Post job

Explore jobs

Find specific jobs

Explore careers

Explore professions

Best companies

Explore companies

Overview

JobsSalarySkillsWhat They DoEducationDemographicsJob DescriptionHow To HireBest CompaniesBest StatesBest CitiesRemote JobsJob OutlookCompareFAQsPart Time jobsFull Time jobsWork From Home jobs

What is a biomedical engineer and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read
Quoted expert
Colin Briskey

A Biomedical Engineer's work varies from designing prosthetics and artificial organs to creating and developing technology used to monitor, diagnose, and heal patients, as well as monitoring and testing equipment, and software and offering training to the medical staff using it, and so on.

As a scientist who hopes to bridge the gap between and even fuse two complex branches of knowledge - medicine and engineering - biomedical engineering has various areas of study within it.

To work as such a Biomedical Engineer you will need to obtain at least a Bachelor's degree in Biomedical Engineering or a related field. Gaining certain certifications and going through accredited programs might be a wise investment for the future of your career.

What general advice would you give to a biomedical engineer?

Colin Briskey

Visiting Assistant Professor of Voice, University of Massachusetts - Lowell

While I would give slightly different advice for someone who is soon to graduate, has graduated and is looking for a job, or has graduated and is starting a job, there are some universal pieces of advice that I’ve found useful.1) Your environment should be full of opportunities. Take advantage of them. Whether there are technical/soft skill training opportunities inside/outside the institution, or opportunities to simply observe a senior personnel doing what you hope to do one day, pursue the opportunities that interest you and match with your professional goals the most. If you find yourself in an organization that doesn’t create opportunities for their employees/students, you may want to look for another organization. 2) Along those lines, find your people. There are a seemingly infinite number of quotes that reflect the sentiment, but the idea is that you’ll be influenced most by those around you; not the geographical region or the size/shape of your desk. As you look toward your next position/opportunity, consider how the values of that institution match with yours. If they don’t, there’s no amount of pay and compensation that will keep you happy in that position after 3-5 years.
ScoreBiomedical EngineerUS Average
Salary
6.2

Avg. Salary $79,436

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level
5.4

Growth rate 10%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity
2.1
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.83%

Asian 20.10%

Black or African American 5.61%

Hispanic or Latino 10.25%

Unknown 4.91%

White 58.29%

Gender

female 24.96%

male 75.04%

Age - 33
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 33
Stress level
5.4

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity level
8.3

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance
6.4

Work life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Biomedical engineer career paths

Key steps to become a biomedical engineer

  1. Explore biomedical engineer education requirements

    Most common biomedical engineer degrees

    Bachelor's

    65.0 %

    Master's

    16.0 %

    Associate

    12.1 %

  2. Start to develop specific biomedical engineer skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Patients10.96%
    Medical Devices7.68%
    Biomedical Equipment7.07%
    Patient Care6.16%
    FDA5.60%
    Show more

  3. Complete relevant biomedical engineer training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of 3-6 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New biomedical engineers learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a biomedical engineer based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real biomedical engineer resumes.

  4. Research biomedical engineer duties and responsibilities

    • Lead writing of new grant submissions to agencies such as the NIH, NIA, and VA.
    • Implement modifications to place equipment for 12-lead ECG investigation that lead to changes in accept monitoring standards.
    • Manage routine small projects without assistance and support larger projects for improvements to the quality system as approved by management.
    • Manage Terraform and refactore from monolithic to application specific components.

  5. Prepare your biomedical engineer resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your biomedical engineer resume.

    You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a biomedical engineer resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose from 10+ customizable biomedical engineer resume templates

    Build a professional biomedical engineer resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your biomedical engineer resume.
    Biomedical Engineer Resume
    Biomedical Engineer Resume
    Biomedical Engineer Resume
    Biomedical Engineer Resume
    Biomedical Engineer Resume
    Biomedical Engineer Resume
    Biomedical Engineer Resume
    Biomedical Engineer Resume
    Biomedical Engineer Resume

  6. Apply for biomedical engineer jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a biomedical engineer job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How did you land your first biomedical engineer job

Zippi

Are you a biomedical engineer?

Share your story for a free salary report.

Average biomedical engineer salary

The average biomedical engineer salary in the United States is $79,436 per year or $38 per hour. Biomedical engineer salaries range between $57,000 and $108,000 per year.

Average biomedical engineer salary
$79,436 Yearly
$38.19 hourly
More biomedical engineer salary info

What am I worth?

salary-calculator

How do biomedical engineers rate their job?

5/5

Based on 1 ratings

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Biomedical engineer reviews

profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Oct 2022
Pros

They ever change in technology presents new challeges!

Cons

Nothing I love it.

profile
5.0
A zippia user wrote a review on Jun 2019
Pros

Inventing smart ways of mproving human lives.

Cons

Low salary compared to other engineering fields.

Working as a biomedical engineer? Share your experience anonymously.
Overall rating*
Career growth
Work/Life balance
Pay/Salary

Biomedical engineer FAQs

Have more questions? See all answers to common architecture and engineering questions.

Search for biomedical engineer jobs

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse architecture and engineering jobs