Biomedical Engineer Jobs

Overview

Updated: October 30, 2010.

Biomedical engineers are highly trained and sought after professionals. They combine biology, engineering and medicine to help solve medical and scientific health problems. They are involved in designing the machinery that surgeons use on patients such as MRI scanners. As well as this they research and develop things such as artificial limbs and organs.

Biomedical engineers are essential to enhancing the medical and health worlds. Without biomedical engineers hospitals would have no machinery or equipment. Biomedical engineers were responsible for designing some of the most modern medical technology such as heart-lung machines that can work on behalf of the heart and lungs by oxygenating the blood during surgery. They also created the lasers that are now commonly used for laser eye surgery. Sometimes biomedical engineers work in hospitals where there job is to help maintain the equipment that is there.

Biomedical engineers must have an advanced level of scientific and medical knowledge, and most jobs require a minimum of a masters degree in biomedical engineering. It is also important to have good concentration to detail and patience. Biomedical engineers regularly work in teams to help develop and produce products and machinery so must be good at communicating and working well within a team.

Biomedical Engineer Job Description

Biomedical engineers generally work forty hour weeks, but can sometimes work longer if there is a particular project they want to complete. They usually work in modern hospitals, manufacturing plants, and research centers.

There are several branches of biomedical engineers. Some of the different branches include: medical imaging; clinical engineering; bioinstrumentation; biomechanics; cellular research; genetic engineering; biomaterials; rehabilitation engineering and more.

There are also many different careers and positions that biomedical engineers may take within a business or company. As a qualified biomedical engineer you should be qualified to work as some of the following positions plus many more: quality control manager; pharmaceutical engineer; imaging service engineer; anesthesia field service technician; and a biomedical equipment technician.

The top five universities for biomedical engineering degrees in the United States are: John Hopkins University; Massachusetts Institute of Technology; University of California - San Diego; Duke University; and University of Washington.

Across the USA there are over 14,000 employed biomedical engineers, most of which work in the area of medical equipment and supplies as well as pharmaceutical and medicine manufacturing. It is expected that the need for biomedical engineers should rise over the coming years by around 21 percent. There should be around 3,000 more careers created within the biomedical engineering industry by 2016. Most of this growth is linked to the increased need and desires for more advanced medical technology and equipment around the world. It is a great career path to head into if you enjoy science, maths and medicine. There are a whole range of diverse career opportunities for qualified biomedical engineers, and it will continue to become more varied and diverse as the world demands more enhanced technology.

Biomedical engineers generally earn good salaries, and the average salary in 2007 was around $80,000 per annum. Those that work in medical equipment and supplies manufacturing earn slightly more with an average salary of around $82,000 per annum. The highest paid of them all are on average those working in scientific research and development with a salary of $93,000 per annum. The highest paying biomedical engineers all have masters degrees.