence：O*NET has descriptions of sitting, standing, repetitive actions and near-vision work; these support exposure checking and cannot be used to attribute strain/disease causation or incidence to this occupation, and this round did not verify specialized medical research.
How to reduce risk：Editorial work arrangement suggestions: check posture and breaks and lighting against institutional occupational health and equipment requirements, and raise persistent discomfort with the appropriate professionals; there is no measured protection benefit for this occupation, and no uniform handling plan is given.
Evidence：O*NET 19-1021.00 occupation summary · O*NET 19-1021.00 detailed information (work context)
Typical scenario：Publishing results externally or committing to conclusions when authority is unclear, omitting important limitations and negative results, or providing samples and genetic data externally without authorization.
Roles most affected：The person themselves and collaborators and the project leader
Possible consequence：If the boundary between the external presentation of research results and authorship and data sharing and authorization is unclear, it may lead to exaggerated conclusions or publication beyond authority or authorship disputes, damaging both the institution and the research participants' rights and interests.
How to reduce risk：China's Biosecurity Law as amended in 2024: Articles 34 through 38 distinguish research risks, and high/medium-risk research and development must be carried out by legal persons established in accordance with law within the territory with approval or filing in accordance with law, risk assessment and emergency plans; Articles 42 through 50 provide management by pathogenic microorganism and laboratory level. Research risk categories and laboratory protection levels are not the same indicator, and all biochemical research cannot be written as a uniform licensing matter. Article 55 of that law requires human genetic resource activities to conform to ethics; Article 56 provides for approval by the competent health department according to specific situations such as collection, preservation, international scientific research cooperation, and materials leaving the country, and there are statutory exclusions and clinical trial filing exceptions; Article 57 requires resource information provided to or opened for use abroad to be reported in advance with a backup submitted. Not all samples and all uses require approval in every case, and institutional authorization cannot replace statutory requirements. Responsibility for research records, authorship and external presentation is verified against institutional rules, and no employer SOP was obtained in this round, so the Job Zone experience range is not used to prove an individual's authority.
A stage illustration organized by the editors according to the tasks: supervised research and data work, independent research stages, mentoring and project coordination, and specialization or management directions. It is not an automatic promotion promise or a uniform sequence for all institutions; education and duties are subject to the specific position.
Education, position, certification and the statutory conditions for research activities are verified separately. China's Biosecurity Law as amended in 2024: Articles 34 through 38 distinguish research risks, and high/medium-risk research and development must be carried out by legal persons established in accordance with law within the territory with approval or filing in accordance with law, risk assessment and emergency plans; Articles 42 through 50 provide management by pathogenic microorganism and laboratory level. Research risk categories and laboratory protection levels are not the same indicator, and all biochemical research cannot be written as a uniform licensing matter.
| Position direction | Starting tasks | Employer basis | Evidence that can be submitted with zero experience | Boundaries that need to be distinguished |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University and research institute research position | Under supervision, conduct experiments and data collection and analysis according to the project plan, record according to procedure and participate in organizing and writing up results. | The editors suggest checking against the occupational tasks: usually looks at experimental fundamentals and data and record quality, the standardization of working according to procedure and safety requirements, and the attitude toward communicating with the team and accepting review; onboarding authorization is decided by the institution and the project arrangement. No job posting from that employer was obtained. | Submit a record containing fictional research questions and hypotheses and experimental design and raw data and a review, without using real samples or data or internal institutional materials. | Article 55 of that law requires human genetic resource activities to conform to ethics; Article 56 provides for approval by the competent health department according to specific situations such as collection, preservation, international scientific research cooperation, and materials leaving the country, and there are statutory exclusions and clinical trial filing exceptions; Article 57 requires resource information provided to or opened for use abroad to be reported in advance with a backup submitted. Not all samples and all uses require approval in every case, and institutional authorization cannot replace statutory requirements. |
| Pharmaceutical and biotechnology enterprise R&D position | Conduct experiments and data analysis according to project objectives and support process or candidate evaluation, submitting results and records according to the R&D workflow. | The editors suggest checking against the occupational tasks: usually looks at experimental and data ability, the ability to deliver according to R&D standards and data management requirements, and the ability to collaborate and communicate with cross-functional teams. No job posting from that employer was obtained. | Submit an R&D record containing fictional experimental design and data and conclusions and limitations. | The external publication of research data and results is subject to institutional rules; this page does not provide any experimental method. |
| Testing and contract research organization laboratory position | Carry out testing and experiments according to standard methods and client requirements and issue records and reports, managing data and samples according to the requirements of the quality system. | The editors suggest checking against the occupational tasks: usually looks at the consistency of method execution, the traceability of records and data, and compliance with the quality system and safety standards. No job posting from that employer was obtained. | Submit a testing record containing fictional methods and parameters and raw data and deviation handling. | Testing conclusions and reports are subject to the method scope and institutional authorization; anything beyond scope must be escalated. |
| Structural and computational biology position | Take on structure determination or sequence and structure prediction or omics analysis, and work with the experimental team to interpret structures and mechanisms. | The editors suggest checking against the occupational tasks: usually looks at structural or computational method ability, command of data quality and uncertainty, and the ability to collaborate with the experimental team. No job posting from that employer was obtained. | Submit an analysis record containing fictional data and analysis methods and an uncertainty statement. | Prediction results do not equal experimental conclusions; they must be compared with raw data before use. |
| Quality control and method development position | Develop and validate analytical methods and procedures, handle deviations and changes and maintain method documents and data integrity. | The editors suggest checking against the occupational tasks: usually looks at method development and validation ability, the ability to record and handle deviations and changes, and compliance and documentation quality. No job posting from that employer was obtained. | Submit an explanation containing fictional method development and validation and deviation handling and change records. | Method changes and deviation handling must be carried out according to the institutional quality system; anything beyond scope must be escalated. |
The O*NET training directory has 967 related programs, based on the IPEDS 2025 to 26 institution directory and 2024 to 25 degree-award data and the CIP-occupation crosswalk; it is not 967 real-time enrollment announcements. The certification directory has 18 related records, including analytical chemistry, toxicology, environmental safety, medical genetics, andrology laboratory and advanced biotherapy directions; it does not equal 18 items being a general threshold, and the conditions, fees and validity periods were not verified in this round.
