Architecture and Engineering Occupations
BLS May 2025 wages O*NET task lead SOC 17-2031

Bioengineers and Biomedical Engineers

O*NET task statements lead this Bioengineers and Biomedical Engineers card before OEWS pay; neighboring titles include Computer Hardware Engineers, Industrial Engineers, Health and Safety Engineers, Except Mining Safety Engineers and Inspectors, Materials Engineers.

Full salary details → About this data

Same-major-group titles next to Bioengineers and Biomedical Engineers: Computer Hardware Engineers ($162K) , Industrial Engineers ($102K) , Health and Safety Engineers, Except Mining Safety Engineers and Inspectors ($115K) , Materials Engineers ($113K) . Hash-ordered per card so residual SOC siblings do not share an identical peer sentence.

What Bioengineers and Biomedical Engineers publish as work

O*NET task statements for SOC 17-2031 - occupation-level descriptions, not every employer's posting. Sibling cards diverge here because the task set is entity-keyed.

  1. 1. Evaluate the safety, efficiency, and effectiveness of biomedical equipment
  2. 2. Prepare technical reports, data summary documents, or research articles for scientific publication, regulatory submissions, or patent app…
  3. 3. Design or develop medical diagnostic or clinical instrumentation, equipment, or procedures, using the principles of engineering and biobe…
  4. 4. Conduct research, along with life scientists, chemists, and medical scientists, on the engineering aspects of the biological systems of h…
  5. 5. Adapt or design computer hardware or software for medical science uses
  6. 6. Maintain databases of experiment characteristics or results
  7. 7. Develop statistical models or simulations, using statistical or modeling software
  8. 8. Read current scientific or trade literature to stay abreast of scientific, industrial, or technological advances
  9. 9. Manage teams of engineers by creating schedules, tracking inventory, creating or using budgets, or overseeing contract obligations or dea…
  10. 10. Develop models or computer simulations of human biobehavioral systems to obtain data for measuring or controlling life processes
  11. 11. Design or conduct follow-up experimentation, based on generated data, to meet established process objectives
  12. 12. Write documents describing protocols, policies, standards for use, maintenance, and repair of medical equipment

Bioengineers and Biomedical Engineers: O*NET ranks Reading Comprehension first

Importance-ranked O*NET profile for SOC 17-2031 - lead skill Reading Comprehension at 4.0 ; lead knowledge Engineering and Technology. Sibling cards diverge here even when peer titles overlap.

Top skills

  1. 1. Reading Comprehension 4.0
  2. 2. Active Listening 4.0
  3. 3. Writing 4.0
  4. 4. Speaking 4.0
  5. 5. Mathematics 3.9
  6. 6. Science 3.9
  7. 7. Critical Thinking 3.9
  8. 8. Complex Problem Solving 3.9

Knowledge areas

  1. 1. Engineering and Technology 4.6
  2. 2. Computers and Electronics 4.5
  3. 3. Mathematics 4.4
  4. 4. Design 4.0
  5. 5. Physics 4.0
  6. 6. Biology 3.8
National median after O*NET task lead
$109,370
/year · 12 published task lines above
Lead task: Evaluate the safety, efficiency, and effectiveness of biomedical equipment
$109K
National median
↑ +5%
Growth 2024-2034
1,300
Annual openings
23,480
Estimated US jobs
Computer Hardware Engineers
Highest-pay peer · $162K

Typical Entry and Preparation Assignments

Entry education Bachelor's degree

Top Paying States for Bioengineers and Biomedical Engineers

1. Oregon $122,510
2. California $128,310
3. Ohio $111,550
4. Pennsylvania $122,560
5. Arizona $141,230
6. New Jersey $114,680
7. Idaho $133,750
8. Colorado $110,650
9. Massachusetts $127,570
10. Minnesota $127,730

Other Architecture and Engineering Occupations titles

  1. 1. Health and Safety Engineers, Except Mining Safety Engineers and Inspectors $115,160
  2. 2. Materials Engineers $112,860
  3. 3. Industrial Engineers $102,440
  4. 4. Computer Hardware Engineers $161,740
  5. 5. Mining and Geological Engineers, Including Mining Safety Engineers $106,220
  6. 6. Engineers, All Other $122,930

O*NET publishes 12 leading task statements for Bioengineers and Biomedical Engineers (SOC 17-2031). The national OEWS median is $109,370 inside Architecture and Engineering Occupations. Same-group neighbors: Computer Hardware Engineers, Industrial Engineers, Health and Safety Engineers, Except Mining Safety Engineers and Inspectors, Materials Engineers. Lead published task: Evaluate the safety, efficiency, and effectiveness of biomedical equipment.

Employment Projections expect +5% change between 2024 and 2034 (faster than average vs baseline 3.1%). About 1,300 annual openings are projected. BLS assigns Bachelor's degree as typical education needed for entry. These are occupation-level assignments, not universal requirements. BLS does not publish a separate occupation-specific safety rate for this role; its broad SOC-group rate is excluded from this career card's grade.

Highest published state median in this ranking: Oregon at $122,510. The table records differences without proving causes. Highest-pay peer shown here: Computer Hardware Engineers at $161,740. Compare the same statistic in the relevant local wage area before treating the national median as a personal benchmark; OEWS excludes employer benefits.

