Activities	Research or study physical principles of living cells and organisms, their electrical and mechanical energy, and related phenomena.
Outlook	Faster-than-average-job growth
Median Income	$79,390 per year in 2010
Work Context & Conditions	Biophysicists usually work regular hours in offices or laboratories. Their work is exacting and detail-oriented, and it's very important that they complete each task they start. Those who work with dangerous organisms or toxic substances in the laboratory must follow strict safety procedures to avoid contamination. Some biophysicists depend on grant money to support their research. They may be under pressure to meet deadlines and to conform to rigid grant-writing specifications when preparing proposals to seek new or extended funding.
Minimum Education Requirements	Master's Degree
Skills	Monitoring, Critical Thinking, Active Listening, Writing, Equipment Selection, Mathematics, Complex Problem Solving, Reading Comprehension, Science
Abilities	Memorization, Category Flexibility, Deductive Reasoning, Problem Sensitivity, Flexibility of Closure, Written Comprehension, Near Vision, Mathematical Reasoning, Information Ordering, Inductive Reasoning

Job Category		Life, Physical, & Social Science
Job Description		Biophysicists study fundamental physical principles that are essential to understanding life processes and use quantitative methodologies in advancing biomedical research and healthcare. They study physical principles of living cells and organisms and their electrical and mechanical energy, research how characteristics of plants and animals are carried through successive generations, research the transformation of substances in cells, and investigate damage to cells and tissues caused by X-rays and nuclear particles. Biophysicists also study the spatial configuration of submicroscopic molecules, such as proteins, using X-rays and electron microscopes. They investigate the transmission of electrical impulses along nerves and muscles, the dynamics of seeing and hearing, and functions of electronic and human brains, such as learning, thinking, and memory. The Biophysical Society lists the following areas in biophysics: Bioenergetics; Biophysical Theory and Modeling; Cell Biophysics; Channels, Receptors, and Transporters; Electrophysiology; Membranes; Muscle and Contractility; Nucleic Acids; Photobiophysics; Proteins; Spectroscopy, Imaging, and Other Techniques; and Supramolecular Assemblies.
Working Conditions		Biologists usually work regular hours in offices or laboratories. Their work is exacting and detail-oriented, and it's very important that they complete each task they start. They are usually not exposed to unsafe or unhealthy conditions. Those who work with dangerous organisms or toxic substances in the laboratory must follow strict safety procedures to avoid contamination. Some biological and medical scientists depend on grant money to support their research. They may be under pressure to meet deadlines and conform to rigid grant-writing specifications when preparing proposals to seek new or extended funding.
Salary Range		The median annual wage of biochemists and biophysicists was $79,390 in May 2010. The median wage is the wage at which half the workers in an occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $43,050, and the top 10 percent earned more than $142,420. Median annual wages in the industries employing the most biochemists and biophysicists in May 2010 were: Pharmaceutical and medicine manufacturing: $84,970 Research and development in the physical engineering, and life sciences: $83,590 Colleges, universities, and professional schools; state, local, and private: $50,760

Education Required		Most Ph.D. holders in biochemistry and biophysics have bachelor’s degrees in biochemistry or a related field, such as biology, chemistry, physics, or engineering. Many schools have bachelor's degree programs in biochemistry, but few schools have bachelor's degree programs in biophysics. In addition to completing required courses in biology and chemistry, students must typically take courses in mathematics, physics, and computer science. Courses in mathematics and computer science are important for biochemists and biophysicists, who must be able to do complex data analysis. Most bachelor's degree programs include required laboratory coursework. Additional laboratory coursework is excellent preparation for graduate school or for getting an entry-level position in industry. Students also can gain valuable laboratory experience through internships with prospective employers such as pharmaceutical and medicine manufacturers. Ph.D. programs typically include 2 years of advanced coursework in topics such as toxicology, genetics, and proteomics (the study of proteins). Graduate students also spend a lot of time conducting laboratory research. It typically takes 4 to 6 years to earn a doctoral degree in biochemistry or biophysics.
Recommended High School Courses		Biology, Mathematics, Chemistry, Physics
Postsecondary Instructional Programs		Education and Training, Physics, Engineering and Technology, Chemistry, Biology, Medicine and Dentistry
Certification and Licensing		None

