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.
- O*NET-SOC code
17-2031.00 - Preparation Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed
Wages
Median annual wage, U.S.$109,370
Employment, U.S.23,480
Median hourly wage$52.58
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $71,850 | $86,980 | $109,370 | $136,600 | $168,180 |
By state (39)
| State | Employment | Median annual | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 30 | $85,720 | 0.11 |
| Arizona | 610 | $141,230 | 1.24 |
| Arkansas | 30 | $67,850 | 0.16 |
| California | 2,750 | $128,310 | 1.00 |
| Colorado | $110,650 | ||
| Connecticut | 300 | $103,500 | 1.16 |
| District of Columbia | 80 | $100,920 | 0.78 |
| Florida | 900 | $101,730 | 0.60 |
| Georgia | $96,920 | ||
| Idaho | $133,750 | ||
| Illinois | 280 | $89,520 | 0.31 |
| Indiana | 620 | $108,030 | 1.28 |
| Iowa | 90 | $81,710 | 0.37 |
| Kentucky | 80 | $95,360 | 0.25 |
| Louisiana | 30 | $84,320 | 0.11 |
| Maryland | 550 | $105,090 | 1.31 |
| Massachusetts | 4,740 | $127,570 | 8.63 |
| Michigan | 330 | $100,940 | 0.50 |
| Minnesota | 1,230 | $127,730 | 2.76 |
| Mississippi | $96,710 | ||
| Missouri | 160 | $89,480 | 0.35 |
| Montana | 40 | Not available | 0.52 |
| Nebraska | 80 | $83,890 | 0.54 |
| Nevada | 70 | $87,850 | 0.32 |
| New Hampshire | 80 | $94,890 | 0.75 |
| New Jersey | 680 | $114,680 | 1.06 |
| New York | 840 | $104,010 | 0.57 |
| North Carolina | 920 | $94,790 | 1.23 |
| Ohio | 700 | $111,550 | 0.84 |
| Oklahoma | 70 | $109,340 | 0.26 |
| Oregon | 150 | $122,510 | 0.52 |
| Pennsylvania | 950 | $122,560 | 1.04 |
| South Carolina | 70 | $99,130 | 0.20 |
| Tennessee | 170 | $106,470 | 0.35 |
| Texas | 2,050 | $92,600 | 0.96 |
| Utah | 280 | $90,870 | 1.07 |
| Virginia | 330 | $106,140 | 0.53 |
| Washington | 880 | Not available | 1.65 |
| Wisconsin | 180 | $110,430 | 0.40 |
Similar occupations
Similarity is our measure: the cosine of importance x level over all 120 O*NET skills, knowledge areas and abilities. It is not an O*NET finding. More.
Circles are the 20 most similar occupations, coloured by Job Zone. Lines join pairs where one is among the other's 10 most similar; darker lines are pairs O*NET also lists as related. Drag a circle to move it out of the way; select one to open it.
| # | Occupation | Job Zone | Similarity |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nanosystems Engineers | 5 | 0.971 |
| 2 | Nuclear Engineers | 4 | 0.964 |
| 3 | Computer Hardware Engineers | 4 | 0.961 |
| 4 | Electrical Engineers | 4 | 0.958 |
| 5 | Electronics Engineers, Except Computer | 4 | 0.958 |
| 6 | Biochemists and Biophysicists | 5 | 0.957 |
| 7 | Microsystems Engineers | 5 | 0.957 |
| 8 | Photonics Engineers | 4 | 0.957 |
| 9 | Computer and Information Research Scientists | 5 | 0.956 |
| 10 | Automotive Engineers | 4 | 0.955 |
One skill away
Among the 50 occupations most similar to Bioengineers and Biomedical Engineers, those at the same Job Zone or lower, where exactly one skill rated at least 3 in importance needs a level more than 0.75 points higher (on O*NET's 0-7 level scale). Our definition. Change the thresholds.
| Occupation | Skill to build | Level gap | Similarity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nuclear Engineers | Operations Monitoring | 0.88 | 0.964 |
| Aerospace Engineers | Operations Analysis | 0.88 | 0.943 |
| Mechatronics Engineers | Operation and Control | 0.88 | 0.940 |
Software to learn next
Software used by at least 3 of the 20 occupations most similar to Bioengineers and Biomedical Engineers, excluding software Bioengineers and Biomedical Engineers already lists and any you named. Ranked by how many of them use it, weighted by how much more common it is among them than across all occupations (lift). Our ranking.
