Entry-level Biochemist salary in Houston, TX
Based on 86 certified H-1B filings at DOL wage level I in the Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Galveston.
Salary range
| Percentile | Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th | $64,178 |
| 25th | $67,900 |
| 50th (median) | $74,200 |
| 75th | $77,975 |
| 90th | $84,700 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $52,896 | $52,704 | $57,060 | 42 |
| FY2021 | $55,596 | $52,704 | $59,580 | 23 |
| FY2022 | $57,750 | $54,144 | $62,121 | 55 |
| FY2023 | $62,227 | $57,438 | $65,000 | 54 |
| FY2024 | $69,996 | $63,852 | $74,880 | 65 |
| FY2025 | $73,600 | $67,303 | $77,926 | 52 |
| FY2026 | $76,223 | $72,000 | $78,385 | 34 |
Cost of living
Houston's median entry-level Biochemist salary of $74,200 is worth about $75,200 at national average prices.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (U.S. = 100; Houston = 98.6).
Compared with all workers here
All Biochemists and Biophysicists in the Houston, TX area earned a median of $94,320 in May 2025 (160 employed). The H-1B median here is $74,200, 21% lower.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS metropolitan area estimates. BLS wages include some incentive pay; H-1B figures are base salary.
Employers filing at this level
| Employer | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center | $76,400 | 53 |
| University of Texas Medical Branch | $86,000 | 10 |
| University of Houston | too few | 5 |
| Lonza Houston | too few | 4 |
| The Methodist Hospital Research Institute | too few | 4 |
| The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston | too few | 4 |
| Sino Biological | too few | 3 |
| W.m. Rice University | too few | 2 |
Employers with at least 2 filings here. Median shown at 10+ filings.
By experience level
| Wage level | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level · Level I | $74,200 | 86 |
| Mid-level · Level II | too few | 7 |
| Senior · Level III | – | 0 |
| Expert · Level IV | too few | 8 |
Median shown when a level has at least 10 filings.
Minimum H-1B salary by level
| Wage level | Prevailing wage (most common) | Median offered salary | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Entry-level · Level I | $55,619 | $74,200 | 86 |
The prevailing wage is the minimum an employer must pay for this job and area. Amounts vary by county within a metro and by wage source.