Biomedical Engineering Degrees

Associate’s Degree in Biomedical Engineering

Getting your associate’s degree in biomedical engineering can provide education and training to work with electronic and computerized medical devices that are used in hospitals and other health care facilities. Some programs are also designed for those who plan to transfer to get a 4-year degree.

Some courses you might take while getting your associate’s degree include Modern Digital and Computerized Equipment, Computer Applications For Technical Support, or The Fundamentals of Electronic Devices.

With an associate’s degree in biomedical engineering, you could find a variety of jobs, such as a biomedical engineering technician. Associate’s degrees take around two years, depending on if you go to school full or part-time, and many community colleges have programs. You can also use your associate’s degree as a stepping stone to a bachelor’s degree.

Bachelor’s Degree in Biomedical Engineering

Going for your bachelor’s degree in biomedical engineering will allow you to dive deeper into biomedical engineering, and find a better-paying job. In a bachelor’s degree program, you learn to apply math, science, and engineering principles to analyze and interpret modern problems in engineering tools.

Some of the core classes include math, chemistry, physics, computer programming, and genetics. Most programs take 4 years unless you already have your associate’s degree or choose to go to school more part-time.

You should be able to find either an in-person or online bachelor’s degree program to study biomedical engineering. For online programs, Bryant and Stratton College, Duke University, and Vanderbilt University all have highly rated programs.

For in-person programs, Johns Hopkins University, Georgia Institute of Technology, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology are highly rated.

Jobs with a Bachelor’s Degree in Biomedical Engineering

• Biomedical Engineers, who combine engineering principles with sciences to design and create equipment, devices, computer systems, and software, have an average salary of $91,410, according to BLS.
• Rehabilitation Engineers, who use specialized knowledge or skills to design, build, and maintain complicated equipment, systems, and processes for those with disabilities, have an average salary of $66,632 according to Salary.com.
• Biomedical Engineering Consultants, who provide guidance and recommendations to institutions and organizations in the medical field including hospitals, private clinics, and research labs, have an average salary of $76,276, according to Payscale.

Master’s Degree in Biomedical Engineering

Going for your master’s degree in biomedical engineering will increase your earning potential. The degree will teach you innovative skills, based on your concentration. While you don’t have to have a master’s degree to go into biomedical engineering, you will be able to open more doors if you do.

A master’s degree should take you around 1-2 years depending on the program and if you attend full or part-time. Classes you might take would depend on your concentration but you could end up taking classes such as Tissue Biomechanics, Biosensors, and Medical Sciences.

You should be able to find either an in-person or online master’s degree program to study biomedical engineering. For online programs, Johns Hopkins University, California State University at Northridge, and George Washington University all have highly rated programs. For in-person programs, Cornell University, Georgia Institute of Technology, and Brown University all have highly rated programs.

Jobs with a Master’s Degree in Biomedical Engineering

• Chemists, who can do things such as work to test and develop new drugs, have an average salary of $57,033, according to Payscale, as of 2021.
• Biomaterials Developers, who work in tissue engineering, biomedical implant development, nano implants, and more have an average salary of $76,677 according to Payscale.
• Manufacturing Engineers, who are involved with the design and production of products, creating goods that are low-cost and high quality, have an average salary of $70,435, according to Payscale.

Doctorate Degrees in Biomedical Engineering

Biomedical engineers, research scientists, and even software developers earn more at this degree level. A Ph.D. program can take about 5-6 years. You can find highly rated programs at schools such as Northcentral University, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, and Washington University in St. Louis.

Jobs with a Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering:

• Biomedical Engineering Directors, who help manage teams that work to create and test new biomedical equipment as well as technologies, have an average salary of $118,135 according to Salary.com.

Other options could be to go on to medical school to become a doctor or to teach in higher education.