| Software | Similar jobs using it | Lift |
|---|---|---|
| PTC Creo Parametric | 11 of 20 | 11.8x |
| Dassault Systemes CATIA | 12 of 20 | 9.2x |
| Very high-speed integrated circuit VHSIC hardware description language VHDL | 5 of 20 | 38.5x |
| Debugging software | 5 of 20 | 17.8x |
| Supervisory control and data acquisition SCADA software | 8 of 20 | 6.0x |
| Perl | 8 of 20 | 5.6x |
| Cadence PSpice | 4 of 20 | 30.8x |
| Formula translation/translator FORTRAN | 6 of 20 | 9.2x |
| Dassault Systemes Abaqus | 4 of 20 | 26.4x |
| Statistical software | 6 of 20 | 6.9x |
Skills
From O*NET data. Importance is rated 1 to 5 and level 0 to 7.
| Skill | Type | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading Comprehension | Essential skill | 4.00 | 5.00 |
| Speaking | Essential skill | 4.00 | 4.25 |
| Writing | Essential skill | 4.00 | 4.25 |
| Active Listening | Essential skill | 4.00 | 4.12 |
| Critical Thinking | Essential skill | 3.88 | 4.62 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | Transferable skill | 3.88 | 4.62 |
| Science | Essential skill | 3.88 | 4.62 |
| Complex Problem Solving | Transferable skill | 3.88 | 4.50 |
| Mathematics | Essential skill | 3.88 | 4.50 |
| Active Learning | Essential skill | 3.75 | 4.62 |
| Monitoring | Essential skill | 3.75 | 4.12 |
| Operations Analysis | Transferable skill | 3.75 | 4.00 |
| Systems Analysis | Transferable skill | 3.62 | 3.88 |
| Systems Evaluation | Transferable skill | 3.50 | 4.00 |
| Technology Design | Transferable skill | 3.38 | 3.75 |
| Learning Strategies | Essential skill | 3.25 | 3.88 |
| Instructing | Transferable skill | 3.12 | 4.00 |
| Quality Control Analysis | Transferable skill | 3.12 | 3.62 |
| Programming | Transferable skill | 3.12 | 3.38 |
| Time Management | Transferable skill | 3.12 | 3.25 |
| Coordination | Transferable skill | 3.00 | 3.38 |
| Social Perceptiveness | Transferable skill | 3.00 | 3.25 |
| Management of Personnel Resources | Transferable skill | 3.00 | 3.12 |
| Operations Monitoring | Transferable skill | 2.88 | 3.12 |
| Negotiation | Transferable skill | 2.88 | 3.00 |
| Service Orientation | Transferable skill | 2.88 | 3.00 |
| Troubleshooting | Transferable skill | 2.88 | 3.00 |
| Persuasion | Transferable skill | 2.75 | 3.12 |
| Equipment Selection | Transferable skill | 2.75 | 2.88 |
| Repairing | Transferable skill | 2.50 | 2.62 |
| Management of Material Resources | Transferable skill | 2.25 | 2.50 |
| Installation | Transferable skill | 2.25 | 2.25 |
| Equipment Maintenance | Transferable skill | 2.12 | 2.38 |
| Management of Financial Resources | Transferable skill | 2.12 | 2.00 |
| Operation and Control | Transferable skill | 2.00 | 2.12 |
Knowledge (33) and abilities (52)
| Name | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Engineering and Technology | 4.57 | 6.09 |
| Computers and Electronics | 4.48 | 5.83 |
| Mathematics | 4.43 | 5.52 |
| Design | 3.95 | 5.22 |
| Physics | 3.95 | 5.00 |
| Biology | 3.82 | 5.26 |
| English Language | 3.78 | 4.48 |
| Medicine and Dentistry | 3.74 | 4.26 |
| Education and Training | 3.65 | 4.96 |
