Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics
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Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2020
17-2031 Bioengineers and Biomedical Engineers
Apply knowledge of engineering, biology, chemistry, computer science, and biomechanical principles to the design, development, and evaluation of biological, agricultural, and health systems and products, such as artificial organs, prostheses, instrumentation, medical information systems, and health management and care delivery systems.
National estimates for Bioengineers and Biomedical Engineers
Industry profile for Bioengineers and Biomedical Engineers
Geographic profile for Bioengineers and Biomedical Engineers
National estimates for Bioengineers and Biomedical Engineers:
Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for Bioengineers and Biomedical Engineers:
| Employment (1) |
Employment
RSE (3) |
Mean hourly
wage |
Mean annual
wage (2) |
Wage RSE (3) |
| 18,660 |
4.9 % |
$ 47.28 |
$ 98,340 |
1.1 % |
Percentile wage estimates for Bioengineers and Biomedical Engineers:
| Percentile |
10% |
25% |
50%
(Median) |
75% |
90% |
| Hourly Wage |
$ 27.21 |
$ 34.54 |
$ 44.53 |
$ 57.18 |
$ 71.85 |
| Annual Wage (2) |
$ 56,590 |
$ 71,830 |
$ 92,620 |
$ 118,930 |
$ 149,440 |
Industry profile for Bioengineers and Biomedical Engineers:
Industries with the highest published employment and wages for Bioengineers and Biomedical Engineers are provided.
For a list of all industries with employment in Bioengineers and Biomedical Engineers, see the Create Customized Tables function.
Industries with the highest levels of employment in Bioengineers and Biomedical Engineers:
| Industry |
Employment (1) |
Percent of industry employment |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Medical Equipment and Supplies Manufacturing |
3,090 |
0.99 |
$ 47.02 |
$ 97,800 |
| Scientific Research and Development Services |
3,090 |
0.41 |
$ 50.00 |
$ 104,010 |
| Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing |
2,560 |
0.86 |
$ 47.41 |
$ 98,610 |
| Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing |
1,570 |
0.38 |
$ 52.51 |
$ 109,220 |
| General Medical and Surgical Hospitals |
1,170 |
0.02 |
$ 39.38 |
$ 81,910 |
Industries with the highest concentration of employment in Bioengineers and Biomedical Engineers:
| Industry |
Employment (1) |
Percent of industry employment |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Medical Equipment and Supplies Manufacturing |
3,090 |
0.99 |
$ 47.02 |
$ 97,800 |
| Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing |
2,560 |
0.86 |
$ 47.41 |
$ 98,610 |
| Scientific Research and Development Services |
3,090 |
0.41 |
$ 50.00 |
$ 104,010 |
| Electronic and Precision Equipment Repair and Maintenance |
400 |
0.39 |
$ 42.31 |
$ 88,000 |
| Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing |
1,570 |
0.38 |
$ 52.51 |
$ 109,220 |
Top paying industries for Bioengineers and Biomedical Engineers:
| Industry |
Employment (1) |
Percent of industry employment |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Merchant Wholesalers, Nondurable Goods (4242 and 4246 only) |
90 |
0.02 |
$ 60.17 |
$ 125,160 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises |
760 |
0.03 |
$ 53.53 |
$ 111,340 |
| Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing |
1,570 |
0.38 |
$ 52.51 |
$ 109,220 |
| Computer Systems Design and Related Services |
250 |
0.01 |
$ 52.43 |
$ 109,060 |
| Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services |
820 |
0.05 |
$ 50.47 |
$ 104,980 |
Geographic profile for Bioengineers and Biomedical Engineers:
States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for Bioengineers and Biomedical Engineers are provided.
For a list of all areas with employment in Bioengineers and Biomedical Engineers, see the Create Customized Tables function.
