Jump to page content

Find a College

Sign Up

My Organizer

Create a free account.



Home > Find a College > Majors & Careers Central > Profiles > Career: Biomedical Engineers

Career: Biomedical Engineers

In 2001, a doctor in the U.S. performed gall bladder surgery on a woman in France. Strange, but true. The surgeon used a remote to control a robotic arm that performed the actual work on the patient.

The surgical robotic arm is an exciting biomedical engineering achievement. But it’s far from the only one. Biomedical engineers work to make prostheses (artificial body parts) better, diagnostic procedures more accurate, and drugs easier to take. Thanks to biomedical engineers, becoming healthy and staying that way is getting easier every day.

Biomedical engineers design and develop devices and systems -- from artificial organs to medical equipment -- that solve health problems.

Did You Know?

  • Researchers are testing the iPill, a pill with a computer chip that will check the body for information before releasing its drug.

Are You Ready To...?

  • Spend your days in the lab
  • Work as part of a team
  • Write reports
  • Use computers
  • Test and repair equipment
  • Research and learn about new materials

It Helps to Be...

A creative, curious problem solver who wants to help others. If you like machines, but think the human body is the most interesting machine out there, then this could be a great career for you.

Make High School Count

  • Challenge yourself in math and science, with classes like calculus, physics, chemistry, and biology.
  • Pay attention in English. You’ll need to be able to read a lot of complex material and write about your work.
  • Build up-to-date computer skills.
  • Get an internship or summer job at a hospital or rehabilitation center to get a feel for patient needs and the health care industry.
  • Join an engineering club or get others involved in engineering competitions, such as the one offered by the Junior Engineering Technical Society.

Did You Know?

  • Biomaterials specialists are working on ways to grow organs in a lab so people who need transplants won’t have to wait for healthy organs to become available.  

Outlook

Government economists expect jobs for biomedical engineers to grow much faster than the average for all careers through 2016.

As people in the United States get older, there will be a greater need for the medical solutions that these engineers come up with. However, more students have been earning bachelor’s degrees in this field. For an edge in the job hunt, go to graduate school.

Compensation

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates the average yearly earnings of biomedical engineers as $81,120 in 2008.