Specific Chinese education and seniority requirements are verified against the unit's job description, and safety training and activity conditions are verified separately; a uniform Chinese threshold is not inferred from the U.S. range.
China's Law on the Safety of Hazardous Chemicals takes effect on 2026-05-01, and Article 5 clarifies the responsibilities and training and assessment of user units such as schools and research institutions; Articles 46 through 51 require safety conditions, procedures, and Chinese-language safety data sheets and labels to be implemented according to type, hazardous characteristics, quantity and method. The safe use permit under Article 48 is aimed at chemical enterprises engaged in production with prescribed varieties and quantities, and not every research laboratory needs the same permit; radioactive substances and others follow their applicable rules separately, and waste disposal must also be verified separately against environmental protection provisions.
All materials are fictional and contain no real samples or genetic data or experimental records, real internal institutional materials or unpublished data, or real human genetic resource information.
All materials and scenarios are fictional, and real samples or genetic data or experimental records, real internal institutional materials or unpublished data, real instrument parameter files or real human genetic resource information must not be used.
Complete within 90 to 120 minutes, and public research methods and statistics materials may be consulted, but no real samples or data may be used and no real experimental operation may be carried out.
In the record, write the hypothesis and experimental design and control conditions, raw data and instrument parameters and reagent lots, data processing and analysis methods and versions, the handling of anomalies and negative results, and the conclusions and limitations separately, and mark the parts that need review.
Write the hypothesis and design, data collection, data processing, anomaly review, and conclusions and limitations separately, and mark anything uncertain as needing review.
Note the source and data period and jurisdiction for each item; leave items that cannot be verified blank and mark them as insufficient evidence, without filling them in with speculation.
List education, post-doctoral training, vocational training, industry certification, institutional authorization for experimental activities and system authority, and biosecurity and resource and data compliance requirements separately to avoid conflating them; also note that U.S. wages and employment are reported on a standalone basis for this occupation, that the employment projection is faster than average, and that this page does not publish wage figures for mainland China.
Keep the review comments together with the reasons for changes as evidence of whether you can accept review.
Hand the review to colleagues in the same group and the mentor or project leader for review, and keep the review comments and reasons for changes.
| Stage | Possible assessment methods | Observable evidence | Boundary |
|---|---|---|---|
| Before the interview | Check the institution type and employment form of the position (full-time or post-doctoral or project employment or outsourcing), the research direction and experimental activity level, whether pathogenic microorganisms and human genetic resources and hazardous chemicals are involved, and the funding source and contract term and the authorized scope for data and result publication and record retention requirements, and prepare experiment and data samples. | A requirements checklist with sources and data periods; able to explain clearly the differences between this occupation and adjacent directions (data scientists, bioengineers and biomedical engineers, nanosystems engineers, nanotechnology engineering technologists and technicians, animal scientists, chemists) in core objects and delivery and authorization. | Do not treat being able to use a particular instrument or software as proof that you can independently design high-risk experiments or handle human genetic resources. |
| During the interview |
Output: a one-page scope and process comparison table, noting the source of each item.
Output: an experimental design description.
Output: a data collection and recording standard.
Output: a data processing and analysis record.
Output: a review and limitations statement.
| Qualification/certificate | Suitable audience | Role of the position | Whether it is a general threshold | Conditions | Investment | Boundary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or doctoral degree or post-doctoral training | People who wish to enter this occupation | Determines whether the basic requirements of most positions can be met. | O*NET asks how much education new hires need, and respondents answered 40% post-doctoral training, 25% bachelor's, 25% doctorate; this is not the education distribution of all employees. BLS explains that independent research and development positions require a doctorate and that many doctorates first take temporary post-doctoral positions; bachelor's and master's degrees can meet some entry-level positions. Job Zone Five is the preparation range, not a requirement of more than five years of experience for every position. | Completed according to the program length and research training. |
Typical scope：Bears responsibility for the accuracy of data and records and conclusions.
Readiness evidence：Supervised experimental records and data and analysis records.
Credential boundary：Basic training in research methods and experimentation and data.
Next moves：Complete experimental design and implementation and data collection and analysis under supervision, and keep records according to procedure.
Typical scope：Responsible for the quality of the research design and data and conclusions.
Readiness evidence：Independent research records and papers or reports and grant proposals.
Credential boundary：Complete training in specialized methods and statistics and writing.
Next moves：Independently design and lead research stages, and publish or submit reviewable research results.
Typical scope：Responsible for procedure execution, review responsibility and project coordination.
Readiness evidence：Mentoring records, procedure and standard documents, project and compliance reviews.
Credential boundary：Complete training in mentoring and project and funding and compliance management.
Next moves：Mentor graduate students or new colleagues, participate in developing method and data management and safety procedures, and handle cross-team and compliance issues.
