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Top 10 biomedical engineering jobs and who's hiring

Discover the top 10 biomedical engineering jobs and the companies hiring for them. Explore exciting career opportunities in this field today.

Are you looking to land a job as a biomedical engineer but need help figuring out where to start? A biomedical degree can qualify you for several entry-level job types, including quality engineer, research associate, and clinical engineer. More advanced roles may require a master’s or doctorate degree.

Most of this field’s recruiters and hiring managers value candidates with good communication, technical, analytical, and time management skills. The ability to think critically, collect and analyze data, and perform research can add more weight to your CV.

Read on as we analyze top biomedical engineering jobs, including their average annual salary, required skills, and educational qualifications.

1. Clinical engineer

Average salary: $91,706 per year

Description: A clinical engineer performs tasks like managing and testing medical equipment, designing tools that help doctors perform different medical procedures, and conducting quality checks to ensure medical devices are safe. You must also collaborate with other medical professionals to improve overall safety in the healthcare environment.

Skills: You need good engineering and technology knowledge to thrive in this role. You must also be good in math, physics, and biology and know how to operate different computer operating systems and hardware. Many employers also require excellent communication, teamwork, and design skills.

Education: This entry-level role requires a bioengineering degree from an accredited institution. You may also need certification from the American College of Clinical Engineering (ACCE).

2. Research engineer

Average salary: $103,710 per year

Description: Research engineering is a highly active role requiring you to collect data, analyze it using statistical software, interpret results, and share them with relevant stakeholders. You also build prototypes for testing and develop concepts for upcoming products and technologies.

Skills: A research engineer must have excellent analytical skills. This includes mining data and forecasting, examining, and interpreting results. This role also requires interpersonal, problem-solving, communication, and critical-thinking skills.

Education: You can work as a research engineer with a bachelor’s degree, but some employers prefer a graduate degree.

3. Product development engineer

Average salary: $90,524 per year

Description: As the name suggests, a product development engineer develops new products and improves existing ones (mainly medical devices). In this role, you must research industry trends and consumer demand, design products to fill the gap, test prototypes, and market them to potential users. You are also involved in quality control to ensure products meet safety guidelines.

Skills: A product development engineer must be a team player, a critical thinker, and a good time manager. This role also requires working with many personnel, meaning excellent communication skills are critical. Core skills should include product design knowledge, project management experience, and an engineering background.

Education: Product development engineering is an entry-level job requiring a bachelor’s degree, but a master’s degree can push you some miles ahead.

4. Bioprocess engineer

Average salary: $100,684 per year

Description: Bioprocess engineers develop technologies for studying how biological organisms and cells function. They also perform research and assist in developing new products. This role also tests and troubleshoots biotechnologies and trains other personnel on using them.

Skills: For soft skills, bioprocess engineers require critical thinking, active listening, excellent communication, and problem-solving skills. A bioprocess engineer must also know how to operate computer systems (both software and hardware), run tests and interpret results, and store and dispose of used chemicals.

Education: This entry-level full-time position requires a bachelor’s degree in biomechanics or bioengineering, but a graduate degree can be advantageous.

5. Research associate

Average salary: $64,802 per year

Description: A research associate’s primary task is to collect, organize, and analyze data, interpret the results, and share your findings with relevant professionals. You also help senior analysts manage studies and monitor research budgets.

Skills: Research associates work with a lot of people in their line of duty. Therefore, excellent communication skills are important. You must also be a team player, problem-solver, critical thinker, listener, and good time manager. You’re working with lots of data, so attention to detail is crucial. For hard skills, you must know how to collect and analyze data using different statistical software packages.

Education: This is an entry-level position requiring any relevant bachelor’s degree.

6. Project manager

Median salary: $94,500 per year

Description: A project manager may also go by the job title project management specialist. They are responsible for creating timescales and budgets, estimating costs, planning, and staffing. This role also meets with clients and discusses their needs, negotiates with suppliers and contractors, develops and implements strategies, monitors project progress, and reports to other managers.

Skills: A project manager or specialist must balance many things. You must be able to multitask and still pay attention to detail to avoid mistakes. Since you are dealing with many people, excellent communication and teamwork skills are also essential. Besides, you must be a good time manager because you’ll operate on tight deadlines. For hard skills, you must know how to use different software to plan projects, estimate costs, and create budgets.

Education: This job requires a bachelor’s degree, but a graduate degree and relevant certifications can give you an edge.

7. Systems engineer

Average salary: $83,655 per year

Description: A systems engineer is tasked with designing, developing, upgrading, and testing different equipment and systems. The engineer also creates quality control standards and ensures all systems are compliant. This role must also collaborate with various personnel, including vendors, clients, and suppliers, to develop and maintain systems.

Skills: A systems engineer needs good communication, organizational, analytical, and time management skills. You must also think critically and identify solutions to various medical problems. Hard skills include understanding risk management, data architecture, networking, and information security.

Education: A systems engineer is an entry-level role requiring a bachelor's degree, but further advancement requires a graduate degree. Certifications from institutions like CISCO and CISSP may also be necessary.

8. Technical support engineer

Average salary: $66,867 per year

Description: Technical support engineers are always alert and ready to solve technical problems that arise in an organization. This role requires you to research, troubleshoot, and repair different systems (both hardware and software). You also install key systems, develop training materials, and prepare incident reports.

Skills: As a technical support engineer, you need great communication skills since you’ll interact and work with different personnel. You also require excellent customer service, problem-solving, and time management skills. For hard skills, you must know how to operate and maintain computer systems. Understanding how to manage project workflows is also vital.

Education: A technical support engineer is an entry-level job requiring a degree from any related field.

9. Quality engineer

Average salary: $76,004 per year

Description: A quality engineer's primary responsibility is to ensure products or services conform to specific regulatory standards. You must design quality policies, inspect products, processes, and biomedical equipment, prepare reports, and work with other stakeholders to improve overall quality.

Skills: A quality engineer role requires communication, critical thinking, problem-solving, leadership, and time management skills. You must also be detail-oriented to ensure you don’t miss anything that could otherwise compromise safety. For hard skills, you should know how to perform quality checks, operate computer systems, and prepare reports.

Education: This role requires a bachelor’s degree in engineering or life sciences.

10. Preventive maintenance technician

Average salary: $52,488 per year

Description: A preventive maintenance technician services equipment and ensures it operates as expected. For this role, you perform routine inspections, troubleshoot problems, collaborate with other departments, and schedule repairs.

Skills: A preventive maintenance technician must be a good communicator and a detail-oriented team player. You must think critically, analyze issues, and develop solutions to different problems. Preventive maintenance technician is a hands-on role that requires one to know how to troubleshoot, repair, and maintain equipment.

Education: Most employers prefer a bachelor’s degree for this role. Specialization in mechanical engineering or electrical engineering can be crucial.

Which companies are hiring biomedical engineers on Handshake?

An engineering career path is fulfilling and rewarding. Most engineering occupations are expected to continue growing for the foreseeable future, meaning graduates can expect many job opportunities in the coming days.

Don’t know how to kick-start your career? Connect with potential employers and even set up job alerts on Handshake. Get started today!

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