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The differences between biomedical equipment technicians and biomedical engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a biomedical engineer has an average salary of $79,436, which is higher than the $53,340 average annual salary of a biomedical equipment technician.
The top three skills for a biomedical equipment technician include medical equipment, patients and clinical equipment. The most important skills for a biomedical engineer are patients, medical devices, and biomedical equipment.
| Biomedical Equipment Technician | Biomedical Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $53,340 | $79,436 |
| Hourly rate | $25.64 | $38.19 |
| Growth rate | 17% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 22,716 | 33,662 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 61% | Bachelor's Degree, 65% |
| Average age | 46 | 38 |
| Years of experience | - | 2 |
Often working for hospitals or retail suppliers, a biomedical equipment technician is primarily responsible for installing, operating, repairing, and maintaining medical equipment in good condition. They are also responsible for troubleshooting, monitoring, and addressing clients' complaints and concerns, making sure to identify the root of issues, and perform corrective measures right away. Furthermore, as a technician, it is essential to coordinate with different engineers and other team members, all while implementing the company's policies and regulations.
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.
Biomedical equipment technicians and biomedical engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Biomedical Equipment Technician | Biomedical Engineer | |
| Average salary | $53,340 | $79,436 |
| Salary range | Between $39,000 And $72,000 | Between $57,000 And $108,000 |
| Highest paying City | Beaverton, OR | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Oregon | California |
| Best paying company | General Electric | Cornerstone Research |
| Best paying industry | Government | Technology |
There are a few differences between a biomedical equipment technician and a biomedical engineer in terms of educational background:
| Biomedical Equipment Technician | Biomedical Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 61% | Bachelor's Degree, 65% |
| Most common major | Electromechanical Instrumentation And Maintenance Technologies/Technicians | Biomedical Engineering |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between biomedical equipment technicians' and biomedical engineers' demographics:
| Biomedical Equipment Technician | Biomedical Engineer | |
| Average age | 46 | 38 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 88.5% Female, 11.5% | Male, 75.0% Female, 25.0% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.8% Unknown, 2.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.3% Asian, 6.9% White, 68.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | 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% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 13% |