Bioengineers and biomedical engineers
SOC Code: 17-2031
Bioengineers and biomedical engineers carries a 36% AI exposure score (Medium automation risk), with a median annual wage of $106,950 and +5.2% projected employment growth from 2024 to 2034 (BLS), affecting approximately 22,200 workers. Full task breakdown, skills, and employer data are below.
Proportion of tasks susceptible to AI automation (O*NET analysis)
At 36% AI exposure, Bioengineers and biomedical engineers sits 1 points below the 37.2% average across 832 U.S. occupations - more exposed than 58% of them. Most of its core tasks still require human judgment.
Career outlook score
71/100
Bioengineers and biomedical engineers, weighted across 3 of 3 tracked dimensions
A weighted composite of median wage, projected growth, and AI-automation security (inverted exposure), each benchmarked against every other tracked occupation. It describes this occupation's standing across those three dimensions, not a guarantee of future outcomes.
- Median wage A+ $106,950
Annual median wage, percentile rank vs all tracked occupations
- Projected growth B+ +5.2%
Projected employment change, 2024-2034, BLS Employment Projections
- AI exposure (inverted) D 36% exposure
Lower O*NET task-automability scores lower risk; this dimension scores security, not exposure
Home health and personal care aides is #1 of 832 occupations by employment (4.3M, AI exposure rank #392 at 35%) vs. Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks #1 by AI task exposure (95%, employment rank #17 at 1.6M).
Automation-risk inventory
Exclusive cut of 832 occupations by PlainWorkforce automation-risk band. Orthogonal to the continuous AI-exposure distribution chart below and to this occupation's single risk badge, this is the corpus band mix, with Bioengineers and biomedical engineers in the Medium band.
Credential × growth standing
Bachelor's band with mid-pack BLS pace
Bioengineers and biomedical engineers shares the Bachelor's gate with 178 peer occupations and lands in Average (378 of 832). Neither the rarest nor the most crowded growth shelf - use wage and AI desks on this page for the differentiator.
Where Bioengineers and biomedical engineers sits among all occupations
AI-exposure score distribution across 832 U.S. occupations (O*NET task analysis). This occupation is marked in rose.
Where Bioengineers and biomedical engineers sits by AI exposure
AI-exposure score distribution across U.S. occupations (O*NET task analysis)
36% Around the middle lower than 42% of 832 occupations
Occupations, banded by AI-exposure score
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more occupations. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count and share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source O*NET task data (U.S. Department of Labor) · BLS 2024–2034
Source: O*NET task data (U.S. Department of Labor); AI-exposure scores are PlainWorkforce's analysis. As of BLS 2024–2034.
Bioengineers and biomedical engineers vs. its occupational neighbors
AI exposure (horizontal) vs projected 2024–2034 growth (vertical) for occupations in the same SOC group. Bioengineers and biomedical engineers is marked in rose; the top-left corner is the most future-proof.
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034 (growth) and O*NET (AI-exposure analysis by PlainWorkforce).
Employment Projections
Where This Score Comes From
Bioengineers and biomedical engineers's Medium automation-risk tier is computed from O*NET Database 30.0 task-level analysis, where each documented task the occupation performs is evaluated against current generative AI, robotic process automation, and machine-learning capabilities. A score below 40% reflects tasks anchored in physical dexterity, unstructured environments, or high-touch human interaction that current AI cannot reliably replicate.
The employment, wage, and education figures above come from a second, separate federal source: BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034, matched to the O*NET task data by Standard Occupational Classification (SOC 17-2031) code, with the wage figure cross-validated against the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024 survey. BLS figures are presented exactly as published, with no adjustment on our part; the SOC-code match is what lets Bioengineers and biomedical engineers be compared directly against every other tracked occupation on the same basis, not just roles that happen to share a job title.
For career planners, this profile should be read alongside the task, skill, and knowledge breakdowns below and the list of employers whose workforce composition includes Bioengineers and biomedical engineers. Adjacent occupations shown further down offer lateral moves that preserve industry knowledge while potentially reducing exposure.
Education & Entry Requirements
Top Tasks (O*NET)
- 1. Evaluate the safety, efficiency, and effectiveness of biomedical equipment.
- 2. Prepare technical reports, data summary documents, or research articles for scientific publication, regulatory submissions, or patent applications.
- 3. Design or develop medical diagnostic or clinical instrumentation, equipment, or procedures, using the principles of engineering and biobehavioral sciences.
