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Biological Sciences · Biochemistry Rank #10 of 136

Biochemistryat University of Wisconsin-Madison

Graduates earn $44,074/yr in their first year — about 16.0% above the national Biochemistry average. Base-case 10-year earnings $658K; scenarios range from $589K to $673K depending on AI disruption.

Madison, WI Public Bachelor's Degree
DegreeOutlook Score
55 SOLID
56
Optimistic
53
Pessimistic
Earnings
$44,074
1-year post-graduation
ROI
14.9x
Earnings : in-state tuition
10-yr Base
$658K
Cumulative base-case earnings
AI Risk
High
50% task exposure
Program Analysis

What this degree looks like at UW-Madison

This UW-Madison program’s strong showing reflects its position as a leading public research institution. You'll benefit from extensive laboratory opportunities and a faculty deeply engaged in cutting-edge discovery, preparing you for a demanding but rewarding career. The robust research infrastructure and strong reputation funnel graduates into competitive roles within biotech, pharmaceuticals, and academic research, often leveraging the university’s significant ties to Wisconsin’s growing life sciences sector and beyond. Many pursue advanced degrees, with medical school or Ph.D. programs common paths leading to leadership positions like natural sciences manager. To truly stand out and navigate potential AI impacts, prioritize securing substantial hands-on research experience and consider interdisciplinary coursework to broaden your analytical and computational toolkit.

AI Outlook Integration

Three scenarios, ten years out

Each scenario is a different assumption about how AI reshapes the career paths this major feeds into. Earnings projections stack the full 10-year cumulative trajectory; scores use the same 0–100 metric as the hero, recomputed under that scenario's assumptions.

Pessimistic
Mass Automation
$589K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score53/100
Earnings Multiple13.1x
Base Case
Moderate Integration
$658K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score55/100
Earnings Multiple14.7x
Optimistic
AI Augmentation
$673K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score56/100
Earnings Multiple15.0x
Earnings Trajectory

10 year projection

Year-by-year earnings under each scenario. Base case reflects BLS growth patterns applied to UW-Madison's starting earnings; optimistic and pessimistic adjust for AI's effect on each career path this major feeds into.

Career Paths

Where Biochemistry graduates typically work

Common career destinations for this program's graduates, weighted by the school's specific occupation mix. Salary is BLS national median; AI risk is per-role task-exposure research.

1
Natural sciences managers
+3.7% 10-yr growth · 8,500 openings/yr
$161,180/yr
High
2
Biochemists and biophysicists
+5.8% 10-yr growth · 2,900 openings/yr
$103,650/yr
Moderate
3
Medical scientists, except epidemiologists
+8.7% 10-yr growth · 9,600 openings/yr
$100,590/yr
High
4
Biological scientists, all other
+1.2% 10-yr growth · 4,800 openings/yr
$93,330/yr
Moderate
5
Microbiologists
+4.1% 10-yr growth · 1,700 openings/yr
$87,330/yr
Moderate
6
Biological science teachers, postsecondary
+7.3% 10-yr growth · 5,400 openings/yr
$83,460/yr
Moderate
Source: BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics, May 2024. AI exposure from OpenAI GPTs-are-GPTs and Felten AIOE research.
Compare & Explore

Peer schools offering Biochemistry

How UW-Madison stacks up against other schools offering this major.

Highest earnings
Northeastern University
MA · Private nonprofit
53
DW Score
$64K
1-yr earn
2.9x
ROI
California State University-San Marcos
CA · Public
54
DW Score
$58K
1-yr earn
17.6x
ROI
Top score
California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo
CA · Public
61
DW Score
$58K
1-yr earn
15.4x
ROI
MCPHS University
MA · Private nonprofit
47
DW Score
$52K
1-yr earn
3.6x
ROI
University of Colorado Boulder
CO · Public
53
DW Score
$50K
1-yr earn
9.5x
ROI
Also at UW-Madison

Other top programs at UW-Madison

Other highest-scoring programs offered at UW-Madison, ranked by DegreeOutlook Score.

FAQ

Frequently asked about Biochemistry at UW-Madison

What is the DegreeOutlook Score for Biochemistry at University of Wisconsin-Madison?

A score of 55/100 puts this program in competitive territory — solid outcomes, though not at the top of the Biochemistry field.

Will AI replace Biochemistry careers?

With 45% of typical job tasks exposed to AI, this is one of the higher-risk fields. Our pessimistic scenario projects $589,347 in decade earnings vs $672,594 in the optimistic case — a meaningful gap.