What Biochemists and Biophysicists earn in Norfolk County, MA
If you are weighing a move or a job offer, start with $131,550: the median annual pay for Biochemists and Biophysicists in Norfolk County, MA. Spread over a standard 2,080-hour work year, that is $63.25 an hour. Because the wage survey covers the whole Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metropolitan area, the number reflects employers across the region rather than a single town or a single company.
The mean wage is $139,110, which is 5.7% above the median, a sign that a group of high earners lifts the average. The survey counts about 13,370 people working in this occupation across the Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metropolitan area, so the estimate rests on a substantial pool of workers. Norfolk County, MA has roughly 730,082 residents, according to the population figures used by the rent data.
The salary range, from entry level to top earners
Pay for Biochemists and Biophysicists in the Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metropolitan area is not one number. The lowest-paid tenth of workers earn up to $79,360 a year ($38.15 an hour), while the highest-paid tenth earn $208,710 or more ($100.34 an hour). That is a gap of $129,350 between the bottom and the top of the scale. The middle half of workers falls between $103,790 at the 25th percentile and $165,170 at the 75th percentile. A top-tier earner makes 2.6 times what someone at the bottom makes, so experience, certification and employer all matter.
What the hourly rate looks like
Employers quote this occupation by the hour or by the year, so here are both: $63.25 an hour or $131,550 a year at the median for Norfolk County, MA. Before any deductions, that is $10,963 a month, $5,060 every two weeks and $2,530 each week. After taxes the same job pays $45.43 per hour of take-home income, which is the number that actually has to cover rent and groceries.
About this occupation: Biochemists and Biophysicists
The U.S. Department of Labor's O*NET database describes the work of Biochemists and Biophysicists this way: "Study the chemical composition or physical principles of living cells and organisms, their electrical and mechanical energy, and related phenomena. May conduct research to further understanding of the complex chemical combinations and reactions involved in metabolism, reproduction, growth, and heredity. May determine the effects of foods, drugs, serums, hormones, and other substances on tissues and vital processes of living organisms."
Core tasks recorded by O*NET include: "Prepare reports or recommendations, based upon research outcomes"; "Develop new methods to study the mechanisms of biological processes"; "Manage laboratory teams or monitor the quality of a team's work"; "Share research findings by writing scientific articles or by making presentations at scientific conferences".
Job outlook for Biochemists and Biophysicists
The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects national employment in this occupation to grow from 35,200 jobs in 2025 to 39,500 in 2035, a change of +12.3%, faster than the 3.5% projected for all occupations. The projection counts 2,900 openings a year on average, including positions created by growth and positions left by workers who retire or move to another occupation; that equals 8.2% of current employment each year.
Typical entry-level education: doctoral or professional degree. BLS lists a national median annual wage of $127,410 for this occupation; the Norfolk County, MA median of $131,550 is 3.2% above it.
How pay in Norfolk County, MA compares
Compared with the Massachusetts average
Pay for Biochemists and Biophysicists in Norfolk County, MA is in line with the statewide figure: $131,550 locally against an employment-weighted Massachusetts average of $130,406, a difference of only $1,144 (0.9%). Within Massachusetts, Norfolk County, MA already has the highest median we track for this job.
Compared with the national average
The national employment-weighted average for Biochemists and Biophysicists is $125,617 across the contiguous United States. At $131,550, Norfolk County, MA pays $5,933 more, which is 4.7% above that benchmark. Keep in mind that a higher salary only helps if living costs do not rise faster, which is why the cost sections below matter as much as the headline number.
Where this job ranks in Norfolk County, MA
Among the 581 occupations with published wages in Norfolk County, MA, Biochemists and Biophysicists ranks number 59 by median pay, ahead of about 90% of them. The best-paying occupation we track here is Natural Sciences Managers at $291,000 a year, which is $159,450 more than the median for Biochemists and Biophysicists.
From gross pay to take-home pay
Three separate tax bills sit between the gross salary and the bank account: federal income tax, FICA, and state income tax. For Biochemists and Biophysicists earning the Norfolk County, MA median of $131,550, they add up to $37,060. The result is $94,490 of take-home pay a year ($7,874 a month), based on a single filer using the standard deduction.
