Bioengineers and Biomedical Engineers Salary

The median bioengineers and biomedical engineers salary in the United States is $109,370 per year ($52.58/hour). Salaries range from $71,850 at the entry level to $168,180+ for the top 10% of earners. There are 23,480 bioengineers and biomedical engineers jobs nationwide. Employment is projected to grow 5.2% through 2034.

Last updated: June 2026 Β· Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Also known asBiomedical EngineerBioengineer
Median Salary
$109,370
per year
Hourly Rate
$52.58
per hour
Employment
23,480
jobs in the U.S.

Salary Distribution

10th percentile
$71,850
25th percentile
$86,980
Median
$109,370
75th percentile
$136,600
90th percentile
$168,180

Job Growth (2024-2034)

+5.2%
Faster than average

Annual Openings

1,300
jobs/year (growth + replacements)

Education Required

Bachelor's degree

Bioengineers and Biomedical Engineers Career Guide

Interview questions, resume templates, and a career ladder written specifically for bioengineers and biomedical engineerss.

Bioengineers and biomedical engineers design medical devices, orthopedic implants, cardiovascular stents, drug-delivery systems, and clinical instrumentation. Entry $72-95k; established $95-135k; senior/staff $135-185k; principal/director $175-265k; VP R&D or CTO $245-485k+ plus equity. Medical device (Class II/III), pharma-adjacent combination products, and academic tracks all pay differently β€” device commands the premium, especially in Boston, Minneapolis, San Diego, and the Bay Area.

Core Skills Hiring Managers Screen For

Medical device design controls (21 CFR 820.30)
Design inputs, outputs, verification, validation, and DHF traceability. Every design decision must trace back to a user need or design input β€” this is what FDA auditors check first.
Biomechanics and tissue-device interaction
FEA on implants under physiologic loading, fatigue analysis (ASTM F2996 for spinal, ISO 5840 for heart valves), and biocompatibility per ISO 10993.
FDA regulatory pathways (510(k), De Novo, PMA)
Know when to file which and what predicate strategy to build. A misclassified device can add 18-24 months to launch and $2-4M in unplanned clinical spend.
ISO 13485 quality management systems
CAPA, nonconformance, design changes, and supplier qualification. Notified body audits (BSI, TÜV) for CE mark are stricter than most FDA inspections.
CAD and simulation (SolidWorks, Creo, ANSYS, Abaqus)
Parametric modeling for iterative prototyping, GD&T for tolerance stack-ups on implantable components, and FEA/CFD for regulatory submissions.
Clinical validation and human factors (IEC 62366)
Design usability studies, pilot clinical protocols, IRB submissions, and translating clinician feedback into design inputs without over-scoping.
Cross-discipline systems thinking (EE + ME + firmware + biology)
An infusion pump combines a stepper motor, pressure sensor, embedded firmware, drug compatibility testing, and human factors β€” one weak link kills the whole submission.

How to Become a Bioengineers and Biomedical Engineers

  1. 1
    Earn a BS in biomedical, mechanical, electrical, or chemical engineering
    ABET-accredited program preferred. Coop or industry internship (Medtronic, Boston Scientific, Abbott, Stryker) makes the first job much easier β€” junior hiring is coop-heavy.
  2. 2
    Consider MS or PhD if targeting R&D or principal track
    MS in biomedical engineering (2 yrs, $30-100k) is common for staff-track hires. PhD (5-6 yrs, stipended) is required for principal scientist and research-leadership roles at big device companies and pharma.
  3. 3
    Land a first R&D or manufacturing engineering role ($72-95k)
    Rotate through design, verification testing, and manufacturing to build a full DHF-to-production perspective. First 3 years is the credential-building window.
  4. 4
    Advance to senior, then staff/principal ($135-215k)
    Own subsystem-level design on a Class II or III device, lead a design freeze, and take a 510(k) or PMA through submission. RAC certification adds 8-12%.
  5. 5
    Move to director, VP R&D, or CTO ($245-485k+)
    Director track means owning 2-4 programs, a $10-30M R&D budget, and 15-40 engineers. VP/CTO owns portfolio strategy, executive-level FDA interactions, and M&A due diligence.

