Biochemist salary in Los Angeles, CA
Based on 161 certified H-1B filings in the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Duarte, Monrovia, Pasadena, Irvine, Santa Monica.
Salary range
| Percentile | Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th | $54,080 |
| 25th | $68,640 |
| 50th (median) | $74,100 |
| 75th | $82,000 |
| 90th | $120,000 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $61,048 | $55,306 | $70,000 | 61 |
| FY2021 | $63,042 | $61,048 | $72,306 | 58 |
| FY2022 | $64,805 | $62,400 | $74,492 | 46 |
| FY2023 | $71,209 | $65,760 | $87,300 | 55 |
| FY2024 | $71,866 | $67,739 | $80,857 | 48 |
| FY2025 | $73,224 | $69,071 | $81,910 | 93 |
| FY2026 | $74,634 | $66,560 | $82,836 | 68 |
Cost of living
Los Angeles's median Biochemist salary of $74,100 is worth about $65,200 at national average prices.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (U.S. = 100; Los Angeles = 113.6).
Compared with all workers here
All Biochemists and Biophysicists in the Los Angeles, CA area earned a median of $131,700 in May 2025 (580 employed). The H-1B median here is $74,100, 44% lower.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS metropolitan area estimates. BLS wages include some incentive pay; H-1B figures are base salary.
Top employers filing
| Employer | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Beckman Research Institute of the City of Hope | $78,100 | 37 |
| Cedars-Sinai Medical Center | $63,627 | 27 |
| The University of Southern California | $53,269 | 25 |
| City of Hope National Medical Center | $75,437 | 21 |
| California Institute of Technology | $75,268 | 11 |
| University Of California, Irvine | too few | 8 |
| University of California, Los Angeles | too few | 7 |
| Kite Pharma | too few | 4 |
| Chapman University | too few | 3 |
| AbbVie | 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 | $70,017 | 80 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $70,264 | 17 |
| Senior · Level III | too few | 5 |
| Expert · Level IV | – | 0 |
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 | $53,269 | $70,017 | 80 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $60,590 | $70,264 | 17 |
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.