Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2021

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)
17,190	4.8 %	$ 48.57	$ 101,020	4.3 %

Percentile wage estimates for Bioengineers and Biomedical Engineers:

Percentile	10%	25%	50% (Median)	75%	90%
Hourly Wage	$ 29.17	$ 36.44	$ 46.83	$ 59.33	$ 74.40
Annual Wage (2)	$ 60,680	$ 75,780	$ 97,410	$ 123,400	$ 154,750

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)
Scientific Research and Development Services	4,840	0.61	$ 50.39	$ 104,820
Medical Equipment and Supplies Manufacturing	2,480	0.78	$ 48.67	$ 101,230
Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing	1,300	0.41	$ 51.56	$ 107,240
Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing	1,270	0.32	$ 56.19	$ 116,880
Professional and Commercial Equipment and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers	1,110	0.17	$ 47.66	$ 99,140

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	2,480	0.78	$ 48.67	$ 101,230
Electronic and Precision Equipment Repair and Maintenance	720	0.70	$ 34.89	$ 72,570
Scientific Research and Development Services	4,840	0.61	$ 50.39	$ 104,820
Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing	1,300	0.41	$ 51.56	$ 107,240
Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing	1,270	0.32	$ 56.19	$ 116,880

Top paying industries for Bioengineers and Biomedical Engineers:

Industry	Employment (1)	Percent of industry employment	Hourly mean wage	Annual mean wage (2)
Wholesale Electronic Markets and Agents and Brokers	(8)	(8)	$ 81.77	$ 170,080
Semiconductor and Other Electronic Component Manufacturing	120	0.03	$ 64.34	$ 133,830
Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing	1,270	0.32	$ 56.19	$ 116,880
Other Ambulatory Health Care Services	40	0.01	$ 55.07	$ 114,550
Computer Systems Design and Related Services	(8)	(8)	$ 54.44	$ 113,240

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.

Map of employment of bioengineers and biomedical engineers by state, May 2021

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	2,920	0.18	1.45	$ 50.82	$ 105,700
Massachusetts	1,630	0.48	3.93	$ 55.61	$ 115,670
Texas	1,210	0.10	0.81	$ 39.26	$ 81,660
Minnesota	960	0.35	2.89	$ 57.33	$ 119,250
Illinois	760	0.14	1.11	$ 46.70	$ 97,140

Map of location quotient of bioengineers and biomedical engineers by state, May 2021

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	1,630	0.48	3.93	$ 55.61	$ 115,670
Utah	560	0.36	2.97	$ 40.41	$ 84,060
Minnesota	960	0.35	2.89	$ 57.33	$ 119,250
Maryland	740	0.29	2.38	$ 50.23	$ 104,470
Washington	740	0.23	1.89	$ 52.60	$ 109,420

Map of annual mean wages of bioengineers and biomedical engineers by state, May 2021

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)
New Mexico	130	0.17	1.36	$ 64.48	$ 134,120
Arizona	350	0.12	0.99	$ 58.16	$ 120,970
Minnesota	960	0.35	2.89	$ 57.33	$ 119,250
Connecticut	90	0.06	0.45	$ 55.97	$ 116,430
Massachusetts	1,630	0.48	3.93	$ 55.61	$ 115,670

Map of employment of bioengineers and biomedical engineers by area, May 2021

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	1,500	0.58	4.75	$ 55.97	$ 116,420
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI	930	0.51	4.16	$ 57.86	$ 120,340
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA	740	0.13	1.06	$ 46.81	$ 97,350
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA	720	0.08	0.68	$ 53.79	$ 111,880
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA	710	0.32	2.60	$ 57.27	$ 119,130
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI	700	0.17	1.36	$ 46.78	$ 97,290
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV	660	0.22	1.84	$ 54.29	$ 112,930
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA	650	0.34	2.76	$ 53.62	$ 111,520
San Diego-Carlsbad, CA	470	0.34	2.77	$ 47.59	$ 98,980
Salt Lake City, UT	440	0.59	4.81	$ 41.79	$ 86,930

Map of location quotient of bioengineers and biomedical engineers by area, May 2021

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)
College Station-Bryan, TX	130	1.14	9.38	$ 23.76	$ 49,420
Durham-Chapel Hill, NC	240	0.75	6.18	$ 45.04	$ 93,690
Boulder, CO	140	0.75	6.17	$ 43.70	$ 90,900
Charlottesville, VA	70	0.63	5.19	$ 41.68	$ 86,690
Salt Lake City, UT	440	0.59	4.81	$ 41.79	$ 86,930
Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH	1,500	0.58	4.75	$ 55.97	$ 116,420
Flagstaff, AZ	30	0.54	4.39	$ 72.86	$ 151,560
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI	930	0.51	4.16	$ 57.86	$ 120,340
Burlington-South Burlington, VT	60	0.49	4.04	$ 40.53	$ 84,290
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA	410	0.39	3.16	$ 54.06	$ 112,430

Map of annual mean wages of bioengineers and biomedical engineers by area, May 2021

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)
Flagstaff, AZ	30	0.54	4.39	$ 72.86	$ 151,560
Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ	280	0.13	1.08	$ 59.11	$ 122,950
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI	930	0.51	4.16	$ 57.86	$ 120,340
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA	710	0.32	2.60	$ 57.27	$ 119,130
New Haven, CT	40	0.13	1.06	$ 57.22	$ 119,020
Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH	1,500	0.58	4.75	$ 55.97	$ 116,420
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV	660	0.22	1.84	$ 54.29	$ 112,930
Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY	90	0.21	1.75	$ 54.08	$ 112,480
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA	410	0.39	3.16	$ 54.06	$ 112,430
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA	720	0.08	0.68	$ 53.79	$ 111,880

About May 2021 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 2021 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2021 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2021 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2021 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2021 Occupation Profiles

Technical Notes

Last Modified Date: March 31, 2022