Biochemists and Biophysicists in the Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands Metro

BLS metro-level wage data places Biochemists and Biophysicists pay in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX at a median of $94,320 per year ($45.35/hr), drawn from the OEWS May 2025 release for this Metropolitan Statistical Area. Compared with the national median of $127,410, the metro estimate is 26% below. OEWS reports the difference but does not identify its cause. Approximately 160 biochemists and biophysicists are employed across the Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands MSA in SOC 19-1021.

The Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands pay distribution spans from $69,650 at the 10th percentile to $134,100 at the 90th, a 1.9× observed spread. Differences in specialization, employer, sector, location, credentials, schedule, and experience may all contribute, but OEWS does not isolate their effects. The 25th percentile sits at $84,310 and the 75th at $106,170, so half of Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands-based biochemists and biophysicists earn within that middle band.

Metro figures use establishment work location, not worker residence. BLS draws metro boundaries from the OMB MSA definitions, so Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX covers the central city plus outlying counties tied to the metro economically. OEWS includes straight-time pay, tips, commissions, incentive pay, and production bonuses. It excludes employer health and retirement benefits, overtime premiums, stock compensation, signing bonuses, and other nonproduction bonuses. The same occupation's national profile, statewide TX estimate, and peer-metro rows provide distinct geographic comparisons. A published median is a benchmark, not a prediction or ceiling for one worker.