All careersEngineering & science

Biomedical Engineer

$109,370
median / year
$71,850 – $168,180
what most earn per year (10th–90th percentile)

What the job actually is

Design and test medical devices, artificial organs, and equipment that diagnose or treat patients.

You may also see this posted as: Biomedical Technician (Biomedical Tech), Process Engineer, Research Engineer, Engineer.

Where you work

Labs, manufacturing sites, and hospitals.

The hours

Regular full-time weekday schedule

The day to day

What you'd actually spend time doing

  • Evaluate the safety, efficiency, and effectiveness of biomedical equipment.
  • Prepare technical reports, data summary documents, or research articles for scientific publication, regulatory submissions, or patent applications.
  • Design or develop medical diagnostic or clinical instrumentation, equipment, or procedures, using the principles of engineering and biobehavioral sciences.
  • Conduct research, along with life scientists, chemists, and medical scientists, on the engineering aspects of the biological systems of humans and animals.
  • Adapt or design computer hardware or software for medical science uses.

Good fit if you like…

Investigative

solving problems, analyzing evidence, and figuring out how things work

Realistic

working with tools, equipment, materials, or the physical world

Conventional

organizing information, following systems, and getting details right

O*NET job zone 4 of 5

High preparation—usually a four-year degree plus experience—is common.

Work styles that matter most

Intellectual CuriosityAttention to DetailInnovationDependability

Software that shows up in the work

Examples employers report—not a checklist you must already know.

Microsoft ExcelMicrosoft Office softwareMicrosoft PowerPointPythonRAdobe Illustrator

By the numbers

May 2025 BLS wage & employment data · 2024–34 BLS employment projections.

Median pay
$109,370
per year
Hourly median
$52.58
per hour
What most earn
$71,850–$168,180
yearly, 10th to 90th percentile
Openings a year
~1,300
projected, 2024–34
Outlook to 2034
+5.2%
Faster than average
Working in the U.S.
23,480
people, nationwide

Openings a year counts new jobs plus the ones that open when people retire or move on — a truer picture of your odds than growth alone.

“Median” means half earn more and half earn less. Your city, employer, and years on the job move it a lot — that is what the 10th-to-90th range shows.

BLS estimates 0.2% of workers in this occupation are self-employed.

What it pays in your state

Statewide medians are a better starting point than the national number. Your city and experience still matter.

BLS state wage tables

How you get in

Typical starting education

Bachelor's degree

Training path: Bachelor's degree.

Related work experience: None.

On-the-job training: None.

License or certification

No license required to start in most places.

Check the path where you live

Licensing rules and available programs change by state. These federal tools take you to the current official listings.

What it takes

Device designBiology and engineeringTestingProblem solving

The honest take

Sits where engineering meets medicine, designing the devices that health care depends on.

Standard Occupational Classification 17-2031. Pay and employment from the BLS May 2025 OEWS survey; outlook and openings from the 2024–34 employment projections; job context from the Occupational Outlook Handbook; tasks, interests, work styles, software examples, and job zone from O*NET 30.3. See something off? Tell us.