In this study, highly upgraded bio-oil was produced by microwave�metal interaction pyrolysis of water hyacinth biomass. A copper coil was used as a microwave receiver and heat generating antenna. The pyrolysis of biomass was carried out with and without using a cement catalyst. The fractional amounts of the as-produced bio-oil, biogas, and biochar were determined in terms of catalyst mass, reaction time, and the gauge of the copper coil antenna. In cement catalyzed pyrolysis, the water hyacinth was converted into 20 bio-oil and 31 combustible gases with overall conversion efficiency of 66. In the case of uncatalyzed pyrolysis, the overall conversion efficiency remained below 60 with 10 bio-oil. The biomass to catalyst ratio of 5:1, 25 min of reaction time and 2.5 mm gauge of wire were predicted as optimum conditions for the pyrolysis process. The bio-oil was further analyzed through chromatography�mass spectrometry (GC-MS) while the gaseous products were analyzed through chemical testing and combustibility analysis. Significant difference in the chemical composition of the bio-oils, produced using catalytic and noncatalytic microwave�metal interaction pyrolysis, was noticed in these investigations. The oil product of the catalyzed and uncatalyzed pyrolysis contained 11.6 and 9.418 hydrocarbons, respectively. Similarly, oxygen content in the oil was measured about 14.73 and 16.66, respectively. Also, unlike the thermal or thermo-catalytic pyrolysis, the bio-oil product of the microwave�metal interaction pyrolysis was found immiscible with water. © 2018, © 2018 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.