Bioengineers and Biomedical Engineers pay-rank #12 in Architecture and Engineering Occupations

Among 36 detailed Architecture and Engineering Occupations with a published OEWS median, Bioengineers and Biomedical Engineers is pay-rank #12, the upper third of that major group. The order is ROW_NUMBER on national median (title as tiebreak), not a worker-level percentile.

Other upper-third titles · closest medians

Full Salary Details Compare this role

Data from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025. Projections from BLS Employment Projections program, 2024-2034.

SOC 17-2031 · national median $109,370 · upper third of Architecture and Engineering Occupations (#12/36). The day-to-day tasks above set this role apart from peers with a similar title.

Bioengineers and Biomedical Engineers salary map

State, metro, and percentile for SOC 17-2031

Oregon · top state for Bioengineers and Biomedical Engineers

$123K published median

California · #2 state pay

$128K · behind Oregon

Computer Hardware Engineers

Highest-pay peer vs Bioengineers and Biomedical Engineers · $162K

Industrial Engineers

Lower-pay peer beside Bioengineers and Biomedical Engineers · $102K

Compare Bioengineers and Biomedical Engineers

Head-to-head OEWS medians with another SOC
Compare Bioengineers and Biomedical Engineers with another occupation →

Role and task next reads

Bioengineers and Biomedical Engineers full salary map

State and metro OEWS after the task lead

Compare tasks and pay

Side-by-side with another occupation

Frequently Asked Questions

Which Architecture and Engineering Occupations titles sit near Bioengineers and Biomedical Engineers at the top of the pay table? ▼
Bioengineers and Biomedical Engineers is pay-rank #12 of 36 detailed Architecture and Engineering Occupations with an OEWS median, upper third. Nearest upper-third titles: Marine Engineers and Naval Architects ($112K), Materials Engineers ($113K), Health and Safety Engineers, Except Mining Safety Engineers and Inspectors ($115K), Electrical Engineers ($121K). Rank is ROW_NUMBER on national median.
What do bioengineers and biomedical engineers do day to day? ▼
O*NET lists published task statements for Bioengineers and Biomedical Engineers. Leading ones include: Evaluate the safety, efficiency, and effectiveness of biomedical equipment; Prepare technical reports, data summary documents, or research articles for scientific publication, regulatory submissions, or patent app…; Design or develop medical diagnostic or clinical instrumentation, equipment, or procedures, using the principles of engineering and biobe…; Conduct research, along with life scientists, chemists, and medical scientists, on the engineering aspects of the biological systems of h…. These are occupation-level task descriptions, not every employer's job description.
Which O*NET skills rank highest for bioengineers and biomedical engineers? ▼
For SOC 17-2031, O*NET importance scores lead with Reading Comprehension (4.0), Active Listening (4.0), Writing (4.0), Speaking (4.0). Knowledge areas emphasize Engineering and Technology, Computers and Electronics, Mathematics. These are occupation-level profiles, not a hiring checklist for every employer.
What is the OEWS national median for Bioengineers and Biomedical Engineers? ▼
May 2025 OEWS reports $109,370 as the national median for Bioengineers and Biomedical Engineers. The published 10th-90th range is $71,850 to $168,180. Beside Computer Hardware Engineers ($161,740), this is the occupation-level national figure, not a local offer.
What employment change does BLS publish for Bioengineers and Biomedical Engineers? ▼
The 2024-2034 projection for Bioengineers and Biomedical Engineers is +5%. Projected annual openings: about 1,300. Relative to the current all-occupations baseline of 3.1%: faster than average.
What typical entry education does BLS assign to Bioengineers and Biomedical Engineers? ▼
BLS assigns Bachelor's degree as the typical-education-needed-for-entry category for Bioengineers and Biomedical Engineers. These are occupation-level labels, not every employer's hiring rule.
Which three states show the highest OEWS medians for Bioengineers and Biomedical Engineers? ▼
Oregon ($122,510), California ($128,310), Ohio ($111,550) lead this ranking. The table does not identify why those state estimates differ.

Source data and WageDex calculations are identified in context on this page. Wage and state figures use BLS OEWS May 2025; growth and education use BLS Employment Projections for 2024-2034; safety fields cite BLS CFOI/SOII; task statements cite O*NET where shown. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.

Disclaimer: Wage and outlook figures on this page are provided for informational purposes only and do not constitute career, financial, or salary-negotiation advice. Actual pay varies by employer, experience, and local conditions; consult a career counselor or the hiring employer for guidance specific to your situation.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OES Occupational wage estimates by area and industry · 2025

Federal sources on this Bioengineers and Biomedical Engineers card
  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS / OES) - national median and percentiles for SOC 17-2031. bls.gov/oes
  • O*NET OnLine - task and skill statements for Bioengineers and Biomedical Engineers. onetcenter.org
  • BLS Employment Projections - 2024-2034 change and openings for this occupation. bls.gov/emp
  • U.S. Census Bureau ACS - demographic and labor-force context for state and metro geography. census.gov/programs-surveys/acs
  • IRS Statistics of Income (SOI) - payroll-tax aggregate context for wage comparisons. irs.gov/statistics