- 4. Conduct research, along with life scientists, chemists, and medical scientists, on the engineering aspects of the biological systems of humans and animals.
- 5. Adapt or design computer hardware or software for medical science uses.
- 6. Maintain databases of experiment characteristics or results.
- 7. Develop statistical models or simulations, using statistical or modeling software.
- 8. Read current scientific or trade literature to stay abreast of scientific, industrial, or technological advances.
- 9. Manage teams of engineers by creating schedules, tracking inventory, creating or using budgets, or overseeing contract obligations or deadlines.
- 10. Develop models or computer simulations of human biobehavioral systems to obtain data for measuring or controlling life processes.
Key Skills Required
- Reading Comprehension
- Active Listening
- Writing
- Speaking
- Mathematics
- Science
- Critical Thinking
- Complex Problem Solving
- Judgment and Decision Making
- Active Learning
Knowledge Areas
- Engineering and Technology
- Computers and Electronics
- Mathematics
- Design
- Physics
- Biology
- English Language
- Medicine and Dentistry
- Education and Training
- Chemistry
Frequently Asked Questions
Will AI replace Bioengineers and biomedical engineers?
Bioengineers and biomedical engineers has an AI exposure score of 36%, indicating a medium level of automation risk. The majority of tasks in this role require human judgment, creativity, or physical presence that AI cannot easily replicate.
What is the job outlook for Bioengineers and biomedical engineers?
According to BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034, Bioengineers and biomedical engineers is projected to grow by 5.2% over the decade. Current employment stands at approximately 22,200 workers.
What skills are needed for Bioengineers and biomedical engineers?
Key skills for Bioengineers and biomedical engineers include Reading Comprehension, Active Listening, Writing, and others. Typical entry-level education is Bachelor's degree.
How much do Bioengineers and biomedical engineers earn?
The median annual wage for Bioengineers and biomedical engineers is $106,950, according to BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2024). Actual earnings vary by location, experience, industry, and employer. The BLS publishes detailed wage percentiles by region in its Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program.
What education is required for Bioengineers and biomedical engineers?
The typical entry-level education for Bioengineers and biomedical engineers is Bachelor's degree. Employers generally expect None of related work experience. On-the-job training typically involves None. Requirements can vary by employer and specialization.
Which companies employ Bioengineers and biomedical engineers?
Bioengineers and biomedical engineers roles exist across many industries and employers. Workforce composition is estimated from BLS industry-occupation employment distributions matched to SEC-registered public companies.
AI Exposure Rating
Medium automation risk based on 10 analyzed tasks. Most tasks require human judgment and are resistant to automation.
Nationwide occupations with similar workforce profiles
Two data-derived peer sets for Bioengineers and biomedical engineers: AI-exposure neighbors and BLS 2034 growth neighbors (distinct comparison neighborhoods, cross-occupation).
Similar AI exposure score
Nearest O*NET task-automability scores nationwide (36% here).
- Agricultural technicians · AI exposure 36%
- Aircraft structure, surfaces, rigging, and systems assemblers · AI exposure 36%
- Cardiologists · AI exposure 36%
- Elementary school teachers, except special education · AI exposure 36%
Similar projected growth (2024–2034)
Nearest BLS employment change rates nationwide (+5.2% here).
- Aircraft cargo handling supervisors · growth +5.2%
- Health technologists and technicians, all other · growth +5.2%
- Compensation, benefits, and job analysis specialists · growth +5.3%
- Computer science teachers, postsecondary · growth +5.3%
Peers are nearest-neighbor matches on published BLS + O*NET metrics among occupations with ≥10,000 workers in 2024; corpus ranks above sort the full tracked set.
Related Occupations
Showing 6 of 18 occupations with a comparable automation-risk profile.
What to do with this
Use Bioengineers and biomedical engineers' numbers above to compare, not just read in isolation.
- Compare Bioengineers and biomedical engineers side by side against another occupation on wage, growth, and AI exposure. Workforce comparison tool
- Understand how the AI exposure score above is actually calculated before treating it as a verdict. Reading AI exposure scores
- See the full ranked list of occupations with the lowest automation exposure nationwide. Safest occupations from AI
AI exposure scores estimate task automatability from O*NET data; they are not a certainty of job loss, and BLS growth projections are estimates, not guarantees.
Data sources: Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections 2024–2034 and O*NET Database 30.0. Employment figures are rounded. Wage data from BLS Occupational Employment Statistics (OES).