Put another way, of every $100 earned, about $28 goes to taxes and $72 reaches the paycheck. The overall effective tax rate is 28.2%.
Federal income tax
After the $15,750 standard deduction, taxable income is $115,800. Federal brackets are marginal, so only the slice of income above each threshold is taxed at the higher rate; the last dollars of this salary fall in the 24% bracket. The resulting federal income tax is $20,639, an effective 15.7% of gross pay, well below the 24% marginal rate because the lower brackets are cheaper.
Social Security and Medicare (FICA)
Payroll taxes are a flat percentage of wages. Social Security takes 6.2% up to a wage base of $176,100, which costs $8,156 on this salary. Medicare takes 1.45%, or $1,907. FICA totals $10,064, which is 7.7% of gross pay.
State income tax in Massachusetts
Massachusetts income tax on this salary is $6,358 a year, or 4.8% of gross pay, after the state's own deductions and exemptions are applied. That is 31% of the federal income tax bill, and it comes out to $530 a month. Local taxes such as county or city income taxes are not included, so a few jurisdictions may withhold slightly more.
A cross-check with IRS data for Norfolk County, MA
IRS Statistics of Income data for Norfolk County, MA show an average adjusted gross income of $167,547 per return and an average effective federal income tax rate of 19.6% across all filers. Filers in the $100,000 to under $200,000 bracket, where this salary falls, paid an average of 12.3%, compared with the 15.7% estimated here for a single filer taking the standard deduction. Gaps between the two reflect filing status, dependents, credits and other income, none of which a single-person wage estimate includes.
Cost of living in Norfolk County, MA
Take-home pay only means something next to what life costs. We price four basics for one adult in Norfolk County, MA: a one-bedroom apartment, food, home energy and gasoline. All of them are converted to annual figures first, then compared with the $94,490 of take-home pay.
Rent
Housing is the largest line in most budgets. For Norfolk County, MA, HUD sets the Fair Market Rent for a one-bedroom unit at $2,514 a month ($30,168 a year), and at $3,004 for two bedrooms. For Biochemists and Biophysicists, a one-bedroom absorbs 31.9% of take-home pay and 22.9% of gross pay.
Food
The USDA Thrifty Food Plan (August 2026) puts the cost of a nutritious home-cooked diet for an adult at about $3,436 a year, which is $286 a month or $66.07 a week. That equals 2.6% of gross pay for Biochemists and Biophysicists in Norfolk County, MA. It is a thrifty budget with no restaurant meals, so treat it as a floor.
Energy and gasoline
Using Massachusetts residential prices from the Energy Information Administration and national household averages for consumption, electricity costs about $3,101 a year and other home energy such as natural gas about $867, for $3,968 in total. Gasoline in Massachusetts averages $3.33 per gallon; at about 463 gallons a year (11,106 miles at 24 miles per gallon) fuel adds $1,542.
What is left over
Rent, food, energy and gasoline cost $39,113 a year in Norfolk County, MA. Subtract that from $94,490 of take-home pay and $55,377 remains, which is $4,615 a month of breathing room. That margin equals 42.1% of gross pay, a comfortable cushion by common budgeting rules.
Local housing and commute data for Norfolk County, MA
The budget above covers rent, food, energy and gasoline. Three more local facts shape what a paycheck buys in Norfolk County, MA: property taxes, housing prices and the daily commute. The figures below are exact U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates for Norfolk County, MA, set beside the Massachusetts and national medians.
Property taxes in Norfolk County, MA
Homeowners in Norfolk County, MA pay a median of $7,261 a year in real estate taxes, 21% above the Massachusetts median of $5,992 and 133% above the U.S. median of $3,119. Against a median home value of $683,900, the median tax bill is 1.06% of that value (the ratio of the two county medians). For a worker paid the local Biochemists and Biophysicists median of $131,550, a tax bill of that size would equal 5.5% of gross pay, which matters for anyone planning to buy rather than rent.
