AI exposure by occupation, O*NET 19-1021.00

Will AI replace Biochemists and Biophysicists?

Biochemists and Biophysicists: AI can already handle 16 of 24 tasks; the work mostly needs a standard-tier model.

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Every task, scored

The 24 tasks O*NET 30.3 lists for Biochemists and Biophysicists, from most to least exposed. 16 reach 60 or more, the level at which AI already handles a task.

Task AI exposure Evidence Model tier Importance
Prepare reports or recommendations, based upon research outcomes. 75 Estimated Efficient 4.0
Share research findings by writing scientific articles or by making presentations at scientific conferences. 60 Estimated Efficient 4.7
Teach or advise undergraduate or graduate students or supervise their research. 60 Estimated Standard 4.5
Manage laboratory teams or monitor the quality of a team's work. 60 Estimated Frontier 4.5
Study physical principles of living cells or organisms and their electrical or mechanical energy, applying methods and knowledge of mathematics, physics, chemistry, or biology. 60 Estimated Efficient 4.5
Write grant proposals to obtain funding for research. 60 Estimated Efficient 4.4
Determine the three-dimensional structure of biological macromolecules. 60 Estimated Standard 4.2
Study spatial configurations of submicroscopic molecules, such as proteins, using x-rays or electron microscopes. 60 Estimated Efficient 4.0
Prepare pharmaceutical compounds for commercial distribution. 60 Estimated Efficient 3.8
Study the mutations in organisms that lead to cancer or other diseases. 60 Estimated Efficient 3.7
Research the chemical effects of substances, such as drugs, serums, hormones, or food, on tissues or vital processes. 60 Estimated Efficient 3.7
Research transformations of substances in cells, using atomic isotopes. 60 Estimated Efficient 3.6
Isolate, analyze, or synthesize vitamins, hormones, allergens, minerals, or enzymes and determine their effects on body functions. 60 Estimated Standard 3.3
Examine the molecular or chemical aspects of immune system functioning. 60 Estimated Efficient 3.3
Investigate the nature, composition, or expression of genes or research how genetic engineering can impact these processes. 60 Estimated Efficient 3.3
Produce pharmaceutically or industrially useful proteins, using recombinant DNA technology. 60 Estimated Efficient 3.2
Develop new methods to study the mechanisms of biological processes. 50 Estimated Frontier 4.4
Design or perform experiments with equipment, such as lasers, accelerators, or mass spectrometers. 50 Estimated Frontier 4.2
Design or build laboratory equipment needed for special research projects. 50 Estimated Efficient 4.0
Study the chemistry of living processes, such as cell development, breathing and digestion, or living energy changes, such as growth, aging, or death. 50 Estimated Efficient 3.9
Develop or execute tests to detect diseases, genetic disorders, or other abnormalities. 50 Estimated Efficient 3.5
Develop or test new drugs or medications intended for commercial distribution. 50 Estimated Frontier 3.4
Research how characteristics of plants or animals are carried through successive generations. 50 Estimated Efficient 3.3
Develop methods to process, store, or use foods, drugs, or chemical compounds. 50 Estimated Efficient 3.3

Observed: scored from AI use recorded in the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026 release), 0 of 24 tasks. Estimated: scored from the task's O*NET 30.3 work activity, 24 of 24. Importance is O*NET's 1 to 5 rating of how central the task is. Model tier is the lowest tier that can do the task under the published rubric; "No tier" marks hands-on work.

The model tier this role needs

A standard-tier model or lower covers 82% of the role's importance-weighted task work. 100% of the work is something AI can address at some tier.

Efficient, standard and frontier tiers come from the JobRoute model tier reference. The recommended tier is the lowest one that covers 80% of the work AI can address. How the method works.

Wages, employment and outlook

US employment
33,830
Median annual wage
$127,410
Middle half of earners
$95,000 to $163,460
Projected change, 2024 to 2034
+5.8%

Employment and wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, national. Projection: BLS Employment Projections 2024 to 2034.

Adjacent roles

The occupations that reuse the most of this role's skills, with the usual time to move. These are the first places to look when you plan to redeploy or retrain people in this role.

Skill overlap and transition time from the JobRoute role adjacency graph on O*NET 30.3 skills.

Questions about Biochemists and Biophysicists and AI

Will AI replace Biochemists and Biophysicists?

AI already handles 16 of the 24 tasks O*NET lists for this occupation, at a task exposure of 60 or more, and the role's importance-weighted exposure is 57 out of 100. JobRoute scores tasks, not whole jobs, so the score shows how much of the work changes rather than whether the job disappears. BLS projects employment to change by +5.8% from 2024 to 2034.

What is the AI exposure of Biochemists and Biophysicists?

57 out of 100 on JobRoute's task exposure measure, the importance-weighted average of the role's O*NET task scores. Higher means more of the work is AI-doable today. 0 of the 24 task scores are observed in the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026 release), and the other 24 are estimated from each task's O*NET work activity.

Which Biochemists and Biophysicists tasks can AI already do?

The tasks with the highest exposure are: Prepare reports or recommendations, based upon research outcomes; Share research findings by writing scientific articles or by making presentations at scientific conferences; Teach or advise undergraduate or graduate students or supervise their research. They are three of the 16 tasks that reach 60 or more.

What AI model tier does this role need?

A standard-tier model or lower covers 82% of the role's importance-weighted task work. JobRoute assigns each task the lowest tier that can do it under a published rubric and recommends the lowest tier that covers 80% of the work AI can address.

How many people work as Biochemists and Biophysicists, and what do they earn?

33,830 people in the United States, with a median annual wage of $127,410 (BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025). BLS Employment Projections expect a change of +5.8% from 2024 to 2034.

How to cite

Data version 2026-11-02, JobRoute method v1.0.0. Download all occupations or this occupation as JSON. Methodology.

JobRoute (2026). AI exposure: Biochemists and Biophysicists. Data version 2026-11-02, method v1.0.0. Built on O*NET 30.3, BLS OEWS May 2025 and the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026). CC BY 4.0. https://www.jobroute.ai/jobs/biochemists-and-biophysicists

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