Typical scope：Responsible for the conclusions and compliance of the team and research direction.
Readiness evidence：Management plans and project and compliance documents.
Credential boundary：Add training in team and laboratory and compliance management.
Next moves：Responsible for the laboratory or research direction and team and compliance management, or move toward larger-scale project and management directions.
Typical scope：Bears responsibility for the accuracy of data and records and reports.
Readiness evidence：Supervised R&D or testing records and reports.
Credential boundary：Basic training in R&D processes and quality and data management.
Next moves：Complete R&D or testing experiments and data records and reports under supervision.
Typical scope：Responsible for method applicability and data quality.
Readiness evidence：Method development and validation or process experiment records and reports.
Credential boundary：Complete training in method development and validation or process and statistics.
Next moves：Independently take on method development or candidate evaluation or process experiments and submit results.
Typical scope：Responsible for the scope of the documents and the compliance conclusions.
Readiness evidence：Project documents and deviation and change records and compliance materials.
Complete training related to projects and compliance and registration.
Typical scope：Responsible for current position duties and recording accuracy.
Readiness evidence：Position experience description and transferable ability list.
Credential boundary：Experimentation and data and safety and compliance common sense.
Next moves：Accumulate experiment and data and analysis experience in the current position and record transferable abilities.
Typical scope：Responsible for the truthfulness of the gaps and the plan.
Readiness evidence：Target direction requirements checklist and gap list.
Credential boundary：Clarify the education and training and authorization requirements of the target direction.
Next moves：Check education and training and authorization requirements item by item against the target direction (data scientists, bioengineers and biomedical engineers, nanosystems engineers, nanotechnology engineering technologists and technicians, animal scientists, chemists).
Typical scope：Responsible for the execution of the target direction's tasks and procedures.
Training and rotation evaluation records and outputs.
Able to complete, under supervision, one full closed loop of proposing a hypothesis, designing experiments and controls and a sampling plan, implementing within the approved scope and collecting raw data, analyzing with public methods and reviewing anomalies and negative results, and forming conclusions and limitations, and to stop the affected stages and report when experimental conditions do not comply or data are anomalous or biosecurity or human genetic resources or hazardous chemicals are involved and beyond one's authorization.
Able to independently complete common experiments and data analysis, keep reviewable records according to institutional procedures, and handle general method adjustments and result review within the scope of authorization.
Able to mentor graduate students or new colleagues, participate in developing the institution's method and data management and safety procedures, and take on coordination and review responsibilities in project cycles and funding and compliance milestones.
Move toward specialized directions such as structural biology or mass spectrometry or omics or computational biology, the drug discovery and development direction, or the quality control and testing direction, or move to adjacent positions such as bioinformatics scientists and geneticists and microbiologists and chemists (which require corresponding training and position authorization).
United States · official_statistic
12% (much faster than average); about 2,900 openings per year on average (2025 to 2035)
Growth rate and job openings
U.S. 19-1021: 35,200 employed in 2025, projected 39,500 in 2035; 12% growth from 2025 to 2035 (much faster than average), a net change of about 4,300 and about 2,900 job openings per year on average. Openings include replacement, not net new positions or an individual's probability of being hired. BLS explains that the demand comes from biomedical, genetic, new drug, clean energy, food production and environmental research; this is the official projection rationale, not a causal estimate of AI adoption.
Does not establish：12% is a national projection for this occupation; it does not represent Chinese position growth, city recruitment numbers or an individual's probability of being hired.
Mainland China · industry_proxy
Scientific research and technical services non-private 182,064/private 83,560 yuan/year; above-scale industry enterprise professional and technical personnel 172,877 yuan/year.
China industry wage context references
National Bureau of Statistics 2025 broad-scope references: scientific research and technical services non-private 182,064 and private 83,560 yuan/year; above-scale enterprises in that industry 173,855 and professional and technical personnel 172,877 yuan/year. Education industry non-private 133,539 and private 63,908; manufacturing non-private 113,594 and private 76,055 yuan/year. Choose according to the industry of the actual institution; all are industry/broad job category averages and are not this occupation's wages, starting salary, city monthly wage or median; Chinese and U.S. industries are not equivalent.
Does not establish：Industry average wages do not indicate this occupation's employment growth or recruitment numbers in China; the precise mapping and city wages are still missing.
These are capability relationships, not automatic promotions or credential waivers.
Transfers：What is transferable is the foundation in molecular biology and experimental design and data analysis.
Build next：Need to add training in computational methods and statistics and programming and data engineering; biochemical and biophysical experimental experience does not equal the ability to process and model large-scale sequence and omics data.
View career profileTransfers：What is transferable is the foundation in molecular biology and experiments and data analysis.
Build next：Need to add training in genetics and genomics and statistical genetics and pedigree and population analysis; biochemistry experience does not equal the variant and pedigree analysis ability of genetics research.
View career profileTransfers：What is transferable is the foundation in aseptic technique and experiments and data recording.
Build next：Need to add training in microorganism culture and identification and biosecurity; biochemistry experience does not equal the culture and identification and biosecurity handling ability of microbiology research.
View career profileTransfers：What is transferable is the foundation in molecular mechanisms and experiments and data analysis.
Build next：Need to add training in disease mechanisms and clinical research and subject protection and drug regulation; biochemistry experience does not equal clinical research and ethics and regulatory ability.
View career profileTransfers：What is transferable is the foundation in chemistry and analytical methods and instruments.
Build next：Need to add training in synthetic and analytical chemistry; applying chemical methods to living systems and taking chemical substances themselves as the research object differ in questions and outputs.
