Architecture and Engineering · Holland code IRC

Bioengineers and Biomedical Engineers

Apply knowledge of engineering, biology, chemistry, computer science, and biomechanical principles to the design, development, and evaluation of biological, agricultural, and health systems and products, such as artificial organs, prostheses, instrumentation, medical information systems, and health management and care delivery systems.

Also called: Biomedical Engineer, Biomedical Technician (Biomedical Tech), Process Engineer, Research Engineer, Engineer.

O*NET 17-2031.00

At a glance

US median annual pay: $109,370; Middle half earn $86,980 to $136,600. BLS OEWS, May 2025.
Most common education: Bachelor's Degree; 43% of workers surveyed by O*NET report this level.
Preparation needed: Job Zone 4 of 5; Considerable preparation. Zone 1 is little or none; zone 5 is graduate-level.
US employment outlook, 2024 to 2034: +5% · Faster than average; 22,200 jobs in 2024, projected 23,300. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, which groups this with similar roles as "Bioengineers and biomedical engineers".

What the work involves

The tasks workers in this occupation rate as most important, from the O*NET survey.

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.
Maintain databases of experiment characteristics or results.
Develop statistical models or simulations, using statistical or modeling software.
Read current scientific or trade literature to stay abreast of scientific, industrial, or technological advances.

Skills and knowledge it leans on

Skills

Reading Comprehension4.0 / 5
Active Listening4.0 / 5
Writing4.0 / 5
Speaking4.0 / 5
Mathematics3.9 / 5
Science3.9 / 5

Knowledge areas

Engineering and Technology4.6 / 5
Computers and Electronics4.5 / 5
Mathematics4.4 / 5
Design4.0 / 5
Physics4.0 / 5
Biology3.8 / 5

Importance ratings on O*NET’s 1 to 5 scale. Higher means the occupation depends on it more.

Who tends to enjoy it

How strongly this occupation draws on each of the six Holland interest types, which is the same profile the career interests test compares you against.

Realistic74
Investigative96
Artistic18
Social24
Enterprising14
Conventional58

The same work abroad

Other countries classify jobs differently, so these are the closest matches through the international ISCO-08 standard, not exact equivalents.

European occupation titles (ESCO)

bioinformatics scientist · DE Bioinformatiker/Bioinformatikerin · FR bioinformaticien/bioinformaticienne
specialist biomedical scientist · DE Experte Biomedizinische Wissenschaften/Expertin Biomedizinische Wissenschaften · FR médecin d’études cliniques
biochemist · DE Biochemiker/Biochemikerin · FR biochimiste
biomedical scientist advanced · DE Wissenschaftlicher Experte Biomedizinische Forschung/Wissenschaftliche Expertin Biomedizinische Forschung · FR ingénieur de recherche biomédicale/ingénieure de recherche biomédicale
immunologist · DE Immunologe/Immunologin · FR immunologiste
pharmacologist · DE Pharmakologe/Pharmakologin · FR pharmacologue

Closest UK occupation groups (SOC 2020)

Natural and social science professionals n.e.c. (2119)36,500 employed
Other researchers, unspecified discipline (2162)78,200 employed
Biochemists and biomedical scientists (2113)68,000 employed

Employment is the UK Annual Population Survey for April 2025 to March 2026, all workers in the group, which can be broader than this one occupation.

Pay across Europe, for the whole group

Median annual earnings of all employees in “Professionals”. This is the broad ISCO group this occupation falls in, not the occupation itself, so treat it as context for the wage level, not as a salary for this job.

Median annual earnings, Professionals, by country
Country	Median pay
Belgium	€61,714
Germany	€59,529
Ireland	€56,877
Austria	€55,374
Netherlands	€53,595
Sweden	€43,567
France	€41,515
Spain	€35,735
Italy	€33,649
Portugal	€26,072
Poland	€14,380

Eurostat Structure of Earnings Survey, businesses with ten or more employees outside public administration, in euro and not adjusted for the cost of living. Reference years differ between sources: the US, Japan and Europe figures on this page come from different survey years, so compare them as rough levels, not to the euro or yen.

Exposure to AI

This occupation sits in the higher third of the 774 occupations scored, with an exposure score of +0.99. The scores are standardized across those occupations, so 0 is the average and a score of 1 is about one standard deviation above it.

Our note on reading it: the dataset links AI applications to the abilities that occupations require, so the score reflects overlap between the two. It is a comparison between occupations, not a forecast about jobs. It does not say whether exposure means tasks are replaced or workers get more done with the tools, and it says little about one employer or one role.

Source: Felten, E., Raj, M., & Seamans, R. (2021). Occupational, industry, and geographic exposure to artificial intelligence: A novel dataset and its potential uses. Strategic Management Journal, 42(12), 2195-2217. Matched to this page by 6-digit SOC code (17-2031).

Is it a fit for you?

Interest is one input, alongside ability, pay and what is hiring near you. The career interests test takes about thirteen minutes and ranks occupations by how closely their profile matches yours.

Take the career interests test