What Can You Do with a Biomedical Engineering Degree?

Biomedical engineering (BE) is a career that consists of developing innovative solutions to improve human health. Wages for biomedical engineers are high and jobs in this field often come with benefits. If you are a biomedical engineering major, you’re in the right place. In this article, we will show you the top jobs for biomedical engineering majors. 

What Is a Biomedical Engineering Major?

It is a course of study that teaches you about biomedical engineering principles. You will study biological science and biological systems and learn how to develop biomedical devices. Biomedical engineers also contribute to the drug testing process by developing software simulations and devices to evaluate the effect of new medicines on the human body.

How to Become a Biomedical Engineer: Biomedical Engineering Education Options 

To become a biomedical engineer, you must have the required education level, the lowest being an associate degree. In the lists below, you’ll see some of the options you have to pursue a biomedical engineering career. 

Biomedical Engineering Associate Degree 

This is a two-year training program with a biomedical engineering focus. Associate degree students in biomedical engineering learn about the design, implementation, and maintenance of a variety of biological systems, medical devices, and electrical equipment used for healthcare procedures.

Best Associate Degree Programs in Biomedical Engineering

• AAS in Biomedical Engineering – Muskegon Community College
• AS in Biomedical Engineering Technology – South Florida State College
• Associate Degree in Biomedical Engineering Technology – Portland Community College
• AAS in Biomedical Engineering – Dallas College
• AS in Biomedical Engineering Technology – Miami Dade College

Biomedical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree

A bachelor’s degree in BE is a traditional engineering degree with a combination of biology and technology. Bachelor’s degree students learn about biomedical science and technology fundamentals.  

They also focus on engineering disciplines. Even though they’re not training to become software engineers, they learn about computer science elements that they can use when designing medical devices. 

Best Bachelor’s Degree Programs in Biomedical Engineering

• BS in Biomedical Engineering – Johns Hopkins University
• BS in Biomedical Engineering – University of California, Davis
• BS in Biomedical Engineering – Georgia Institute of Technology
• Bachelor’s Degree in Biomedical Engineering – Duke University
• BS in Biomedical Engineering – University of Rochester

Biomedical Engineering Master’s Degree 

If you have a biomedical engineering background, you can further your career with this graduate degree. A biomedical engineering master’s degree will teach you about biomedical engineering fundamentals, biosensors, biomaterials, and biotechnology. Biomedical engineering students with a master’s degree can also choose a specialty to focus on. Below, we list some of the top graduate schools in the country for BE.

Best Master’s Degree Programs in Biomedical Engineering

• Masters of Engineering in Biomedical Engineering – Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• MS in Biomedical Engineering – Georgia Institute of Technology
• MS in Biomedical Engineering – University of Southern California
• MS in Biomedical Engineering – Stanford University
• Master’s Degree in Biomedical Engineering – Johns Hopkins University

Biomedical Engineering Career Overview: Is a Biomedical Engineering Career Worth It?

Biomedical Engineering Job Outlook

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the estimated growth of job openings for biomedical engineers is as fast as average. The demand for biomedical engineers will grow up to six percent from 2020 to 2030. 

Projected job growth figures vary depending on the specific type of engineering job. For example, biomedical technicians have a projected growth of seven percent, while the demand for bioengineers will grow at a rate of six percent.

Biomedical Engineering Salaries

Biomedical engineers enjoy higher compensation than average. According to BLS, the average wage for biomedical engineers is $92,620. Annual wages will vary according to several factors, including the specific position and experience. Entry-level biomedical technicians make up to $84,720 a year. If you get more education, you can become a biomedical researcher and have an average salary of $91,510.

Best Jobs for Biomedical Engineering Majors: What Can You Do with a Biomedical Engineering Degree?