View career profileTransfers：What is transferable is the foundation in measurement and instruments and data analysis.
Build next：Need to add training in physical measurement and modeling and theory; biophysics experience does not equal a complete physical modeling and measurement system ability.
View career profileTransfers：What is transferable is the foundation in experimentation and measurement and data analysis.
Build next：Need to add training in engineering design and verification and regulatory requirements; research experience does not equal the engineering realization and registration ability of devices or processes.
View career profileTransfers：What is transferable is the foundation in experiments and data recording at the molecular and cellular level.
Build next：Need to add training in cell biology and imaging and cell culture; biochemistry experience does not equal mechanism and imaging analysis ability at the cellular level.
View career profileKey risks include crossing experimental activity and biosecurity level boundaries, exposure to chemicals and biological agents and radiation, compliance of human genetic resources and biological samples and data, research integrity and the traceability of data and records, long experimental postures and repetitive actions and eye strain, and the external presentation of research results beyond authorization; the control approach is to work first within the approved or filed scope and carry out risk assessment, operate according to institutional procedures and wear the corresponding protection, truthfully record raw data and parameters and reagent lots and anomalies, handle samples and data and personal information on the principles of legality and propriety and necessity, and stop and escalate when beyond authorization or when anomalies are found.
Look at reviewable output: whether you can break a research question into testable hypotheses and design controls and sampling plans, whether you can collect and truthfully record raw data and instrument parameters and reagent lots according to procedure, and whether you can stop and review and report when data are anomalous or results do not match the hypothesis or something is beyond your authorization. An interest code of I and skill and knowledge scores only indicate that the direction is close and cannot replace this practical evidence.
AI and automation can change literature search and review compilation, data cleaning and statistics and visualization, sequence and structure prediction, and record organization and inventory and schedule management; but the judgment of experimental design and controls, the review of the usability of raw data and samples, the interpretation of anomalies and negative results, and disposition decisions on biosecurity and human genetic resources and hazardous chemicals are still borne by people. The degree of task automation does not equal a change in the number of positions; the official employment projection for this occupation is faster than average (6% for 2024 to 2034).
The judgment of experimental design and controls, the review of the usability of raw data and samples, the versioning and reproducibility of data processing, the interpretation of anomalies and negative results, and compliance judgments involving experimental activity levels and human genetic resources and hazardous chemicals and the external publication of data and results must be borne by the person themselves and authorized personnel in accordance with the applicable jurisdiction and institutional rules; tool output can only serve as a rollback-able and reviewable assistive stage.
Check in six categories: education (the O*NET education composition is 40% post-doctoral training, 25% bachelor's degree, 25% doctoral degree, and the page lists only these three items); post-doctoral training and research method experience; industry certification (the O*NET certification page lists 18 items: in analytical chemistry and toxicology and clinical chemistry directions, Approved Chemist and Clinical Chemistry and Toxicological Chemistry and Molecular Diagnostics and Diplomate of the American Board of Toxicology, in the environment and laboratory safety direction Chemical Hygiene Officer and Registered Environmental Laboratory Technologist and others, and in the medical genetics direction Clinical Biochemical Genetics and Clinical Cytogenetics and Genomics and others); institutional method and safety training and instrument and data system authority; the institution's internal authorization for experimental activity levels and the handling of human genetic resources and hazardous chemicals and the publication of data and results; and the requirements of the applicable jurisdiction for biosecurity and laboratories and resource management. This occupation is Job Zone Five, and the training page shows 967 training programs registered nationwide. None of them can be automatically inferred from another.
The work context shows that 85% use email every day, 75% consider precision or accuracy extremely important, 83% work indoors in an environmentally controlled setting every day, 53% wear common protective or safety equipment every day, 15% wear specialized protective equipment more than once a week (40% never), 11% are exposed to hazardous conditions every day (11% never), 11% are exposed to contaminants every day (32% never), 16% are exposed to disease or infection more than once a week (26% never), 55% are exposed to radiation more than once a year (40% never), 15% are exposed to hazardous equipment more than once a week (35% never), 30% are exposed to distracting or uncomfortable noise more than once a month (25% never), and 26% face unpleasant or angry or impolite people more than once a month; long hours of bench and instrument work and repeated pipetting and eye strain require appropriate bench and seating and microscope and lighting and break arrangements, and experimental cycles bring a periodic increase in intensity, so persistent discomfort should be reported early. Some items on that page (such as Exposed to Whole Body Vibration and In an Open Vehicle or Operating Equipment) give only a single response proportion.
The work context shows that 85% of typical work weeks exceed 40 hours and 15% are 40 hours, and 80% are fixed schedules (20% follow schedules that vary with conditions); 40% have a lot of freedom in determining tasks and priorities (55% have some freedom); 40% have a lot of freedom in making decisions (50% have some freedom); 37% need to make decisions every day, indicating that the position has some autonomy within the direction but must be accountable according to procedure; 32% consider the level of competition extremely high and 53% consider it high; 26% consider the consequences of error extremely serious, 21% very serious and 21% serious; 26% consider repeating the same tasks extremely important; 53% consider working with a work group or team extremely important. When comparing positions, write the funding source and contract term, the experimental activity level and authorized scope, and the publication and authorship and data sharing rules into the written terms.
The O*NET employment trends page gives, on a standalone scope for this occupation, 35,600 employed in 2024 and about 37,600 in 2034 (6%, faster than average), with about 2,900 job openings per year on average over the projection period; growth and openings are different indicators, and openings include replacement demand. For transitions you can compare bioinformatics scientists, geneticists, microbiologists, medical scientists (except epidemiologists), chemists, physicists, bioengineers and biomedical engineers, and molecular and cellular biologists, but all require adding the corresponding training and qualifications and authorization.
