Biomedical Engineer

What a Biomedical Engineer Does

Biomedical engineers use engineering science to solve medical and health problems, find cures, develop new tools, and help doctors and scientists discover more advanced systems for treating patients. In itself, biomedical engineering is a diverse field, and many professionals actually specialize in one of the main sub-fields of biomedical engineering, like medical imaging, orthopedic engineering, biomaterials, bioinstrumentation, clinical engineering, systems physiology, neural engineering, and rehabilitation engineering. They work to design new technology tools like MRI systems, neurochips, and more. Other biomedical engineers focus on molecular or cellular imaging research, genetics, drug development, or designing implants, tissues and organs, and prostheses. Biomedical engineers combine research with problem-solving experiments, often working with lawyers and legal consultants to make sure that their designs and ideas meet the strict regulations set forth by the Food and Drug Administration, Consumer Product Safety Commission and other institutions.

How to Become a Biomedical Engineer

Biomedical engineers are highly skilled professionals who need at least a bachelor's degree for entry-level work. Most engineers have a master's degree or higher, especially if their undergraduate program did not offer a specialty in biomedical engineering. Because the field is so technical, getting a master's degree of Ph.D. is recommended to get a job. Make sure your programs are accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET), and if you attend undergraduate and graduate school at a university that has a strong research department giving you hands-on experience, you will also find it easier to get a job. It is common for biomedical engineering students to specialize in one of the sub-fields as part of their graduate education, but some biomedical engineers also take courses in another area of engineering, which can help them in their careers. Electronics engineering may be helpful to a biomedical engineer who works to design new machines and tools for doctors.

Career Outlook for Biomedical Engineers

Biomedical engineers account for about 16,000 jobs out of the 1.6 million engineers jobs held in the United States in 2008. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects a 72% employment growth for biomedical engineers, which is much faster than the national average for other engineers and all other occupations in other industries. Biomedical engineers is also listed as the fastest growing occupation in the country, and 11,600 jobs are expected to be added to the industry. As the health care industry grows and becomes more technologically advanced, biomedical engineering will also become more important in creating cost-effective but sophisticated tools. Those with graduate degrees will have the best chances at finding jobs, particularly those who have been able to gain hands-on experience and develop a network through a large research university or medical center. The median annual salary for a biomedical engineer in 2008 was $77,400, with the middle 50% earning between $59,420 and $98,830.