Career Progression

Entry / Associate Engineer
0-3 yrs$72-95k + 5-8% bonus
  • β€’Support senior engineers on design verification and validation testing
  • β€’Own bench-test protocols and data analysis for design inputs
  • β€’Author sections of DHF documentation under supervision
  • β€’Participate in design reviews and CAPA investigations
Next: Established Engineer at 2-5 years.
Established Engineer
3-8 yrs$95-135k + 8-12% bonus + equity
  • β€’Own subsystem-level design on a Class II device from concept to launch
  • β€’Lead verification and validation strategy for one product line
  • β€’Author 510(k) submission sections and respond to FDA deficiency letters
  • β€’Mentor entry-level engineers and precept coops
Next: Senior / Staff at 6-12 years.
Senior / Staff / Principal Engineer
6-15 yrs$135-215k + 15-20% bonus + $20-60k RSU annually
  • β€’Own full-product design for a Class II or III device with $5-30M development budget
  • β€’Lead cross-functional team of 3-8 engineers plus quality, regulatory, and clinical partners
  • β€’File and defend patents; contribute to competitive IP strategy
  • β€’Interface directly with FDA reviewers in Q-Sub and pre-submission meetings
Next: Director at 10-15+ years.
Director / VP R&D / CTO
12+ yrs$185-585k+ TC with equity
  • β€’Own R&D portfolio across 2-8 product programs; $15-85M budget
  • β€’Report to CEO or Chief Medical Officer; sit on the executive team
  • β€’Lead M&A technical diligence and platform-technology integrations
  • β€’Own executive-level FDA and notified body interactions
Next: CTO, Chief Scientific Officer, or founder of a spin-out.

Interview Questions & Answers

5 free questions below. Career Kit unlocks 13 total plus resume bullets for every level.

Q1. Walk me through your medical device design process from user need to launch.technical
Start with user needs and clinical unmet-need research (surgeon interviews, VOC, workflow observation), translate to design inputs with acceptance criteria, execute design output through CAD and prototyping, run verification (bench, animal, sterility, biocompat) and validation (human factors, clinical), lock the DHF, transfer to manufacturing with PPAP, submit 510(k) or PMA, and support post-market surveillance. Emphasize traceability β€” every design output ties to a design input which ties to a user need β€” because that's what FDA auditors verify.
Q2. How do you respond to an FDA 483 observation during an inspection?situational
Do not argue in the room. Acknowledge the observation, ask clarifying questions to make sure you understand the finding, and commit to a written response within the standard 15 business days. Investigate root cause via 5-Whys or fishbone, define corrective action with objective evidence (updated procedure, retraining record, verification data), and preventive action to stop recurrence across similar products. Then present at the closing meeting with data, not opinions.
Q3. Describe your biggest project and how you managed it.behavioral
STAR structure. Situation: a Class II implantable with a ISO 5832-3 titanium supplier who missed sterilization validation twice. Task: hit the 510(k) submission window without slipping the launch. Action: I ran a joint gate review with the supplier's quality lead, requalified an alternate sterilization site under ISO 11135, and negotiated a 4-week schedule compression by parallelizing biocompatibility on both sites. Result: submitted 3 days ahead of the original date, cleared 510(k) in 87 days, launched into Q3 with $18M first-year revenue.
Q4. Why biomedical engineering and not straight mechanical or software?culture
The physics is only interesting when the constraint is a human body. I want to work on problems where a design mistake means a surgeon can't complete a case or a patient has a device failure at year 8. That constraint forces a level of rigor β€” biocompatibility, human factors, MRI compatibility, sterilization β€” that generalist mechanical engineering doesn't demand. That's the work I want to spend a career on.
Q5. Where do you see your career in 5 years?closer
Senior or staff engineer owning a Class II device from concept to 510(k) clearance, with RAC certification and one or two patents filed. I've been mapping the fork between staff/principal (deep technical ownership) and engineering management β€” I'm leaning IC track for the next 5 years because that's where the interesting FDA and design-controls problems live, then reassessing at year 10.

Resume Template β€” Entry / Associate Engineer (0-3 yrs)

Copy these bullets into your resume as a starting point. Career Kit includes bullets for every level of the ladder.