In this section of the guide, you will find information regarding the types of jobs you can get with a degree in biomedical engineering. We’ve listed a wide range of jobs that require associate, bachelor’s, or master’s degrees 

Best Jobs for Biomedical Engineering Associate Degree Majors

Biomedical Equipment Technician

• Average Salary: $47,308
• Job Outlook: 7%

A biomedical equipment technician can perform entry-level tasks under the supervision of a more experienced engineer. They maintain, clean up, and repair medical equipment. They also adjust and maintain medical tools.

Best Jobs for Biomedical Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Majors

Medical Technology Developer

• Average Salary: $88,845
• Job Outlook: 11%  

A medical technology developer designs and manufactures medical technology. This role often involves working with your hands and basic coding knowledge. However, these experts rarely work with software engineering. The final product must be clinically evaluated to ensure it’s ready to be used for medical treatments. 

Biomaterials Engineer

• Average Salary: $85,118
• Job Outlook: 6%*

The role of biomaterial engineers is to build biocompatible medical devices. Implantable devices used for medical treatments such as artificial joints or pacemakers usually have electronic and chemical materials. These materials must be compatible with the human body, and that’s where biomaterial engineers come into the picture.

Biomedical Engineering Consultant

• Average Salary: $67,897
• Job Outlook: 6%*

Independent consultants are biomedical engineers that provide instructions and support to different companies in terms of manufacturing, security, and regulatory standards. They don’t work directly with a single company. Instead, they usually have contracts with several organizations. 

Rehabilitation Engineer 

• Average Salary: $83,688
• Job Outlook: 6%*

Rehabilitation engineering consists of designing, building, and modifying medical equipment to help people with disabilities achieve more autonomy. These experts work on rehabilitative exercise equipment, also known as assistive technology, that can help improve mobility, communication, and hearing. 

Manufacturing Engineer

• Average Salary: $76,427
• Job Outlook: 14%

The role of a manufacturing engineer is to contribute to the process of developing scalable solutions to production issues. They are also responsible for creating projects and medical systems. 

In addition, manufacturing engineers must develop cost-effective strategies to improve the production cycle. A manufacturing engineer can work in almost every industry that requires large-scale production. They can be employed in the healthcare industry to produce medical products.

Best Jobs for Biomedical Engineering Master’s Degree Majors

Biomedical Scientist/Researcher

• Average Salary: $111,500
• Job Outlook: 17%

A biomedical researcher also known as a biomedical scientist is responsible for studying the human body and finding new methods to cure existing diseases. Medical scientists must have a graduate degree and a combination of biology knowledge and technical skills. Demand for these professionals will drastically increase from 2020 to 2030 according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

Senior Biomedical Engineer

• Average Salary: $87,476
• Job Outlook: 6%*

Senior biomedical engineers do high-level activities such as conducting experiments and research. They also supervise other biomedical engineers. They must have several years of experience in the biomedical field and a graduate degree in biomedical engineering or another engineering field. 

*Job growth information was taken from the BLS listing for bioengineers and biomedical engineers.

Three Final Tips to Get a Job in Biomedical Engineering

1. Get industry experience. If you want to get a job as a biomedical engineer, you must get some industry experience first. This will help you appear more knowledgeable to your future employer. 
2. Advance your career with job-specific courses. If you want to differentiate yourself from other job prospects at your degree level, you can advance your career with industry-related courses or biomedical engineering classes like medical optics, biological science, or bioinstrumentation.
3. Get a certification. Certification is an excellent way to validate your skills in biomedical engineering and earn a valuable credential beyond your academic degree. Some of the best biomedical engineering certifications include the Biomedical Electronics Technician (BMD) and the Principles and Practice of Engineering (PE).
   

If you’re interested in making a positive impact on human health and you like the combination of technical and biological fields, you should pursue a career as a biomedical engineer. In this article, we’ve listed several ways you can get your degree. There are online options as well.

This engineering field will give you the opportunity to contribute to human health through innovations in healthcare equipment, all without attending medical school. For example, you could develop medical equipment that improves many people’s lives. All in all, biomedical engineering is a great career that offers high salaries and high job satisfaction.

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