Biomedical engineers design products, such as a artificial organs.
Biomedical engineers are creating the future of medicine. The robotic arm used during surgical procedures is an example of a biomedical engineering breakthrough, according to CollegeBoard.com. Biomedical engineers improve prostheses, or artificial body parts; are constantly improving the accuracy of diagnostic procedures; and are figuring out easier ways to take medication. Biomedical engineering is an exciting and innovative path that combines engineering with the science of the human body.
Roles
According to Collegeboard.com, some roles include spending time in the lab conducting research or experimentation; testing or repairing biomedical equipment; working as a part of a team of scientists or other biomedical engineers; and using a computer and writing reports pertaining to research findings.
Salary & Outlook
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics biomedical engineers earned a national average rate of $39 per hour and an average salary of $81,120 in 2008. The national median salary ranged from below $47,640 to above $121,970.
According to the BLS, biomedical engineers are expected to experience an employment growth much faster than average at a rate of 72 percent through 2018. Job prospects are excellent due to the growing interest of the biomedical field. Also, the aging population is growing, and the need for improved medical equipment and devices will spur on the need for biomedical engineers.
Employment
According to the BLS May 2008 data, medical equipment and supplies manufacturing employed the most biomedical engineers with an average salary of $83,760. Other industries that employed high numbers of biomedical engineers included scientific research and development services; pharmaceutical and medicine manufacturing; general medical and surgical hospitals; and navigational, measuring, electromedical and control instruments manufacturing. Management, scientific and technical consulting services offered the highest pay with an average salary of $101,270.
Environment & Hours
Biomedical engineers can be found in laboratories or office buildings. According to CollegeBoard.com, they may be figuring out ways to grow organs within a sterile laboratory. Like other types of engineers, they may be conducting research or writing reports inside a well-lit and comfortable office. Most engineers work the standard 40-hour work week. During project deadlines, biomedical engineers may work longer hours, into evenings and weekends.
Education & Training
Engineers enter the job field with a bachelor's degree in their engineering specialty, according to the BLS. In this case, a biomedical engineer would pursue a degree in biomedical engineering. According to CollegeBoard.com, this major would take 5 to 6 years to complete. The workload would consist heavily of math and science. Students spend much of their time working on projects inside the laboratory where research may get published. A biomedical engineering major may spend a summer or a semester doing an internship. Some courses that a biomedical engineer major takes are the same courses required for medical school.
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