According to a new report from the career website CareerCast, biomedical engineering topped the list of best jobs in engineering and information technology.
CareerCast’s list, which also included job titles such as software engineer, computer systems administrator, network and computer systems administrator, and aerospace engineer, was compiled based on data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) and the site’s annual Jobs Rated report.
The BLS defines biomedical engineers as professionals who “analyze and design solutions to problems in biology and medicine, with the goal of improving the quality and effectiveness of patient care.” They typically “work in manufacturing, universities, hospitals, research facilities of companies and educational and medical institutions, and government regulatory agencies.” Based on current statistics, the annual median salary for a biomedical engineer is $86,960, and the field is expected to grow by 27% from 2012 to 2022, much faster than average.
CareerCast reports that the rapid growth in biomedical engineering has been fueled by technological advances in the healthcare industry. IT and biomedical engineering were found to be two of the few stable sectors during the recession. It is expected these jobs will continue to boom as the economy improves.
According to a recent AAMI podcast about healthcare technology management (HTM) education, there is a need in the industry for more biomedical equipment technicians, and a significant shortage of qualified biomedical engineers. It has been estimated that as biomedical engineers graduate, there are 2 to 4 jobs available per graduate. This past summer, Forbes ranked biomedical engineering as the best master’s degree for jobs in 2015.
For more information, visit the AAMI or CareerCast websites.