The U.S. wage percentiles are 2025 OEWS data reported on a standalone basis for this occupation (the O*NET page does not mark them as taken from other occupations), with a median hourly wage of 61.26 USD and a median annual wage of 127,410 USD; for mainland China no precise occupational wage entry for this occupation was obtained; according to the evidence standard of this page (no data can be safely used, and no precise occupational mapping has been established), the module-level gap is marked as no precise occupational entry obtained and is not filled in with industry averages, parent occupations or U.S. data, so this page publishes no mainland China figures and does not display industry averages. The occupational scope, statistical systems, data periods and employment and pay structures of the two sides all differ, so U.S. dollars cannot be converted into yuan, and quotes lacking a sample and a position scope should not be trusted.
The FermatMind editorial group compiled this according to O*NET occupational tasks, BLS wages/outlook, NBS industry wages and the relevant current legal provisions read; editorial suggestions, actual statistics and unverified items are kept separate. The relevant legal provisions do not constitute conclusions on specific experimental operations or position permission.
Checked in this round on 2026-10-09; the O*NET2026 occupation page, wages 2025, trends 2025 to 2035, recruitment software full year 2025; education directory 2025 to 26 and 2024 to 25 degrees. NBS2025; Biosecurity Law as amended in 2024; Law on the Safety of Hazardous Chemicals effective 2026-05-01. Historical law or projection sources are retained for the protection of consumers and cannot be passed off as the current version.
Main sources: O*NET19-1021 summary/detailed/technology/industry/wages/trends/education and certification; the BLS OOH and OEWS definitions for this occupation; NBS2025 wages; the Biosecurity Law as amended in 2024, the Law on the Safety of Hazardous Chemicals effective 2026, and the Personal Information Protection Law. ILO2025 read only the public research summary and is not treated as a deployment trial for this occupation.
Limitations：A U.S. occupational classification, which does not directly prove a Chinese position series or qualifications; the page contains no Wage data for ... or Employment data for ... labels taken from other occupations, and the wage and employment and industry data are all reported on a standalone basis for this occupation; the page marks this occupation as Bright Outlook (updated 2026).
Limitations：25 tasks (20 core, 4 supplemental with scores, 1 newly added without a score), 41 work activities and 14 detailed activities; group tasks do not mean that every person carries out all of them.
Limitations：A historical 2024 to 2034 scope, retained for the original out-of-scope facts; the current projection for the nine modules in this round uses ep-current instead, and the current page cannot be treated as having re-verified historical values.
Limitations：The first row of the page is the occupation itself and is not marked as taken from other occupations; the median is not a starting salary and is not an income promise.
Limitations：National Bureau of Statistics 2025 broad-scope references: scientific research and technical services non-private 182,064 and private 83,560 yuan/year; above-scale enterprises in that industry 173,855 and professional and technical personnel 172,877 yuan/year. Education industry non-private 133,539 and private 63,908; manufacturing non-private 113,594 and private 76,055 yuan/year. Choose according to the industry of the actual institution; all are industry/broad job category averages and are not this occupation's wages, starting salary, city monthly wage or median; Chinese and U.S. industries are not equivalent. It covers urban legal entity units with 5 or more people, excluding self-employed individuals and freelancers.
Limitations：The original 2020 law public local government text; the current 2024 amendment is registered separately under bio-current, and the original department and approval wording is not a current basis.
Limitations：O*NET asks how much education new hires need, and respondents answered 40% post-doctoral training, 25% bachelor's, 25% doctorate; this is not the education distribution of all employees. BLS explains that independent research and development positions require a doctorate and that many doctorates first take temporary post-doctoral positions; bachelor's and master's degrees can meet some entry-level positions. Job Zone Five is the preparation range, not a requirement of more than five years of experience for every position.
Limitations：57 work context items; hand use 25% continuously, time pressure 25% more than once a week but not every day; whole-body vibration 95% never and open vehicles 100% never are the displayed answers. The remaining proportions that are not displayed are not filled in as 0, and occupational answers do not measure individual injury rates.
Limitations：A historical 2024 to 2034 scope, retained for the original out-of-scope facts; the current projection for the nine modules in this round uses ep-current instead, and the current page cannot be treated as having re-verified historical values.
Limitations：Full-year 2025 U.S. Lightcast job postings: Excel8%, Office6%, PowerPoint5%, Python4%, Word3%, R2%, with Outlook/MATLAB 1% each; the other 8 items show no proportion. The first three items are marked In Demand, which indicates job posting mentions and cannot be interpreted as talent shortages, a requirement for all positions, software adoption rates or AI exposure rates.
Limitations：This URL is the text published in 2011; formal repeal information for the regulations was not verified and repeal is not claimed; the current legal boundary follows the Law on the Safety of Hazardous Chemicals effective 2026, see chem-current.
Limitations：Provides a global research scope for task exposure and job transformation; does not give an adoption rate or a substitution date for this occupation.
Limitations：Checking suggestions proposed by the editors according to the original text, not independent research, an employer recruitment sample or an institutional SOP.
Limitations：The O*NET training directory has 967 related programs, based on the IPEDS 2025 to 26 institution directory and 2024 to 25 degree-award data and the CIP-occupation crosswalk; it is not 967 real-time enrollment announcements. The certification directory has 18 related records, including analytical chemistry, toxicology, environmental safety, medical genetics, andrology laboratory and advanced biotherapy directions; it does not equal 18 items being a general threshold, and the conditions, fees and validity periods were not verified in this round.
