Biochemists and Biophysicists Salary
In St. Louis, MO-IL, biochemists and biophysicists earn $79,550 at the median, or about $38.25 an hour. The range runs from $65K at the entry level to $132K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 95.09), that's roughly $83,658 in purchasing power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,218/month, or 23.3% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $80K get you in St. Louis?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by St. Louis’s Regional Price Parity (95.09). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About biochemists and biophysicists
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What this looks like in St. Louis
Pay for biochemists and biophysicists in St. Louis runs about 38% below the U.S. median of $127K. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,218/month, 23.8% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Cost of living (RPP 95.09) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Lower pay, lower costs, St. Louis can be a reasonable trade-off for biochemists and biophysicistss who value affordability over top-dollar markets.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for biochemists and biophysicists in metros near St. Louis, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Kansas City | $96K | $104K |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin | $86K | $83K |
| Oklahoma City | $69K | $76K |
| Des Moines-West Des Moines | $84K | $91K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, St. Louis, MO-IL
Entry-level biochemists and biophysicists (10th percentile) start around $65K. Mid-career wages sit at $80K. Top earners bring in $132K or more, a $68K spread from bottom to top.
Biochemists and Biophysicists pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Biochemists and Biophysicists salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Florida | $157K | +24% | 370 |
| California | $140K | +10% | 3,240 |
| Tennessee | $135K | +6% | 60 |
| Pennsylvania | $134K | +5% | 2,750 |
| Connecticut | $133K | +4% | 540 |
| Massachusetts | $132K | +3% | 14,890 |
| New Jersey | $123K | -4% | 2,570 |
| District of Columbia | $120K | -6% | 70 |
| New Hampshire | $110K | -14% | 200 |
| Michigan | $109K | -14% | 730 |
| South Carolina | $109K | -14% | 60 |
| Wisconsin | $106K | -16% | 170 |
| Virginia | $106K | -17% | 70 |
| Delaware | $102K | -20% | 490 |
| Iowa | $101K | -21% | 140 |
| New York | $101K | -21% | 980 |
| Maryland | $101K | -21% | 690 |
| Washington | $99K | -22% | 270 |
| Kansas | $98K | -23% | 140 |
| Texas | $98K | -23% | 520 |
| Ohio | $90K | -29% | 350 |
| Illinois | $87K | -32% | 150 |
| Georgia | $86K | -33% | 110 |
| Maine | $85K | -34% | 390 |
| Arkansas | $82K | -35% | N/A |
| North Carolina | $82K | -35% | 570 |
| Utah | $82K | -36% | 160 |
| Minnesota | $81K | -36% | 190 |
| Missouri | $80K | -38% | 290 |
| Rhode Island | $77K | -40% | N/A |
| Kentucky | $75K | -41% | 40 |
| Nevada | $69K | -46% | N/A |
| Oklahoma | $69K | -46% | 70 |
| Nebraska | $67K | -47% | 70 |
| Alabama | $49K | -62% | 90 |
Showing 1–10 of 35 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track biochemists and biophysicists salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when St. Louis numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a biochemists and biophysicist afford a 2BR apartment alone in St. Louis?
Yes — at the median salary of $80K, rent takes 23.8% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,218/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for biochemists and biophysicists in St. Louis?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new biochemists and biophysicists typically earn — is $65K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,883/month. At HUD’s $1,218/month FMR, rent would take 31% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is biochemists and biophysicist a high-paying job in St. Louis?
Local pay runs 38% below the national median — $80K here vs. $127K nationally.
How does St. Louis compare to the national average for biochemists and biophysicists?
St. Louis pays $80K median vs. the U.S. average of $127K — that’s -38%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 95.09), the purchasing-power equivalent is $84K — below the national median.
How much do biochemists and biophysicists make in St. Louis, MO-IL?
The median is $79,550 a year, that works out to about $38 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $64,710, and experienced biochemists and biophysicists can clear $132,410. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $80K enough to live in St. Louis?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $5,112/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,218/month, which eats 23.8% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.
How far does a biochemists and biophysicists salary go in St. Louis?
St. Louis has a Regional Price Parity of 95.09 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median biochemists and biophysicists salary is worth about $83,658 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do biochemists and biophysicists get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.