How to hire a bioinformatics engineer

How to hire a bioinformatics engineer, step by step

Here's a step-by-step bioinformatics engineer hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a bioinformatics engineer job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new bioinformatics engineer
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a bioinformatics engineer do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a bioinformatics engineer, identify what type of worker you actually need. Certain positions might call for a full-time employee, while others can be done by a part-time worker or contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   Hiring the perfect bioinformatics engineer also involves considering the ideal background you'd like them to have. Depending on what industry or field they have experience in, they'll bring different skills to the job. It's also important to consider what levels of seniority and education the job requires and what kind of salary such a candidate would likely demand.

   This list shows salaries for various types of bioinformatics engineers.

   Type of Bioinformatics Engineer	Description	Hourly rate
   Bioinformatics Engineer	Software developers are the creative minds behind computer programs. Some develop the applications that allow people to do specific tasks on a computer or another device... Show more	$35-71
   SQL Server Developer	A structured query language (SQL) server developer is a specialist who is tasked to develop and maintain systems to store, organize, and access databases. With their experience in data architect and management, SQL server developers can develop and scale SQL databases based on the needs of their organization... Show more	$34-54
   Developer/Consultant	A developer/consultant is responsible for developing system databases and applications, depending on the business' needs and clients' specifications. Developers/consultants design their services to manage optimal performance and maximize productivity for timely submission of projects, ensuring client satisfaction and loyalty... Show more	$34-64

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Python
   • Next-Generation Sequencing
   • NGS
   • AWS
   • Java
   • DNA
   • Visualization
   • Software Development
   • C++
   • Linux
   • Experimental Data
   • SQL
   • RNA-seq
   • Perl

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Develop and deploy of large legacy Postgresql-backed web app build with CodeIgniter PHP that manages Solazyme's internal business data.
   • Manage Jenkins security by providing specific access to authorize developers/testers using project base matrix authorization strategy.
   • Assist in updating an in-house LIMS system for effective DNA sample tracking.
   • Develop front-end UX/UI and data visualization for a web base microarray data analysis application using D3.js and AngularJS.
   • Incorporate functionalities of tools like GATK in various scripts.
   • Design & development of automate pipeline for assembly and annotation of RNA sequencing data.

   More bioinformatics engineer duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in the bioinformatics engineer job description is a good way to get more applicants. A bioinformatics engineer salary can be affected by several factors, such as the location of the job, the level of experience, education, certifications, and the employer's prestige.

   For example, the average salary for a bioinformatics engineer in Maryland may be lower than in California, and an entry-level engineer typically earns less than a senior-level bioinformatics engineer. Additionally, a bioinformatics engineer with lots of experience in the field may command a higher salary as a result.

   Average bioinformatics engineer salary

   $104,575yearly

   $50.28 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level bioinformatics engineer salary

   $73,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 5, 2025

   Average bioinformatics engineer salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$126,313	$61
   2	Oregon	$109,700	$53
   3	Arizona	$108,209	$52
   4	Utah	$107,717	$52
   5	New York	$102,061	$49
   6	Texas	$101,736	$49
   7	Massachusetts	$98,669	$47
   8	New Mexico	$95,160	$46
   9	Connecticut	$94,022	$45
   10	Virginia	$93,044	$45
   11	Illinois	$91,166	$44
   12	Washington	$89,732	$43
   13	Florida	$89,522	$43
   14	Georgia	$88,245	$42
   15	Minnesota	$87,909	$42
   16	Nebraska	$85,805	$41
   17	Tennessee	$84,078	$40
   18	Pennsylvania	$83,652	$40
   19	Maryland	$82,813	$40

   Average bioinformatics engineer salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center	$119,944	$57.67
   2	Invitae	$119,062	$57.24
   3	PacBio	$114,083	$54.85
   4	Asimov	$109,500	$52.64
   5	Ancestry US Holdings Inc	$109,500	$52.64
   6	Freenome	$109,500	$52.64
   7	Zymergen	$109,261	$52.53
   8	Virtelligence	$109,218	$52.51
   9	Harvard University	$106,838	$51.36
   10	Twist Bioscience	$105,924	$50.92	1
   11	Moderna	$105,679	$50.81	10
   12	Personalis	$104,914	$50.44
   13	Life Tech International	$104,898	$50.43
   14	Sangamo Therapeutics	$103,556	$49.79
   15	Dana-Farber Cancer Institute	$103,059	$49.55	8
   16	Gritstone bio	$102,738	$49.39
   17	Illumina	$100,780	$48.45	1
   18	Novavax	$100,296	$48.22
   19	Veracyte	$99,249	$47.72	3
   20	Quest Diagnostics	$98,837	$47.52	61

4. Writing a bioinformatics engineer job description

   A good bioinformatics engineer job description should include a few things:

   • Summary of the role
   • List of responsibilities
   • Required skills and experience

   Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of a bioinformatics engineer job description:

   Bioinformatics engineer job description example

   At Sage Bionetworks, we believe that we can learn more by engaging and collaborating with people from a diversity of experiences, backgrounds and identities. We develop and apply open practices to data-driven research for the advancement of human health. We are working to establish actionable biomedical observations through the reliable analysis and responsible sharing of representative data. By improving the way scientists collaborate and by increasing the reliability of research, we will improve human health.
   