Interest Area		Investigative Involves working with ideas and requires an extensive amount of thinking.
Work Values		Social Status Looked up to by others in their company and their community. Achievement Get a feeling of accomplishment. Moral Values Never pressured to do things that go against their sense of right and wrong. Creativity Try out your own ideas. Independence Work alone. Security Have steady employment. Ability Utilization Make use of individual abilities. Working Conditions Good working conditions. Autonomy Plan work with little supervision. Responsibility Make decisions on your own.
Skills		Monitoring Assess how well someone is doing when learning or doing something. Critical Thinking Use logic and analysis to identify the strengths and weaknesses of different approaches. Active Listening Listen to what other people are saying and ask questions as appropriate. Writing Communicate effectively with others in writing as indicated by the needs of the audience. Equipment Selection Determine the kind of tools and equipment needed to do a job. Mathematics Use math to solve problems. Complex Problem Solving Solving novel, ill-defined problems in complex, real-world settings. Reading Comprehension Understand written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents. Science Use scientific methods to solve problems.
Abilities		Memorization Remember information such as words, numbers, pictures, and procedures. Category Flexibility Generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways. Deductive Reasoning Able to apply general rules to specific problems to come up with logical answers, including deciding whether an answer makes sense. Problem Sensitivity Able to tell when something is wrong or likely to go wrong. This doesn't involve solving the problem, just recognizing that there is a problem. Flexibility of Closure Identify or detect a known pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) that is hidden in other distracting material. Written Comprehension Able to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing. Near Vision Able to see details of objects at a close range (within a few feet of the observer). Mathematical Reasoning Able to understand and organize mathematical problems and to know which mathematical methods or formulas to use to solve them. Information Ordering Able to correctly follow rules for arranging things or actions in a certain order, including numbers, words, pictures, procedures, and logical operations. Inductive Reasoning Able to combine separate pieces of information, or specific answers to problems, to form general rules or conclusions. This includes coming up with a logical explanation for why seemingly unrelated events occur together.

Related Jobs		Biologist, Biologist, Environmental Health Scientist, Technician, Biological, Scientist, Medical
Job Outlook		Employment of biochemists and biophysicists is projected to increase by 31 percent from 2010 to 2020, much faster than the average for all occupations. However, because it is a small occupation, the fast growth will result in only about 7,700 new jobs over the 10-year period. More biochemists and biophysicists are expected to be needed to do basic research that increases scientific knowledge and to research and develop biological products and processes that improve our lives. The aging of the baby-boom population and the demand for lifesaving new drugs and procedures to cure and prevent disease will likely drive demand for biochemists and biophysicists involved in biomedical research. For example, biochemists will be needed to conduct genetic research and to develop new medicines and treatments that are used to fight genetic disorders and diseases such as cancer. They will also be needed to develop new tests used to detect diseases and other illnesses. Aside from improving our health, other areas of research and development in biotechnology are expected to provide employment growth for biochemists and biophysicists. Greater demand for clean energy should increase the need for biochemists who research and develop alternative energy sources, such as biofuels. A growing population and rising food prices are expected to fuel the development of genetically engineered crops that provide greater yields and require fewer resources to produce. Finally, efforts to discover new and improved ways to clean up and preserve the environment will increase demand for biochemists and biophysicists.
More Information		American Physiological Society, Education Office, American Institute of Biological Sciences, The Protein Society
References		Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2012-13 Edition, Biochemists and Biophysicists, on the Internet at http://www.bls.gov/ooh/life-physical-and-social-science/biochemists-and-biophysicists.htm Biophysical Society, on the Internet at http://www.biophysics.org/ O*NET OnLine, on the Internet at http://online.onetcenter.org/link/summary/19-1021.02