Rents, home prices and household income in Norfolk County, MA
Renters in Norfolk County, MA pay a median gross rent of $2,149 a month in the Census survey, 22% above the Massachusetts median of $1,762. HUD's Fair Market Rent for a one-bedroom apartment, which this site uses in the budget, is $2,514 a month; the two measures differ because the Census figure covers units of every size that renters already occupy, while the HUD figure is a one-bedroom benchmark. The median value of an owner-occupied home is $683,900, 22% above the Massachusetts median of $562,100. Median household income is $130,739, 26% above the Massachusetts median of $103,960, so a year of one-bedroom Fair Market Rent equals 23.1% of that income.
Commuting in Norfolk County, MA
Workers in Norfolk County, MA who travel to a workplace spend an average of 32.5 minutes each way, 12% above the Massachusetts average of 29.1. For someone who commutes five days a week, that is 5.4 hours of round-trip travel every week, a cost the budget does not price. 22.8% of workers in Norfolk County, MA work from home, compared with 15.1% nationally, which removes the commute for them.
Can Biochemists and Biophysicists afford to live in Norfolk County, MA?
The 30% rent guideline
A common rule of thumb says rent should stay under 30% of gross income. For a gross salary of $131,550 that ceiling is $3,289 a month. The one-bedroom Fair Market Rent of $2,514 is $775 under it, so rent fits the guideline. Put as a wage, covering a one-bedroom at the 30% guideline takes $48.35 an hour; the median for Biochemists and Biophysicists is $63.25, which is 31% above that mark. Another way to see it: at $45.43 of take-home pay an hour, a one-bedroom takes about 12.8 working hours every week.
Splitting a two-bedroom
Sharing a two-bedroom at $3,004 a month means $1,502 each. Compared with renting a one-bedroom alone, that saves $12,144 a year. With a roommate, the yearly margin after the basics becomes $67,521.
How fast you can save
At $4,615 a month of margin, building a $10,000 emergency fund would take about 3 months. Setting aside half of the margin stretches the same goal to about 6 months. These figures ignore interest, raises and any spending beyond the four basics.
Frequently asked questions about Biochemists and Biophysicists pay in Norfolk County, MA
How much do Biochemists and Biophysicists make per hour in Norfolk County, MA?
The median is $63.25 per hour, based on $131,550 a year over 2,080 hours. Hourly pay runs from about $38.15 at the 10th percentile to $100.34 at the 90th percentile.
How much do Biochemists and Biophysicists take home after taxes in Norfolk County, MA?
After federal income tax, FICA and state income tax, the median salary of $131,550 becomes $94,490 a year. That is $7,874 a month, $3,634 every two weeks or $1,817 a week.
How much tax do Biochemists and Biophysicists pay in Norfolk County, MA?
Total taxes are $37,060 a year, an effective rate of 28.2%: $20,639 federal income tax, $10,064 FICA and $6,358 Massachusetts income tax.
Do Biochemists and Biophysicists earn more in Norfolk County, MA than elsewhere in Massachusetts?
It is about the same. The local median of $131,550 is within 0.9% of the Massachusetts average of $130,406.
Can Biochemists and Biophysicists afford a one-bedroom apartment in Norfolk County, MA?
A one-bedroom costs $2,514 a month against take-home pay of $7,874, which is 31.9% of take-home pay. That meets the 30%-of-gross guideline, which allows up to $3,289 a month.
What is the monthly budget margin for Biochemists and Biophysicists in Norfolk County, MA?
About $4,615 a month ($55,377 a year) remains after a one-bedroom apartment, food, home energy and gasoline, which together cost $39,113 a year.
What hourly wage covers a one-bedroom in Norfolk County, MA at the 30% guideline?
$48.35 an hour for a full-time schedule, calculated as the $30,168 annual rent divided by 0.30 and by 2,080 hours. The median for Biochemists and Biophysicists is $63.25.
How we calculated these numbers
Wages are May 2025 medians from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metropolitan area; hourly-only values are annualized at 2,080 hours. Rents are HUD Fair Market Rents, food costs come from the USDA Thrifty Food Plan, and energy prices come from the Energy Information Administration. County-level tax statistics come from the IRS Statistics of Income.
Taxes use tax-year 2025 federal brackets, FICA rates and the Massachusetts rules for a single filer with wage income only. Figures are estimates for planning and comparison, not tax or financial advice, and they exclude local income taxes, benefits, retirement contributions and individual circumstances.