States with the highest employment level in Bioengineers and Biomedical Engineers:
| State |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| California |
2,330 |
0.14 |
1.06 |
$ 51.30 |
$ 106,700 |
| Massachusetts |
1,350 |
0.40 |
3.00 |
$ 59.69 |
$ 124,160 |
| Texas |
1,200 |
0.10 |
0.74 |
$ 41.78 |
$ 86,900 |
| Pennsylvania |
1,130 |
0.21 |
1.53 |
$ 37.38 |
$ 77,750 |
| Florida |
1,130 |
0.13 |
0.99 |
$ 43.81 |
$ 91,130 |
States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Bioengineers and Biomedical Engineers:
| State |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Massachusetts |
1,350 |
0.40 |
3.00 |
$ 59.69 |
$ 124,160 |
| Minnesota |
1,020 |
0.38 |
2.80 |
$ 53.00 |
$ 110,240 |
| Colorado |
900 |
0.35 |
2.60 |
$ 47.26 |
$ 98,300 |
| Indiana |
960 |
0.33 |
2.46 |
$ 45.30 |
$ 94,230 |
| Maryland |
800 |
0.32 |
2.36 |
$ 50.83 |
$ 105,730 |
Top paying states for Bioengineers and Biomedical Engineers:
| State |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Massachusetts |
1,350 |
0.40 |
3.00 |
$ 59.69 |
$ 124,160 |
| Minnesota |
1,020 |
0.38 |
2.80 |
$ 53.00 |
$ 110,240 |
| New Jersey |
510 |
0.14 |
1.01 |
$ 51.53 |
$ 107,180 |
| California |
2,330 |
0.14 |
1.06 |
$ 51.30 |
$ 106,700 |
| Maryland |
800 |
0.32 |
2.36 |
$ 50.83 |
$ 105,730 |
Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in Bioengineers and Biomedical Engineers:
| Metropolitan area |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH |
1,240 |
0.48 |
3.57 |
$ 59.99 |
$ 124,770 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI |
1,000 |
0.54 |
4.02 |
$ 52.87 |
$ 109,970 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV |
740 |
0.25 |
1.84 |
$ 54.98 |
$ 114,360 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA |
730 |
0.08 |
0.61 |
$ 50.61 |
$ 105,270 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA |
610 |
0.26 |
1.95 |
$ 59.09 |
$ 122,900 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI |
570 |
0.13 |
0.97 |
$ 44.78 |
$ 93,150 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA |
570 |
0.10 |
0.73 |
$ 45.11 |
$ 93,840 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA |
550 |
0.28 |
2.10 |
$ 46.04 |
$ 95,760 |
| San Diego-Carlsbad, CA |
510 |
0.36 |
2.69 |
$ 43.82 |
$ 91,150 |
| Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO |
500 |
0.34 |
2.54 |
$ 43.44 |
$ 90,350 |
Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Bioengineers and Biomedical Engineers:
| Metropolitan area |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Boulder, CO |
300 |
1.68 |
12.53 |
$ 53.34 |
$ 110,940 |
| College Station-Bryan, TX |
140 |
1.27 |
9.49 |
$ 19.68 |
$ 40,920 |
| Durham-Chapel Hill, NC |
280 |
0.90 |
6.70 |
$ 50.52 |
$ 105,090 |
| Charlottesville, VA |
80 |
0.74 |
5.49 |
$ 43.29 |
$ 90,030 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI |
1,000 |
0.54 |
4.02 |
$ 52.87 |
$ 109,970 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH |
1,240 |
0.48 |
3.57 |
$ 59.99 |
$ 124,770 |
| Salt Lake City, UT |
340 |
0.47 |
3.51 |
$ 37.35 |
$ 77,690 |
| Florence, SC |
30 |
0.40 |
2.99 |
(8) |
(8) |
| San Diego-Carlsbad, CA |
510 |
0.36 |
2.69 |
$ 43.82 |
$ 91,150 |
| Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO |
500 |
0.34 |
2.54 |
$ 43.44 |
$ 90,350 |
Top paying metropolitan areas for Bioengineers and Biomedical Engineers:
| Metropolitan area |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Worcester, MA-CT |
(8) |
(8) |
(8) |
$ 62.61 |
$ 130,220 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH |
1,240 |
0.48 |
3.57 |
$ 59.99 |
$ 124,770 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA |
610 |
0.26 |
1.95 |
$ 59.09 |
$ 122,900 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA |
330 |
0.30 |
2.21 |
$ 57.62 |
$ 119,850 |
| Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY |
70 |
0.16 |
1.17 |
$ 55.09 |
$ 114,590 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV |
740 |
0.25 |
1.84 |
$ 54.98 |
$ 114,360 |
| Boulder, CO |
300 |
1.68 |
12.53 |
$ 53.34 |
$ 110,940 |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA |
70 |
0.23 |
1.72 |
$ 53.14 |
$ 110,530 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI |
1,000 |
0.54 |
4.02 |
$ 52.87 |
$ 109,970 |
| Waterbury, CT |
(8) |
(8) |
(8) |
$ 51.92 |
$ 108,000 |
Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in Bioengineers and Biomedical Engineers:
Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Bioengineers and Biomedical Engineers:
Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for Bioengineers and Biomedical Engineers:
About May 2020 National, State, Metropolitan, and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors, all metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and all states and the District of Columbia.
The top employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable XLS files.
The percentile wage estimate is the value of a wage below which a certain percent of workers fall.
The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate—50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median.
More about percentile wages.
(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.
(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours;
for those occupations where there is not an hourly wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.
(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.
(8) Estimate not released.
(9) The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration.
A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.
Other OEWS estimates and related information:
May 2020 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2020 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2020 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2020 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2020 Occupation Profiles
Technical Notes
Last Modified Date: March 31, 2021
United States Department of Labor