   We are currently recruiting Bioinformatics Engineers with strong quantitative skills and experience with biomedical research projects. Key tasks will involve supporting biomedical collaborations via analysis of multimodal and clinical datasets (e.g., Electronic Health Records, multi omics, and microbiome data) through community data Challenges. This position will facilitate benchmarking efforts for biomedical method and tool assessment and will assist with the organization, analysis, and execution of DREAM Challenges.
   
   Are you the type of person who enjoys engaging with scientists and researchers across many disciplines? Do you want to be an integral part of a team that includes computational biologists, research ethicists, software engineers, and data librarians? If so, you could be the next bioinformatics engineer to join our Challenges and Benchmarking Team.
   What you'll be doing:
   Perform quality assessment for biomedical datasets contributed by external collaborators Design and conduct analyses and meta-analyses across multiple datasets Summarize research findings in reports, manuscripts, and presentations to collaborators and funders Develop new methods, pipelines, and tools for analysis of data in collaboration with external partners (federal, non-profit and industry). Generate preliminary data to support grant applications. Collaborate with in-house data curation experts to select and apply data standards to datasets Set up and monitor cloud computing infrastructure and scoring routines for Challenges (e.g. DREAM) and continuous benchmarking efforts. Contribute to Sage's development of new capabilities for community Challenges and Benchmarks that advance the open science movement. Monitor Challenge discussion boards and resolve technical issues for Challenge participants.
   
   We'd love to hear from you if you have:
   A Master's (or BS +3 years experience) in Bioinformatics, Biomedical informatics, Statistics or related field, or 3+ years comparable work experience. Experience with "real-world" clinical data and clinical models such as OHDSI/OMOP preferred Data science or applied statistics experience, with fluency in one or more programming languages (e.g. R, Python, Julia) Familiarity with computing and collaboration technologies such as git, Docker, and Linux preferred. Have strong collaboration and teamwork skills. Experience in tracking project objectives and tasks is a plus. Familiarity with cloud-based technologies (OpenAPI, AWS, GCP, others) preferred, but not required Are passionate about open science, reproducible research, and collaboration.
   
   Physical Demands
   
   The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
   Prolonged periods sitting at a desk and working on a computer. Routinely required to sit; walk; talk and hear; use hands to keyboard, finger, handle, and feel; may stoop, kneel, crouch, twist, crawl, reach, and stretch. May require travel dependent on company needs. Can work under deadlines. Must be able to lift up to 20 pounds at times.
   
   About Sage Bionetworks
   
   Sage Bionetworks is a nonprofit biomedical research and technology development organization that was founded in Seattle in 2009. Our focus is to develop and apply open practices to data-driven research for the advancement of human health. Data-driven research has become an important component of biomedicine, but it's not always easy to understand how to apply computational approaches appropriately or how to interpret their results. Sage believes open practices can help. Our interdisciplinary team of scientists and engineers work together to provide researchers access to tmark methods, and explore collective insights, all backed by Sage's gold-standard governance protocols and commitment to user-centered design. Sage is supported through a portfolio of competitive research grants, commercial partnerships, and philanthropic contributions.
   
   Sage embraces diversity, equity and inclusion. We are based in Seattle, WA, and collaborate broadly throughout the world.
   
   At Sage we have a distributed workforce and support remote and/or on-site hybrid work arrangements. (with manager approval). All interviews will be conducted virtually, unless otherwise communicated.
   
   Sage Bionetworks is pleased to offer a comprehensive benefit package, competitive to both commercial and not-for-profit life science organizations. The plan includes: health, dental, vision, life, Accidental Death and Dismemberment and Long Term Disability benefits; paid time off; a retirement plan; flexible spending accounts; a shared incentives plan, voluntary Long Term Care insurance, and other voluntary products.
   
   At Sage we engage equitable workplace strategies to ensure fair compensation. Actual compensation is dependent upon current market data, experience, and pay parity within our organization. This position is an associate level position, with a compensation range of $73,400 - $117,443.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find bioinformatics engineers for your business:

   • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your bioinformatics engineer job on Zippia to find and recruit bioinformatics engineer candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites such as dice, engineering.com, stack overflow, it job pro.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit bioinformatics engineers, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up interviews.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match your ideal candidate profile. If you think a candidate is good enough for the next step, you can move on to the technical interview.

   While interviews are great, you will only sometimes learn enough from a conversation with a bioinformatics engineer applicant. In those cases, having candidates complete a test project can go a long way in figuring out who's the most likely to succeed in the role. If you aren't a technical person and don't know how to design an appropriate test, you can ask someone else on the team to create it or take a look at these websites to get a few ideas:

   • TestDome
   • CodeSignal
   • Testlify
   • BarRaiser
   • Coderbyte

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new bioinformatics engineer

   Once you've decided on a perfect bioinformatics engineer candidate, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, it should include benefits and perks available to the employee. Qualified candidates may be considered for other positions, so make sure your offer is competitive. Candidates may wish to negotiate. Once you've settled on the details, formalize your agreement with a contract.

   It's equally important to follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   To prepare for the new employee's start date, you can create an onboarding schedule and complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9 forms, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Human Resources should also ensure that a new employee file is created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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