Entry / Associate Engineer (0-3 yrs)
  • β–ΈAuthored verification protocols and DHF sections for 2 Class II devices; supported 1 successful 510(k) submission cleared in 92 days.
  • β–ΈRan ISO 10993-5 cytotoxicity and 10993-10 sensitization testing on 6 material candidates; reduced candidate list from 6 to 2 in 8 weeks.
  • β–ΈReduced disposable-catheter manufacturing scrap 18% through GD&T tolerance analysis and supplier PPAP requalification.
  • β–ΈBS Biomedical Engineering (ABET), 3.7 GPA, plus 12-month Medtronic coop. SolidWorks CSWA + ISO 13485 internal auditor training.

What Gets You Rejected

  • βœ—Cannot articulate the difference between verification and validation β€” a dealbreaker at any device company.
  • βœ—No hands-on lab experience β€” has only done coursework or simulation, no bench prototypes or clinical observation.
  • βœ—Weak documentation habits β€” a DHF is 70% of the job and sloppy notes get engineers fired after the first audit.
  • βœ—Ignores biocompatibility, sterilization, or human factors when scoping β€” signals a mechanical engineer who hasn't crossed over.
  • βœ—Talks about 'move fast and break things' β€” dangerous mindset for regulated design controls.
  • βœ—No fluency in 21 CFR 820, ISO 13485, or ISO 14971 (risk management) β€” regulatory blind spot for the industry.

Salary Negotiation Levers

  • βœ“PE licensure in mechanical or biomedical adds 5-10% at established+ levels; rare enough to move the offer.
  • βœ“Prior 510(k) or PMA submission ownership is the single biggest lever β€” $15-30k on base at senior.
  • βœ“Metro premium: Boston, Bay Area, San Diego, Minneapolis run 15-25% above secondary markets.
  • βœ“Sign-on: $10-25k common at established, $25-75k at senior, $75-200k at director+.
  • βœ“Equity refresher cadence at public device companies (Medtronic, Boston Scientific, Stryker) is annual β€” negotiate the target, not just the initial grant.
  • βœ“Startup equity: negotiate for early-exercise ISOs and 10-year post-termination exercise window, not just share count.

Bioengineers and Biomedical Engineers Resume Review β€” $29

Personalized resume review from someone who has hired bioengineers and biomedical engineerss. Purchase, email your resume to support@weblabra.com, and receive detailed written feedback within 7 days.

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  • βœ“ 30–60–90 day plan for your first role
  • βœ“ Cover letter templates specific to this occupation
  • βœ“ Detailed salary negotiation script
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Bioengineers and Biomedical Engineers Salary by State

Best Cities (cost-adjusted) β†’

Salary Map β€” Click a state for details

$68K
$141Kβ–  No data

Top Paying States

Arizona
$141K
+29%
Idaho
$134K
+22%
California
$128K
+17%
Minnesota
$128K
+17%
Massachusetts
$128K
+17%
Pennsylvania
$123K
+12%
Oregon
$123K
+12%
New Jersey
$115K
+5%
Ohio
$112K
+2%
Colorado
$111K
+1%
Vertical line = national median. Click a state for full details.
StateMedianvs. National
Arizona$141,230+29.1%
Idaho$133,750+22.3%
California$128,310+17.3%
Minnesota$127,730+16.8%
Massachusetts$127,570+16.6%
Pennsylvania$122,560+12.1%
Oregon$122,510+12.0%
New Jersey$114,680+4.9%
Ohio$111,550+2.0%
Colorado$110,650+1.2%
1–10 of 37

Bioengineers and Biomedical Engineers Salary by Metro Area

Metro AreaMedianvs. National
Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ$141,230+29.1%
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$140,660+28.6%
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA$136,450+24.8%
Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN$131,170+19.9%
Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI$129,640+18.5%
Boulder, CO$129,030+18.0%
Waterbury-Shelton, CT$128,940+17.9%
Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH$128,550+17.5%
Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA$128,300+17.3%
San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA$128,270+17.3%
1–10 of 66
Data Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). Data reflects the most recent annual survey.
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A bioengineers and biomedical engineers earning $109,370/year would need 545 years to match Stephen Curry's NBA salary, or 585 yearsto match Patrick Mahomes' NFL contract.
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