Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2011

17-2031 Biomedical Engineers

Apply knowledge of engineering, biology, and biomechanical principles to the design, development, and evaluation of biological and health systems and products, such as artificial organs, prostheses, instrumentation, medical information systems, and heath management and care delivery systems.


National estimates for this occupation
Industry profile for this occupation
Geographic profile for this occupation

National estimates for this occupation: Top

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for this occupation:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3)
Mean hourly
wage
Mean annual
wage (2)
Wage RSE (3)
16,590 7.7 % $42.48 $88,360 1.2 %

Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $24.70 $31.16 $40.71 $52.18 $64.50
Annual Wage (2) $51,380 $64,800 $84,670 $108,540 $134,150


Industry profile for this occupation: Top

Industries with the highest published employment and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.

Industries with the highest levels of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Medical Equipment and Supplies Manufacturing 3,830 1.25 $41.48 $86,280
Scientific Research and Development Services 3,110 0.49 $47.16 $98,080
Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing 2,640 0.99 $43.20 $89,860
Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools 1,410 0.05 $33.86 $70,440
Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing 1,320 0.33 $45.39 $94,400

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Medical Equipment and Supplies Manufacturing 3,830 1.25 $41.48 $86,280
Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing 2,640 0.99 $43.20 $89,860
Scientific Research and Development Services 3,110 0.49 $47.16 $98,080
Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing 1,320 0.33 $45.39 $94,400
Professional and Commercial Equipment and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers 520 0.08 $41.42 $86,150

Top paying industries for this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Semiconductor and Other Electronic Component Manufacturing 160 0.04 $54.27 $112,890
Offices of Physicians 90 (7) $54.10 $112,540
Computer Systems Design and Related Services 330 0.02 $48.06 $99,960
Scientific Research and Development Services 3,110 0.49 $47.16 $98,080
Management of Companies and Enterprises 350 0.02 $45.84 $95,350


Geographic profile for this occupation: Top

States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.





States with the highest employment level in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
California 3,900 0.28 2.15 $47.91 $99,650
Massachusetts 1,550 0.49 3.79 $46.52 $96,760
Texas 1,440 0.14 1.08 $42.37 $88,130
Minnesota 960 0.37 2.86 $46.79 $97,330
Indiana 740 0.27 2.08 $32.16 $66,900




States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Massachusetts 1,550 0.49 3.79 $46.52 $96,760
Utah 440 0.38 2.92 $36.63 $76,190
Minnesota 960 0.37 2.86 $46.79 $97,330
California 3,900 0.28 2.15 $47.91 $99,650
Indiana 740 0.27 2.08 $32.16 $66,900




Top paying States for this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Alaska (8) (8) (8) $73.67 $153,240
California 3,900 0.28 2.15 $47.91 $99,650
Virginia 470 0.13 1.01 $47.05 $97,870
Minnesota 960 0.37 2.86 $46.79 $97,330
Massachusetts 1,550 0.49 3.79 $46.52 $96,760





Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, MA NECTA Division 1,010 0.60 4.66 $46.82 $97,380
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI 810 0.48 3.68 $46.55 $96,830
Philadelphia, PA Metropolitan Division 630 0.35 2.68 $41.16 $85,610
San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City, CA Metropolitan Division 600 0.63 4.85 $50.49 $105,020
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA 590 0.68 5.22 $55.50 $115,440
Santa Ana-Anaheim-Irvine, CA Metropolitan Division 550 0.40 3.09 $45.48 $94,600
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA Metropolitan Division 500 0.13 1.01 $42.20 $87,780
San Diego-Carlsbad-San Marcos, CA 480 0.39 3.00 $46.22 $96,150
Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown, TX 420 0.16 1.27 $43.44 $90,360
Salt Lake City, UT 420 0.69 5.36 $36.68 $76,280




Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA 160 0.95 7.38 $52.72 $109,650
Salt Lake City, UT 420 0.69 5.36 $36.68 $76,280
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA 590 0.68 5.22 $55.50 $115,440
San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City, CA Metropolitan Division 600 0.63 4.85 $50.49 $105,020
Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, MA NECTA Division 1,010 0.60 4.66 $46.82 $97,380
Bethesda-Rockville-Frederick, MD Metropolitan Division 320 0.58 4.49 $44.85 $93,290
Lowell-Billerica-Chelmsford, MA-NH NECTA Division 60 0.55 4.24 $49.20 $102,330
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI 810 0.48 3.68 $46.55 $96,830
Santa Ana-Anaheim-Irvine, CA Metropolitan Division 550 0.40 3.09 $45.48 $94,600
Springfield, MA-CT 110 0.39 3.02 $41.07 $85,420




Top paying metropolitan areas for this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA 590 0.68 5.22 $55.50 $115,440
Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA 160 0.95 7.38 $52.72 $109,650
Framingham, MA NECTA Division (8) (8) (8) $52.29 $108,770
San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City, CA Metropolitan Division 600 0.63 4.85 $50.49 $105,020
Lowell-Billerica-Chelmsford, MA-NH NECTA Division 60 0.55 4.24 $49.20 $102,330
Durham-Chapel Hill, NC (8) (8) (8) $48.83 $101,570
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV Metropolitan Division 340 0.15 1.14 $47.32 $98,430
Dayton, OH 70 0.20 1.51 $47.07 $97,910
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA 120 0.11 0.82 $46.83 $97,410
Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, MA NECTA Division 1,010 0.60 4.66 $46.82 $97,380


About May 2011 National, State, Metropolitan, and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors, all metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and all states and the District of Columbia. The top employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable XLS files.

The percentile wage estimate is the value of a wage below which a certain percent of workers fall. The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate--50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median. More about percentile wages.


(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.

(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours; for those occupations where there is not an hourly mean wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.

(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.

(7) The value is less than .005 percent of industry employment.

(8) Estimate not released.

(9) The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration. A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.


Other OES estimates and related information:

May 2011 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2011 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2011 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2011 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

List of Occupations in SOC Code Number Order

List of Occupations in Alphabetical Order

Download May 2011 Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates in Zipped XLS files

Technical Notes

 

Last Modified Date: March 27, 2012