Biochemist Salary in Nigeria (2023)

In Nigeria, the field of Biochemistry is not highly explored for some reasons. the course is undervalued because many Nigerians are yet to see its relevance. Some believe getting a job with a biochemist degree is difficult and others believe the professionals don’t earn enough when compared to other medical professions like medicine, nursing, pharmacy, and the like in Nigeria.

The salary of biochemists in Nigeria per month begins from as low as 60,000 Naira and can get as high as 400,000 Naira.

What is Biochemist Salary in Nigeria?

Regardless of the viewpoints of others, biochemistry is an incredible field and we will be discussing how much biochemists earn in Nigeria.

Biochemistry Salary in Nigeria

The field of biochemistry deals with the application of chemistry to the study of biological processes at the cellular and molecular levels. The professionals are known as a biochemist.

What these professionals do is combine chemistry, physiology, and biology to investigate the chemistry of living systems.

As much as we’d like to discuss in-depth all you need to know about this profession, we are more interested in discourse about biochemistry salary in Nigeria. If this is the reason why you are here, I advise that you continue reading.

Salaries

Biochemists working in an organization are entitled to earn a salary that is paid per month by their employer. This salary varies based on different factors such as years of work experience, job levels, organization location, academic qualification, and the type of organization where you work.

Now, in general, the salary of biochemists in Nigeria per month begins from as low as 60,000 Naira and can get as high as 400,000 Naira.

Isn’t this amazing? Am sure you are beginning to make some calculations in your head. Continue reading to find out more.

Average Salary

Here, you will get to know about the average salary of a biochemist in Nigeria. The average salary refers to the median salary earned per month by this professional.

From what we gathered, the average salary earned by biochemists on monthly basis is 150,000 Naira.

It may interest you to know that some biochemists earn more than the average salary, while others earn less. If your salary is higher, it indicates that you are performing well.

Entry Level Salary

If you are a fresh graduate and you just gained employment, you fall under the category of an entry-level employee. As such, you will be paid an entry-level salary which is typically less than the average salary and the senior-level salary.

Biochemists’ entry-level salary per month begins from the amount of 50,000 Naira per month to 70,000 Naira per month.

However, considering the varying factors that we earlier stated, the payment can be higher than what we have stated or it can be lesser depending on which factor is at play in your organization.

Senior Level Salary

Senior-level employees are considered to earn the most in terms of monthly salary. Also, their job placement is higher than that of an entry-level employee. Staff at this level have gained a wealth of working experience which is typically from 10-years and above.

So, due to the nature of their job and as well the years of work experience, senior-level salary begins from 250,000 Naira and above.

Remember that, depending on which of the previously mentioned elements is in play in your firm, the monthly compensation may be greater or lower than stated.

Where can they Work?

Peradventure you have made up your mind to study this course or you are already a graduate and you don’t have a clue of where you can work to put your skills and knowledge to use.

We have compiled below a list of agencies, industries, and organizations where you can work as a biochemist in Nigeria. Check out the listing below:

• Academic institutions
• Healthcare facilities
• Research institutions
• Medical laboratories
• Manufacturing companies
• Biotechnology companies
• Cosmetic companies
• Oil and gas sector
• Food industries
• Pharmaceutical companies
• Raw material industries
• Fertilizer industries
• Health agencies
• Environmental agencies

From the above listing, you can see that although the field of biochemistry is in the medical line, there are a lot of non-medical organizations where you can work,

In fact, with these, you can specialize in a field outside of the medical line especially for those that are interested to work in academic institutions as lecturers and tutors, or at manufacturing companies as well as research institutes to come up with viable and applicable research.

I believe you are relieved to see that biochemistry is marketable and there is a whole lot of field out there that you can explore.

Another interesting fact about the field of biochemistry is that you can choose to work for any of the institutions mentioned above or you can choose to work as self-employed personnel.

So, the choice is yours, if you want to work in any of the mentioned agencies above, look up the list, and if you want to go into private practice, ensure you have all the requirements needed to begin your business.

Types of Jobs available for Biochemists

Having been acquainted with the places where you can work, we also deemed it important to include the types of jobs available for a biochemist.

There are a lot of options to choose from as a biochemist because there are tons of organizations interested to pay for your services. As such, the type of job you can do depends on the institution or organization where you are employed.

If you are interested to find out the type of jobs you can do as a biochemist, below is a highlight of the general job description of biochemists.

• Academic institution: Lecturing and tutoring
• Forensic science technician
• Medical science liaison: virologist, immunologist, enzymologist
• Forensic scientist: carry out toxicology, DNA analysis, scientific instrumentation
• Chemical engineer
• Biochemist
• Bioinformatics
• Biologist
• Academic/Research scientist
• Pharmacologist: check for drug properties, interactions, application and development
• Food technologist: involved in crop production, herbicide/pesticide development and application, preservation, nutrition
• Cosmeceutical: bioactive agent development and application for cosmetics
• Analytical chemist
• Environmentalist: testing air, water, and waste management, as well as regulation

The job specialization for biochemists is more than the ones stated above, however, these are to mention a few. From the above-mentioned jobs, you have a clue about the job that you can get as a graduate biochemist.

Roles / Duties of Biochemists

A biochemist performs a vital role in the industry where they are employed. The job of a biochemist is important for optimal results and outcomes of experiments and research.

As such, the role of a biochemist is:

• Conduct research
• Analyze samples
• Conduct experiments to test theories
• Record information
• Participate in research programs
• Testing samples and analysing results
• Working closely with other scientists

These are some of the pivotal roles and duties of biochemists across all disciplines where they discharge their daily duties. There is more to these but they are the bedrock of duties carried out by these professionals.

How to become a Biochemist

The journey to becoming a biochemist is not achieved in a day. It takes time and preparation as well as hard work, commitment, and diligence.

The major requirement to become a biochemist is to enrol for and complete a bachelor’s degree in applied science with a major in biochemistry, environmental chemistry, molecular biology, or a related discipline.

This means you need to get a formal education in a recognized academic institution where the course is offered.

During your training, you will undergo different exercises both theoretical and practical through which you will learn the skills and as well develop your skills to become a certified biochemist.

You can search for the schools where the course is offered and if you have the spelled-out requirements, you can apply for the course and begin your training if offered the course.

Required Skill to become a Biochemist

A biochemist’s job is to study life forms, composition functions, and how chemical activities affect them. As such, to perform their duties with professionalism, there are required skills that need to be portrayed.

As a biochemist, the skills you need to effectively discharge your work are listed below.

• Strong observational skills
• Competence in computer literacy
• Ability to communicate clearly in written and oral forms
• Laboratory experience
• Remain up-to-date by reading journals and relevant research studies

The skills are more than these and as you grow in your practice, you will find out more. Also, it is important that you re-train yourself constantly to learn new adaptations and conventions of the profession to remain competitive and relevant in the field.

Related:

• Cyber Security Salary in Nigeria
• Computer Scientist Salary in Nigeria

Closing

From our discourse, there is no doubt that the field of biochemistry is lucrative. The monthly salary paid to biochemists in Nigeria is encouraging. Also, the dynamics and flexibility of the profession are another motivation why you should consider taking the course meaning you will be able to work in different organizations instead of being stuck to a particular institute in which you have no interest.