Limitations：The original 2020 law public local government text; the current 2024 amendment is registered separately under bio-current, and the original department and approval wording is not a current basis.
Limitations：Used to check the original official responsibility text 'Study the chemical composition or physical principles of living cells and organisms, their electrical and mechanical energy, and related phenomena.'.
Limitations：The detailed page scores all 33 knowledge and 52 ability items: biology 91, chemistry 84, English/mathematics 83, physics 76, education 68, computers 64, engineering 59; inductive reasoning/written comprehension/written expression 81, oral comprehension/expression 78, near vision/mathematical reasoning 75. Among 21 work styles, attention to detail/inquisitiveness 100, innovation 87, dependability 79, integrity 74, caution/initiative 61; the scores describe occupational characteristics, not individual test thresholds or incidence proportions.
Limitations：25 tasks (20 core, 4 supplemental with scores, 1 newly added without a score), 41 work activities and 14 detailed activities; group tasks do not mean that every person carries out all of them.
Limitations：Hourly and annual wages share the same source, are reported on a standalone basis for this occupation, and cannot be mixed with the mainland China scope.
Limitations：Professional scientific and technical services 66%, manufacturing 20%, other including education 14%; the U.S. industry distribution for this occupation, which cannot be used to infer wages or the Chinese structure.
Limitations：U.S. 19-1021: 35,200 employed in 2025, projected 39,500 in 2035; 12% growth from 2025 to 2035 (much faster than average), a net change of about 4,300 and about 2,900 job openings per year on average. Openings include replacement, not net new positions or an individual's probability of being hired.
Limitations：The page lists 18 national certifications, mainly in analytical chemistry and toxicology and clinical chemistry (such as Approved Chemist (American Oil Chemists Society), Clinical Chemistry and Toxicological Chemistry and Molecular Diagnostics (American Board of Clinical Chemistry), Diplomate of the American Board of Toxicology), environment and laboratory safety (such as Registered Environmental Laboratory Technologist and Registered Environmental Professional and Toxicological Technologist and Environmental Analytical Technologist and Clinical Chemist (National Registry of Certified Chemists), Chemical Hygiene Officer), medical genetics and cytogenetics (such as Clinical Biochemical Genetics and Clinical Cytogenetics and Genomics and Clinical Molecular Genetics (American Board of Medical Genetics and Genomics)) and Qualified Environmental Professional (Board for Global EHS Credentialing) and others; certification is proof of ability and does not equal a practice license or an employer appointment.
Limitations：Occupational classification divides occupations into intermediate and detailed categories; this page has not obtained a mainland China occupational wage entry precisely corresponding to 19-1021.00, and biochemical and biophysical research positions are dispersed across the scientific research and professional technical services and health care and education series and the like, and must be identified according to the type of employer and the duties of the position. This material is an occupational classification reference and does not establish position authorization.
Limitations：The first row of the page is the occupation itself and is not marked as taken from other occupations; all U.S. dollar values on this page are in that scope.
Limitations：The official profile only provides occupational identity and responsibility descriptions and can be used to search for this occupation by industry and interest and knowledge area; it does not set a personal competency threshold.
Limitations：U.S. 19-1021: 35,200 employed in 2025, projected 39,500 in 2035; 12% growth from 2025 to 2035 (much faster than average), a net change of about 4,300 and about 2,900 job openings per year on average. Openings include replacement, not net new positions or an individual's probability of being hired.
Limitations：2025 median wages for this occupation x industry: scientific research and development 131,910, pharmaceutical manufacturing 109,030, state universities 69,220, wholesale 145,050 USD/year; these are not overall industry averages or entry-level starting salaries. The doctorate requirement for independent R&D and the bachelor's/master's requirement for some entry-level positions must be distinguished.
Limitations：China's Biosecurity Law as amended in 2024: Articles 34 through 38 distinguish research risks, and high/medium-risk research and development must be carried out by legal persons established in accordance with law within the territory with approval or filing in accordance with law, risk assessment and emergency plans; Articles 42 through 50 provide management by pathogenic microorganism and laboratory level. Research risk categories and laboratory protection levels are not the same indicator, and all biochemical research cannot be written as a uniform licensing matter. Article 55 of that law requires human genetic resource activities to conform to ethics; Article 56 provides for approval by the competent health department according to specific situations such as collection, preservation, international scientific research cooperation, and materials leaving the country, and there are statutory exclusions and clinical trial filing exceptions; Article 57 requires resource information provided to or opened for use abroad to be reported in advance with a backup submitted. Not all samples and all uses require approval in every case, and institutional authorization cannot replace statutory requirements.
Limitations：China's Law on the Safety of Hazardous Chemicals takes effect on 2026-05-01, and Article 5 clarifies the responsibilities and training and assessment of user units such as schools and research institutions; Articles 46 through 51 require safety conditions, procedures, and Chinese-language safety data sheets and labels to be implemented according to type, hazardous characteristics, quantity and method. The safe use permit under Article 48 is aimed at chemical enterprises engaged in production with prescribed varieties and quantities, and not every research laboratory needs the same permit; radioactive substances and others follow their applicable rules separately, and waste disposal must also be verified separately against environmental protection provisions.
Limitations：Personal information processing in China is checked against the Personal Information Protection Law for a lawful basis, necessity and security measures; identifiable personal medical health and the like are sensitive personal information with requirements for a specific purpose, sufficient necessity and strict protection. Not all scientific research data or non-human samples are sensitive personal information; human genetic resource rules and personal information rules should be judged separately, and foreign requirements cannot be replaced by Chinese provisions.