| Chemistry | 3.17 | 4.17 |
| Administration and Management | 3.13 | 4.00 |
| Mechanical | 2.91 | 4.04 |
| Public Safety and Security | 2.78 | 3.17 |
| Personnel and Human Resources | 2.70 | 3.65 |
| Production and Processing | 2.65 | 3.22 |
| Telecommunications | 2.57 | 2.70 |
| Administrative | 2.35 | 2.87 |
| Customer and Personal Service | 2.30 | 2.91 |
| Law and Government | 2.30 | 2.83 |
| Psychology | 2.30 | 2.78 |
| Communications and Media | 2.26 | 2.22 |
| Economics and Accounting | 2.09 | 2.13 |
| Therapy and Counseling | 2.04 | 1.96 |
| Sociology and Anthropology | 2.00 | 2.50 |
| Sales and Marketing | 1.96 | 2.39 |
| Geography | 1.78 | 1.74 |
| Foreign Language | 1.74 | 1.22 |
| Building and Construction | 1.64 | 1.65 |
| Transportation | 1.61 | 1.30 |
| Philosophy and Theology | 1.52 | 1.09 |
| Food Production | 1.43 | 0.87 |
| Fine Arts | 1.43 | 0.74 |
| History and Archeology | 1.27 | not rated |
| Name | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Inductive Reasoning | 4.12 | 4.75 |
| Oral Comprehension | 4.00 | 4.88 |
| Written Comprehension | 4.00 | 4.88 |
| Deductive Reasoning | 4.00 | 4.75 |
| Oral Expression | 4.00 | 4.75 |
| Problem Sensitivity | 4.00 | 4.75 |
| Written Expression | 4.00 | 4.75 |
| Information Ordering | 3.88 | 4.12 |
| Near Vision | 3.88 | 4.00 |
| Fluency of Ideas | 3.75 | 4.00 |
| Mathematical Reasoning | 3.75 | 4.00 |
| Category Flexibility | 3.62 | 4.38 |
| Originality | 3.62 | 4.38 |
| Visualization | 3.50 | 3.75 |
| Speech Recognition | 3.50 | 3.50 |
| Flexibility of Closure | 3.38 | 3.62 |
| Number Facility | 3.38 | 3.62 |
| Speech Clarity | 3.38 | 3.38 |
| Selective Attention | 3.12 | 3.12 |
| Perceptual Speed | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Far Vision | 2.88 | 2.88 |
| Visual Color Discrimination | 2.75 | 3.00 |
| Memorization | 2.75 | 2.75 |
| Speed of Closure | 2.75 | 2.75 |
| Arm-Hand Steadiness | 2.62 | 2.38 |
| Time Sharing | 2.62 | 2.25 |
| Finger Dexterity | 2.12 | 2.50 |
| Control Precision | 2.12 | 2.25 |
| Auditory Attention | 2.12 | 2.00 |
| Depth Perception | 2.12 | 1.88 |
| Manual Dexterity | 2.12 | 1.88 |
| Hearing Sensitivity | 1.88 | 1.75 |
| Wrist-Finger Speed | 1.75 | 1.00 |
| Trunk Strength | 1.62 | 1.12 |
| Extent Flexibility | 1.62 | 0.62 |
| Multilimb Coordination | 1.38 | 0.38 |
| Rate Control | 1.25 | not rated |
| Reaction Time | 1.25 | not rated |
| Peripheral Vision | 1.12 | not rated |
| Response Orientation | 1.12 | not rated |
| Spatial Orientation | 1.12 | not rated |
| Static Strength | 1.12 | not rated |
| Dynamic Flexibility | 1.00 | not rated |
| Dynamic Strength | 1.00 | not rated |
| Explosive Strength | 1.00 | not rated |
| Glare Sensitivity | 1.00 | not rated |
| Gross Body Coordination | 1.00 | not rated |
| Gross Body Equilibrium | 1.00 | not rated |
| Night Vision | 1.00 | not rated |
| Sound Localization | 1.00 | not rated |
| Speed of Limb Movement | 1.00 | not rated |
| Stamina | 1.00 | not rated |
Software used
Examples from O*NET data. "Hot" and "in demand" are O*NET flags for technologies often listed in job postings.
