5 answers
Kristen
Student
Fanwood, New Jersey
4
Questions
Updated
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Is biomedical engineering a good major for the future, regarding job opportunities?
How does the salary of a biomedical engineer compare to other professions? Flexibility of work hours? Stability of the job? #job-market #major #college-majors #engineering #biology #biomedical #biomedical-engineering
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5 answers
Kathy Haines
Sales Representative
2
Answers
Salem, Oregon
Updated
Kathy’s Answer
Start with your passion, not the salary. Engineering pays well, starting salaries and future opportunities.
A little background (bear with me here): I have an BS in Electrical Engineering and an MBA with an Executive Leadership focus. The EE degree allowed me to move into pharma and medical sales early in my career. I wanted to be in the field, not a cubical. Then, I pursued my MBA as professional development towards Medical Sales District/Regional Management. I also have a husband who is a Consulting Engineer with Professional Engineering licenses for Mechanical and Electrical Engineering. My sons are studying Medical Engineering/Robotics and Electrical/Computer Engineering. So you could say that our family has done a lot of research into engineering and off-shoot careers.
I also work with several Biomedical Engineers in my company. They are now in either medical sales or clinical specialist positions with medical device/technology companies. Salaries for these types of roles usually run from ~$80k to $140k+ depending on the type of sales/clinical support they provide. Biomedical can also be a good undergrad for Medical School.
Take some time and consider what you really like to do. What do you want your day to look like? Also, give yourself some room to understand that whatever you decide now, will not be forever. There's always going to be opportunities to shift your career, maybe multiple times, in the future with engineering as your foundation.
And have fun!
A little background (bear with me here): I have an BS in Electrical Engineering and an MBA with an Executive Leadership focus. The EE degree allowed me to move into pharma and medical sales early in my career. I wanted to be in the field, not a cubical. Then, I pursued my MBA as professional development towards Medical Sales District/Regional Management. I also have a husband who is a Consulting Engineer with Professional Engineering licenses for Mechanical and Electrical Engineering. My sons are studying Medical Engineering/Robotics and Electrical/Computer Engineering. So you could say that our family has done a lot of research into engineering and off-shoot careers.
I also work with several Biomedical Engineers in my company. They are now in either medical sales or clinical specialist positions with medical device/technology companies. Salaries for these types of roles usually run from ~$80k to $140k+ depending on the type of sales/clinical support they provide. Biomedical can also be a good undergrad for Medical School.
Take some time and consider what you really like to do. What do you want your day to look like? Also, give yourself some room to understand that whatever you decide now, will not be forever. There's always going to be opportunities to shift your career, maybe multiple times, in the future with engineering as your foundation.
And have fun!
Finding your passion is key!
Lisa Woodward Clark
Kent Broman
Technical Sales Representative
2
Answers
Updated
Kent’s Answer
The U.S. Department of Labor set the salary as high as $120,000. Employment annual growth is 7%. This area of expertise will continue to be a strong stable profession for the foreseeable future.
Younes Alawaji
Systems Engineer
3
Answers
Yonkers, New York
Updated
Younes’s Answer
Being Electrical Engineer it might be a biased answer.
It is good to know what you will do curriculum wise. Biomedical Engineering is one of the non- focused majors from the way I observed it, you will be learning: electrical, electronics and mechanical engineering with some classes in the biomedical sector without that core focus on fundamentals i.e. testing, troubleshooting and designing machines for laboratories or companies. Any Electrical Engineer and sometimes Mechanical Engineer possess partially or totally do the Biomedical Engineer, the reason is that the EE and ME have focused on one sector electrical or mechanical and did take some optional classes in other sector not like the biomedical engineering curriculum which is extremely diverse to level that is not really focused. Some pharmaceutical companies hire EE or ME to work with their machineries or laboratories. Some folks major in it to go for medical schools pre-med. It is always about your intentions or what you really want to do or what sector you want to be in: working in plants, working in laboratories doing research.
Always remember it start with you!
Good luck,
It is good to know what you will do curriculum wise. Biomedical Engineering is one of the non- focused majors from the way I observed it, you will be learning: electrical, electronics and mechanical engineering with some classes in the biomedical sector without that core focus on fundamentals i.e. testing, troubleshooting and designing machines for laboratories or companies. Any Electrical Engineer and sometimes Mechanical Engineer possess partially or totally do the Biomedical Engineer, the reason is that the EE and ME have focused on one sector electrical or mechanical and did take some optional classes in other sector not like the biomedical engineering curriculum which is extremely diverse to level that is not really focused. Some pharmaceutical companies hire EE or ME to work with their machineries or laboratories. Some folks major in it to go for medical schools pre-med. It is always about your intentions or what you really want to do or what sector you want to be in: working in plants, working in laboratories doing research.
Always remember it start with you!
Good luck,
Amanda Arnold
HR Business Partner
4
Answers
Saint Paul, Minnesota
Updated
Amanda’s Answer
As someone who has worked in the medical device industry for 20+ years, I know biomedical engineers are in high demand. In fact, the first tenet of the Medtronic Mission asks us "To contribute to human welfare by application of biomedical engineering in the research, design, manufacture, and sale of instruments or appliances that alleviate pain, restore health, and extend life." The future possibilities are endless, the pace of change is unprecedented and the ability to genuinely improve human welfare is unique and worthy. If it is an area you have passion, I would recommend it as an exciting discipline and opportunity to make a difference in the world. Good luck!
Eric Boysen
Medtech
2
Answers
Rogers, Minnesota
Updated
Eric’s Answer
Hi Kristen, I think that the biomedical engineering field is a great one to get into. The medical field, especially medtech, is always growing. I also believe as technology continues to evolve the need for engineers in the biomedical field will also grow.