Limitations：OEWS is pre-tax straight-time wages for employed persons, and commissions, incentive pay and production bonuses may be included while overtime and non-production bonuses and the like are excluded; self-employment business income or enterprise contract settlement amounts do not equal employee wages. Employed persons at outsourcing firms cannot all be excluded merely because the company is outsourced, and this round lacks a breakdown of bonuses, equity and employment forms for this occupation.
U.S. statistics for this occupation do not establish an equivalent Chinese classification, and industry references are not occupational wages. Task ratings, education survey answers, advertising mentions and employment projections measure different objects; personality types, certification directories and editorial paths do not guarantee hiring. Out-of-scope Hero/FAQ items retain their original version, and older-period content is not treated as uniformly updated in this round.
Big Five (English) · MBTI (English) · Enneagram (Chinese) · IQ (Chinese)
Education and preparation path
Onboarding and position authorization
Information and data and sample protection and record compliance
Work hours and competition and pressure
Continuing training and review
Do not use it this way: Note: this page does not treat any test score as a basis for admission or elimination.
Evidence：Biosecurity Law of the People's Republic of China (2024 amendment) · Personal Information Protection Law
Evidence：Biosecurity Law of the People's Republic of China (2024 amendment) · Personal Information Protection Law
Article 55 of the Biosecurity Law requires human genetic resource activities to conform to ethics; Article 56 provides for approval by the competent health department according to specific situations such as collection, preservation, international scientific research cooperation, and materials leaving the country, and there are statutory exclusions and clinical trial filing exceptions; Article 57 requires resource information provided to or opened for use abroad to be reported in advance with a backup submitted. Not all samples and all uses require approval in every case, and institutional authorization cannot replace statutory requirements. Personal information processing in China is checked against the Personal Information Protection Law for a lawful basis, necessity and security measures; identifiable personal medical health and the like are sensitive personal information with requirements for a specific purpose, sufficient necessity and strict protection. Not all scientific research data or non-human samples are sensitive personal information; human genetic resource rules and personal information rules should be judged separately, and foreign requirements cannot be replaced by Chinese provisions.
Work activities are listed as 41 items on the detailed page with importance scores, the highest being analyzing data or information 99, documenting and recording information 94, thinking creatively 94, updating and using relevant knowledge 94, getting information 93, making decisions and solving problems 93, processing information 93, using computers 92, identifying objects and actions and events 89, and interpreting the meaning of information for others 88.
Work context: 85% use email every day, 75% consider precision or accuracy extremely important, 83% work indoors in an environmentally controlled setting every day, 53% wear common protective or safety equipment every day, 50% have face-to-face discussions every day, 47% sit more than half the time (another 47% about half the time), 26% consider repeating the same tasks extremely important, 11% are exposed to hazardous conditions every day, 11% are exposed to contaminants every day, 16% are exposed to disease or infection at least once a week, 55% are exposed to radiation at least once a year, 85% of typical work weeks exceed 40 hours, and 80% are fixed schedules; for items such as Exposed to Whole Body Vibration and In an Open Vehicle or Operating Equipment only a single response proportion is given.
Instrument use and calibration and maintenance must follow institutional procedures and manufacturer requirements, and parameter and version and maintenance records must be retained; raw data and processing scripts and versions must be traceable in order to support review and reproduction of results.
Before using retrieval or data analysis or prediction tools in the research workflow, confirm the protection of samples and data and personal information, system and channel authority and record retention and manual review arrangements; experimental design and the judgment of data usability still need to be borne by people according to institutional procedures and cannot rely on tool output.
After finishing, ask an experienced person to review the experimental design and data processing and conclusions, and keep the reasons for changes.
Raw data must not be forged or modified in the practice, and real samples or genetic data or human genetic resource information must not be handled in the practice; work involving biosecurity and resource disposition must be handled by authorized personnel according to procedure.
The practice does not replace the applicable jurisdiction and institutional procedures and authorization requirements, nor does it constitute any experimental method, biosecurity level determination criterion or practice for circumventing regulation; raw data must not be forged or modified in the practice, and real samples or genetic data or human genetic resource information must not be handled in the practice.
Handling samples and data and personal information requires authorization first, and the access scope, retention period and destruction arrangements must be recorded; sample data and human genetic resource information must not be stored or transmitted outside authorized systems.
| Able to explain that data and conclusions must be based on complete controls and reviewable records, that anomalies and missing items are marked and reviewed first, and that conclusions are not drawn first and data added later because of milestone pressure, and that the process is truthfully recorded and escalated. |
| Do not selectively keep data or modify raw data after the fact, and do not make commitments on your own about experimental activities or resource disposition beyond your authorization. |
| Probation period | Complete experiments and data collection and analysis according to institutional procedures, and accept the mentor's or project leader's review of the design basis and data quality and records and safety standards. | Experimental records and raw data are complete; methods and parameters and versions are traceable; anomalies and negative results are explicitly marked; biosecurity and hazardous chemical and data management requirements are implemented in place. | Do not skip control and review requirements, and do not carry out experimental activities requiring approval or filing when authorization is unclear. |
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| 90 days after onboarding | Check whether pre-job training, the experimental activity level and authorization, the handling and confidentiality requirements for samples and data and personal information, and the authorized scope for data and result publication are in place. | Able to independently complete common experiments and data analysis; training and authorization status confirmed in writing. | Authorization and training must be confirmed in writing and not replaced by verbal promises. |
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Output: review comments and a change explanation.