- Microsoft Excel in demand
- Microsoft Office software in demand
- Microsoft PowerPoint in demand
- Python in demand
- R in demand
- Adobe Illustrator hot
- Adobe Photoshop hot
- Autodesk AutoCAD hot
- C hot
- C++ hot
- Dassault Systemes SolidWorks hot
- Extensible markup language XML hot
- Hypertext markup language HTML hot
- JavaScript hot
- Linux hot
- Microsoft Access hot
- Microsoft Azure software hot
- Microsoft Outlook hot
- Microsoft Project hot
- Microsoft Teams hot
- Microsoft Visio hot
- Microsoft Visual Basic hot
- Microsoft Windows hot
- Microsoft Word hot
- Oracle Database hot
- Oracle Java hot
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux hot
- SAP software hot
- SAS hot
- Splunk Enterprise hot
All 134
- Structured query language SQL hot
- The MathWorks MATLAB hot
- UNIX hot
- ADInstruments LabChart
- ANSYS simulation software
- Ab Initio
- Ada
- Advanced computer simulation language ACSL
- ApE A Plasmid Editor
- AspenTech HYSYS
- Biomechanical modeling software
- Bioreactor Design
- Cadence Allegro Design Entry Capture and Capture CIS
- Cadence Encounter Test
- Calculating optimum maintenance parameters COMPARE
- Calibration software
- Circuit simulation software
- Common cause failure assessment software
- Computational fluid dynamics CFD software
- Computational modeling software
- Criticality analysis software
- Defect tracking software
- Diagramming software
- Dyadem FMEA Pro-6
- ERP software
- Electromechanical testing analysis software
- Electromyograph analysis software
- Electronic design automation EDA software
- Embedded systems testing software
- Equipment compliance testing software
- Failure mode and effects analysis FMEA software
- Failure rate data in perspective FARADIP software
- Failure rate database software
- Fault modeling software
- Fault tree analysis FTA software
- Finite element analysis FEA software
- Finite element method FEM software
- Force platform software
- Force sensitive applications FSA software
- Fourier transform infrared FTIR software
- Functional modeling software
- Gait analysis software
- Hardware description language HDL
- Hierarchical simulation program with integrated circuit emphasis HSPICE
- Human modeling software
- Hypertext preprocessor PHP
- IBM Rational ClearCase
- IBM Rational ClearQuest
- IBM Rational RequisitePro
- Image analysis software
- ImageJ
- Instrument control software
- Instrument validation software
- Integrated development environment IDE software
- Intelligen SuperPro Designer
- Laboratory information management system LIMS
- Lucidchart
- Maplesoft Maple
- Materials testing software
- MathWorks Simulink
- Mathsoft Mathcad
- Mean time between failures MBTF software
- Medical imaging software
- Medical information software
- Mentor Graphics software
- Minitab
- Molecular simulation software
- Motion analysis software
- National Instruments LabVIEW
- Neural network modeling software
- NeuroSolutions for MatLab
- Numerical analysis software
- OrCAD Capture
- PTC Creo Elements/Pro
- PTC Pro/ENGINEER Wildfire
- Polymath Software POLYMATH
- Preventive maintenance software
- Project estimation software
- Rapid application development RAD software
- Rapid prototyping software
- Reliability centered maintenance RCM software
- Requirements management software
- Root cause analysis software
- SAP BusinessObjects Crystal Reports
- SAS JMP
- SNOINO RCM Pro
- SNOINO Ttree
- Schematic design entry software
- Simulation program with integrated circuit emphasis SPICE
- Software development tools
- Stochastic modeling software
- Stratasys FDM MedModeler
- System testing software
- Systems analysis programs for hands on integrated reliability evaluation software SAPHIRE
- Technis BETAPLUS
- Test automation software
- Thomson Reuters EndNote
- Three-dimensional motion capture software
- Unified modeling language UML
- User interface design software
- Verilog
- Virtual instrument software
- Wolfram Research Mathematica
- Zuken electrical design software
Where it concentrates
Metro areas ranked by BLS location quotient: the occupation's share of the area's jobs divided by its share of all US jobs. Above 1 means more concentrated than the nation. Metros employing fewer than 100 are left out.
| Metro area | Employment | Location quotient | Median annual |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bloomington, IN | 130 | 12.01 | $103,830 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 4,040 | 9.90 | $128,550 |
| Worcester, MA | 340 | 6.43 | $104,060 |
| Durham-Chapel Hill, NC | 290 | 5.60 | $99,050 |
| Boulder, CO | 120 | 4.06 | $129,030 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | 1,070 | 3.63 | $127,890 |
| New Haven, CT | 120 | 2.88 | $103,500 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | 810 | 2.58 | Not available |
| Raleigh-Cary, NC | 270 | 2.40 | $98,630 |
| Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN | 320 | 1.91 | $120,060 |