Vocational Index

Career

Bioengineers and biomedical engineers

Combine engineering and biology to improve human health.

$109,370
Median pay
+7.6%
Job growth, 2025–35
1,200
Openings a year
Bachelor's degree
Typical education
4 years
Typical time after high school

Here's what you actually need to know.

The work

What people in this job do

  • Evaluate the safety, efficiency, and effectiveness of biomedical equipment.
  • Prepare technical reports, data summary documents, or research articles for scientific publication, regulatory submissions, or patent applications.
  • Design or develop medical diagnostic or clinical instrumentation, equipment, or procedures, using the principles of engineering and biobehavioral sciences.
  • Conduct research, along with life scientists, chemists, and medical scientists, on the engineering aspects of the biological systems of humans and animals.
  • Adapt or design computer hardware or software for medical science uses.

The outlook

How the forecast changed this year

2024–34 edition+5.2%2025–35 edition+7.6%
Projected 10-year growth in last year's and this year's BLS projections. 1,300 → 1,200 openings a year.

The deeper question

What kind of person does this path ask you to become?

What this work centers on

Ideas & analysis
6.8
Objects & tools
5.4
Information & systems
4.5
People & care
2.5
Creation & expression
2.1
Persuasion & leadership
1.8

O*NET interest profile, scored 1–7.

The work

Do you want most of your days spent on ideas & analysis, then objects & tools?

Responsibility

Are you willing to be the one responsible for this?

“Evaluate the safety, efficiency, and effectiveness of biomedical equipment.”

Development

What would you need to build over the next 5–10 years?

Reading Comprehension, Active Listening, Writing, Speaking.

Trade-offs

What does it ask of you in exchange?

4 years of education after high school (bachelor's degree), for a median of $109,370 a year and 1,200 openings nationally each year.

Paths in

Degrees that lead here

  • Chemical EngineeringSee the degree →
  • Biomedical EngineeringSee the degree →
  • Bioengineering and Biomedical EngineeringCIP 14.0501
  • Chemical and Biomolecular EngineeringCIP 14.0702
  • Biological/Biosystems EngineeringCIP 14.4501

Paths across

Careers that use similar skills

  • Nanotechnology Engineering Technologists and Technicians
  • Nanosystems Engineers
  • Bioinformatics Scientists
  • Biochemists and Biophysicists$127,410 · +12.3%
  • Molecular and Cellular Biologists

Ask anything about this career.

“Would this make sense if I don't want to sit at a desk all day?” Answers will come from the sources on this page, with citations. Coming soon.

Not sure this fits who you are? Start with Vocational Finder →

Sources

  1. BLS Employment Projections, 2025–35, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
  2. BLS Employment Projections, 2024–34 (archived), U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
  3. O*NET 31.0 Database (August 2026), National Center for O*NET Development / U.S. Department of Labor. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
  4. CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 Crosswalk, NCES and BLS. Retrieved 2026-10-01.