Output: a one-page decision statement with an evidence list.
| According to program length and post-doctoral years. |
| Education does not equal the authorization to carry out experimental activities of a specific level or handle human genetic resources. |
| The employer's method and safety training and on-the-job mentoring | People entering a specific institution | Determines whether one can work according to institutional procedures and safety requirements. | Units involving hazardous chemicals fulfill training and assessment under the current law; other specific method training is verified against institutional duties, and the Job Zone does not prove the same requirement for all employers. | Must complete the method and safety training and assessment arranged by the institution and accept mentoring according to the project. | As arranged by the institution. | Pre-job training does not equal the institution's authorization for experimental activity levels and resource disposition. |
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| Industry certification (analytical chemistry and toxicology and clinical chemistry direction) | People working in or hoping to enter testing and clinical or pharmaceutical analysis contexts | Serves as third-party proof of a specialized ability. | The related certifications serve only as candidates for further checking in clinical chemistry, toxicology or molecular diagnostics directions; whether they are a position threshold, a promotion condition or an appointment basis must be verified with the specific employer and issuing rules, and this round obtained no evidence of effect. | The related O*NET certification directory provides candidates; the issuing body's current conditions, eligibility and applicable positions must be verified separately. | Insufficient evidence: fees, preparation time, validity periods and continuing education were not verified in this round. | Certification is proof of ability and does not equal a practice license or an employer appointment. |
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| Industry certification (environment and laboratory safety direction) | People working in laboratory safety and environmental testing contexts | Serves as third-party proof of laboratory safety and environmental testing ability. | Not a uniform threshold; NRCC and NREP and others are different issuing bodies, and all environment and laboratory certificates in the directory cannot be uniformly attributed to NRCC. | The related O*NET certification directory provides candidates; the issuing body's current conditions, eligibility and applicable positions must be verified separately. | Insufficient evidence: fees, preparation time, validity periods and continuing education were not verified in this round. | Certification does not equal the institution's authorization for high-level experimental activities. |
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| Industry certification (medical genetics and cytogenetics direction) | People working in medical genetic testing contexts | Serves as third-party proof of medical genetic testing ability. | Decided by the employer's testing scope and position requirements. | The related O*NET certification directory provides candidates; the issuing body's current conditions, eligibility and applicable positions must be verified separately. | Insufficient evidence: fees, preparation time, validity periods and continuing education were not verified in this round. | Certification has a limited testing scope and does not equal authorization for clinical diagnosis. |
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| Mainland China side: biosecurity and hazardous chemical management rules | People doing experimental and research related work in mainland China | Determines whether experimental and research activities are compliant. | China's Biosecurity Law as amended in 2024: Articles 34 through 38 distinguish research risks, and high/medium-risk research and development must be carried out by legal persons established in accordance with law within the territory with approval or filing in accordance with law, risk assessment and emergency plans; Articles 42 through 50 provide management by pathogenic microorganism and laboratory level. Research risk categories and laboratory protection levels are not the same indicator, and all biochemical research cannot be written as a uniform licensing matter. China's Law on the Safety of Hazardous Chemicals takes effect on 2026-05-01, and Article 5 clarifies the responsibilities and training and assessment of user units such as schools and research institutions; Articles 46 through 51 require safety conditions, procedures, and Chinese-language safety data sheets and labels to be implemented according to type, hazardous characteristics, quantity and method. The safe use permit under Article 48 is aimed at chemical enterprises engaged in production with prescribed varieties and quantities, and not every research laboratory needs the same permit; radioactive substances and others follow their applicable rules separately, and waste disposal must also be verified separately against environmental protection provisions. Article 55 of the Biosecurity Law requires human genetic resource activities to conform to ethics; Article 56 provides for approval by the competent health department according to specific situations such as collection, preservation, international scientific research cooperation, and materials leaving the country, and there are statutory exclusions and clinical trial filing exceptions; Article 57 requires resource information provided to or opened for use abroad to be reported in advance with a backup submitted. Not all samples and all uses require approval in every case, and institutional authorization cannot replace statutory requirements. | Must complete the employer's training and obtain the corresponding qualification or authorization as required. | Maintained as arranged by the competent authority and the institution. | Training and authorization cannot exempt legal liability; this page does not provide any experimental method or practice for circumventing regulation. |
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Editorial checking suggestions: record the specific position's education, method training, safety duties and applicable jurisdiction; leave certification conditions or prices that were not verified as gaps, and do not infer permission from the number of directory entries.
Next moves：Participate in project advancement and deviation and change handling and compliance documentation and accept review.
Typical scope：Responsible for team conclusions and product and compliance responsibility.
Readiness evidence：Team and project management plans and reviews.
Credential boundary：Add training in team management and cross-functional coordination.
Next moves：Responsible for the R&D or quality team and cross-functional projects, or move toward product and management directions.
Credential boundary：Add core skills and compliance training for the target direction.
Next moves：Complete the core tasks of the target direction in training or rotation and accept evaluation.
Typical scope：Responsible for the conclusions and records of the target direction's work.
Readiness evidence：Independent work and review records.
Credential boundary：Complete the qualifications and position authorization and independent work of the target direction.
Next moves：Independently take on common tasks according to the target direction's procedures and accept review.
Limitations：Editorial ratings use the existing occupational responsibilities and AI task analysis on this page. They are not adoption rates, measured effects, job-disappearance or personal-unemployment probabilities, or official scores from Stanford or another external institution. No measured time weights or future robot deployment are assumed.
