Career Advice on How to Become A Biomedical Engineer |
General Career Information |
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Oh look at me; I have a very fancy pants title. Yes, there can be no doubt that a title like “biomedical engineer” will make people take notice and for good reason. When asked what a biomedical engineer does, most people would have no clue. In all fairness it’s not exactly a title that gets tossed about much, but in the coming years this may very well change. Biomedical engineers are the people that take engineering, biology and medicine and combine them to create a myriad of devices designed to address all sorts of medical conditions. In the past, the biomedical engineer may have worked on prostheses, for example, and they will continue to do so. But in the future, it is likely to see biomedical engineers working on such cutting edge scientific endeavors as artificial organs. |
Career Facts: |
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Biomedical engineers use hard science and engineering to develop medical device solutions. They will use a variety of technologies to develop mechanical and electrical devices engineered to help people live longer, repair existing problems or prevent further injury to a given area. Due to the fact that the field is advancing rapidly, the various branches within biomedical engineering are growing quickly as well. Few, if any careers, are expected to see a rate of growth quite as impressive as that of the biomedical engineer. Biomedical engineers will see their numbers swell in the coming years. Recent advances in numerous areas of technology, ranging from material science and biology to electronics, are opening up new possibilities in the biomedical engineering field. |
Career Opportunities and Job Outlook- Excellent: |
| The rate of growth for biomedical engineers is expected to be a staggering seventy-two percent. This is several times the national average for all jobs. |
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A Day in The Life: |
| The fact that biomedical engineering is expected to grow at such a pace is due, in part, to the overall aging of the population and the wave of Baby Boomer retirees that is expected to retire in the coming decade. In order to meet this demand for biomedical apparatus, the biomedical engineer will be quite busy. Research is being conducted in every field of medicine and engineering to make new breakthroughs and develop new biomedical devices. For this reason, much of the work of the biomedical engineer occurs in a lab setting. |
Average Salary: |
| The average salary for the biomedical engineer is about $77,000. |
$77k |
Career Training and Qualifications: |
| Like all engineers, biomedical engineers must earn a bachelor’s degree in engineering. A graduate degree will be helpful for many positions, especially those of a research-intensive nature. |
