◆ Physics

What a biophysicist
really does.

27 tasks, each one witnessed by the sources that watched the job — and behind every one, a prompt you can use tonight.

27evidenced tasks
33,830in the US (2025)
$127,410median pay / year
9systems it runs on
See the 27 tasks ↓Open in the atlasThe full career map →
This is what one task looks like here
Conduct research on biological processes
Plan and run the next series of experiments testing ion channel kineti…3 sources agree

The shape of the day

tap a movement to see its tasks

Which one is you, right now?

Pick the moment · no score, no sign-up
Which moment is you right now?
Whichever you pick, the task behind it opens below.

The work, task by task

27 tasks
Hands on the work13
Study molecular mechanisms of cell functions+
Map hypotheses and design experiments to probe how cytoskeletal tension alters mechanosensitive signaling, schedule fluorescence lifetime imaging and force measurements, collect and annotate images, extract quantitative metrics, and summarise results for the PI by Friday.
jdonetwiki3 agree
when the reply comes backPush once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part, and to say what it assumed. Helpful?
Design and build laboratory equipment+
Design and prototype a temperature-controlled patch-clamp headstage with vibration isolation, create parts list and engineering drawings, book machine-shop time, order components to arrive in three weeks, and write acceptance tests for calibration.
jdonetwiki3 agree
when the reply comes backPush once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part, and to say what it assumed. Helpful?
Analyze biological substances like DNA and proteins+
Process the new protein mass spec and gel shift data to identify post-translational modifications, run the standard peak assignment and normalization pipeline, flag uncertain spectra for manual review, and save a methods-ready summary table for the paper.
jdonet2 agree
when the reply comes backPush once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part, and to say what it assumed. Helpful?
Identify mutations leading to cancers+
Screen the exome sequencing variants from the tumor cohort to nominate candidate driver mutations, filter by allele frequency and predicted impact, cross-check against COSMIC, and produce a ranked list with evidence notes for the oncology meeting on Friday.
onetwiki2 agree
when the reply comes backPush once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part, and to say what it assumed. Helpful?
Investigate genetic traits and evolution+
Assemble comparative alignments for the new insect gene family, compute phylogenetic trees, annotate conserved motifs, and produce a two-page summary of evolutionary inferences and proposed follow-up experiments for the grant update.
jdonet2 agree
when the reply comes backPush once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part, and to say what it assumed. Helpful?
Analyze biochemical products and processes+
Run the biochemical assay set for batch 47, quantify metabolites and enzyme activities, flag results outside control limits, attach raw instrument files, and draft the results section with methods and uncertainty for the lab notebook by Wednesday midday.
escowiki2 agree
when the reply comes backPush once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part, and to say what it assumed. Helpful?
Prepare pharmaceutical compounds for commercial distribution.+
Scale the synthesis run for candidate CV-12 to GMP pilot quantities, run stability and purity assays, compile batch release data, and prepare the release summary and deviations report for the regulatory lead by Friday close of business.
onet
when the reply comes backPush once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part, and to say what it assumed. Helpful?
Produce pharmaceutically or industrially useful proteins, using recombinant DNA technology.+
Engineer the expression construct for protein H, run small‑scale expression and purification, validate activity and yield, record protocols and results, and draft the production methods and QC appendix for the tech dossier by Monday.
onet
when the reply comes backPush once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part, and to say what it assumed. Helpful?
Grow the practice8
Watch and assess3
Keep it safe1
Keep the record1
Work with people1

What the work runs on

named inside the evidenced tasks
11 tasksMicrosoft Excelorganise experimental conditions, metadata and summarised quantitative metrics for reviewOpen its task library →
9 tasksPythonautomation of data processing, curve fitting and plotting for electrophysiology traces
6 tasksMicrosoft Wordcompose narrative, specific aims, and budget justification text for the grant applicationOpen its task library →
2 tasksMicrosoft Outlookcoordinate calendars, schedule one-on-ones and distribute shift assignments to the team
2 tasksMicrosoft PowerPointcompose slides, embed figures and tables for a live departmental talk
2 tasksPerlrun and automate variant filtering and annotation pipelines and produce ranked candidate lists
2 tasksLinuxhost and run the batch variant-calling and annotation jobs efficiently
2 tasksIBM SPSS Statisticsruns formal statistical tests, produces tables and significance metrics needed for the results and discussion
Browse every evidenced software task →

