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The differences between biomedical engineers and technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a biomedical engineer and a technician. Additionally, a biomedical engineer has an average salary of $79,436, which is higher than the $38,045 average annual salary of a technician.
The top three skills for a biomedical engineer include patients, medical devices and biomedical equipment. The most important skills for a technician are patients, customer service, and patient care.
| Biomedical Engineer | Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $79,436 | $38,045 |
| Hourly rate | $38.19 | $18.29 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 1% |
| Number of jobs | 33,662 | 596,842 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | 2 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 32% |
| Average age | 38 | 40 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
As a biomedical engineer, it's their main job responsibility to innovate advances that can improve human health care in all aspects. They analyze and create solutions to certain problems with biology and medicine to improve the effectiveness and quality of patient care. They also do complex tasks that include installing, repairing, maintaining, or providing technical support for biomedical equipment. Moreover, checking safety evaluation, efficiency, and effectiveness of biomedical equipment is also part of their job responsibilities.
Technicians are skilled professionals who primarily work with technology in different industries. They are knowledgeable about the technical aspects of the various items they work with. They are usually working with electricity or with technological advancements. Technicians may be assigned to do the construction of equipment or materials related to their field of study. They may also be assigned to conduct diagnostics and other maintenance activities to ensure that the equipment works properly. Technicians may also be required to conduct basic repairs in case of problems. It is important that technicians have good analytical skills and decision-making skills.
Biomedical engineers and technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Biomedical Engineer | Technician | |
| Average salary | $79,436 | $38,045 |
| Salary range | Between $57,000 And $108,000 | Between $24,000 And $58,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Jose, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | Hawaii |
| Best paying company | Cornerstone Research | Microsoft |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Telecommunication |
There are a few differences between a biomedical engineer and a technician in terms of educational background:
| Biomedical Engineer | Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 32% |
| Most common major | Biomedical Engineering | Business |
| Most common college | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | - |
Here are the differences between biomedical engineers' and technicians' demographics:
| Biomedical Engineer | Technician | |
| Average age | 38 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 75.0% Female, 25.0% | Male, 75.2% Female, 24.8% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 5.6% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 10.3% Asian, 20.1% White, 58.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% | Black or African American, 9.4% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 19.4% Asian, 4.9% White, 61.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 13% | 2% |