Biochemistry : Career areas

A 2011 HESA survey of 2010 graduates indicates that six months after graduation just over 39% were in employment. Of these around 16% had entered scientific research with a further 15% entering professional and technical occupations. Biochemistry graduates also went into other sectors, such as commercial and public sector management and business and financial professions.

Around 15% went into retail and catering and smaller percentages worked in clerical or health professional roles or in education, marketing and advertising.  

Where are the jobs?

Most biochemists are employed as researchers in universities, research institutes and large companies in sectors such as pharmaceuticals. Small companies also employ biochemists to provide specialist services such as toxicological studies. Many also work for the NHS (see NHS Careers ), government laboratories such as the Food and Environment Research Agency (FERA)  or public health laboratories such as the Health Protection Agency (HPA) .

For further information about employers, look into the following areas:

• education - specifically higher education, which employs a large number of science researchers to undertake research in universities (some of whom go on to become lecturers);
• science - which includes a range of research, technical and related careers within private and public organisations;
• health - dominated by the NHS. This area primarily includes work in biomedical and clinical careers

See industry insights for further information on possibilities in other employment areas.

Statistics are collected every year to show what HE students do immediately after graduation. These can be a useful guide but, in reality, because the data is collected within six months of graduation, many graduates are travelling, waiting to start a course, paying off debts, getting work experience or still deciding what they want to do. For further information about some of the areas of employment commonly entered by graduates of any degree discipline, check out What Do Graduates Do?  and your degree...what next?