The same task, four heights

this page is height one
ExecuteDo today's task, with fewer mistakesyou are here → ImproveMake it easy for the next person to acceptin the atlas → DecideWork out the right move when it is unclearin the atlas → BecomeLearn the pattern so it stops coming backin the atlas →

Can AI actually do this job?

the honest answer

It can

where it genuinely helps
  • Explain the theory behind the work
  • Draft, tidy and structure your writing
  • Rehearse a hard conversation before you have it
  • Build a study plan that fits your gaps

It cannot

where it stops, completely
  • Be in the room where a biophysicist actually works
  • Carry the responsibility when the call is wrong — that weight stays yours
  • Notice what no one wrote down: the hesitation, the thing left unsaid
  • Live with the outcome

What the work pays

two countries, two different measures

United States

this exact occupation · BLS 2025
  • $127,410 a year — the middle: half earn more, half earn less
  • The lowest tenth earn near $74,290; the top tenth near $201,110
  • 33,830 people employed in this occupation

India

the occupation GROUP, not this job · PLFS via ILOSTAT 2025
  • ₹38,298 a month — the median for Professionals, the group this work sits in
  • India publishes pay by broad occupation group, so this covers many jobs besides this one. It is a shape, not a salary.
read this carefullyThese two numbers are not comparable and must not be converted into each other. One is a yearly figure for this job alone; the other is a monthly figure for a whole family of jobs. What travels between them is the pattern, not the amount: experience lifts pay almost everywhere.

Where the evidence lives

open any of it yourself
O*NETThe US Department of Labor's own record of this job14 of these tasks ESCOThe European skills and occupations register3 of these tasks Job descriptionsReal postings, in the wild16 of these tasks WikipediaHow the world describes this work13 of these tasks US Bureau of Labor StatisticsPay and employment, by occupation2025 figures

Close to this work

12 nearby
PhysicsQuantum Researcher27 evidenced tasks PhysicsRf Engineer25 evidenced tasks PhysicsAcoustics Engineer23 evidenced tasks km/h RPMPhysicsMetrology Engineer23 evidenced tasks PhysicsSatellite Dish Installer22 evidenced tasks PhysicsMedical Physicist21 evidenced tasks PhysicsMobile Repair Technician21 evidenced tasks PhysicsFiber Optics Technician21 evidenced tasks

Questions people actually ask

You split time between hands-on experiments and desk work. Morning might mean running assays, using microscopes or lasers, or preparing samples for DNA/protein analysis.

Afternoons often go to data analysis in Python or IBM SPSS Statistics, writing parts of grant applications, meeting with the lab team, and preparing slides in PowerPoint for a seminar.

You’ll commonly use Python for data analysis and modeling, Excel for quick tables and plots, and Linux if you run scripts on servers. PowerPoint, Word, and Outlook handle presentations, papers, and email.

Perl shows up in older pipelines, Visio helps with flow diagrams, and IBM SPSS Statistics is used for specific statistical tests. Microscopes, lasers, and lab-built equipment are daily hardware.

Use AI for data cleanup, image segmentation, or hypothesis generation, but always validate outputs with experiments or established stats. Keep raw data, code, and version history so results are reproducible.

Never let an AI model replace lab verification for DNA/protein analysis or clinical tests. Follow your institution’s data-security rules when using cloud tools and cite the software or model in papers.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS, 2025), 33,830 biophysicists were employed. The median annual wage was $127,410, the lowest tenth earned $74,290, and the top tenth earned $201,110.

Salaries vary by employer (academia, industry, government), region, and seniority. Grants and consulting can add income for senior researchers.

Biophysicists focus on physical principles—forces, structures, and dynamics—using tools like lasers, microscopes, and molecular modeling in Python. Molecular biologists focus more on genetic and biochemical pathways and assays.

Biomedical engineers design devices or commercial products; they may not run basic-cell mechanism research. In practice you’ll overlap: biophysicists often work on proteins, DNA, and imaging but with a stronger quantitative emphasis.

Learn basic lab techniques: pipetting, PCR, gel electrophoresis, and protein assays. Learn microscopy and how to operate lasers safely if your lab uses them.

On the computing side, learn Python for data analysis and basic modeling, Excel for data handling, and how to run scripts on Linux. Also practice writing clear methods and short technical reports in Word.