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Industry and biotech

Biomedical Engineer

Applies engineering to medicine, designing and testing devices such as artificial limbs, implants, imaging systems and patient monitors.

Biomedical engineers work for medical device companies, hospitals, universities and regulators, either building new technology or keeping hospital equipment safe. It suits people who like maths and physics and want to solve practical problems in health.

Also called Clinical engineer, Bioengineer, Medical device engineer or Rehabilitation engineer.

At a glance

Way in
Bachelor's degree, often in biomedical engineering, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, materials science and physics
Pay in the US
$109,370 a year, the medianFor bioengineers and biomedical engineers, 2025
Pay in the UK
£26,000 starting to £75,000 with experienceFor a clinical engineer, the nearest National Careers Service profile
US outlook
Much faster than average, 2025-2035
Suits you if
You like building things and want your designs to help patients directly.

Pay is a guide: it moves with the country, the employer, the sector and the years in the job. Figures from O*NET OnLine (US) and the National Careers Service (UK); see the sources below.

The work

What does a biomedical engineer do?

  • Design and test medical devices, from prosthetic limbs to heart valves and implants.
  • Model how materials and devices behave inside the body before trials begin.
  • Look after hospital equipment, from scanners to bedside monitors, so it stays safe.
  • Run safety and performance checks so devices meet medical device regulations.
  • Work with clinicians to understand their problems and test solutions with patients.

Where they work

  • Medical device companies
  • NHS and private hospitals
  • University research labs
  • Regulatory agencies

Skills

The skills a biomedical engineer needs

  • Engineering designcomputer-aided design, prototypes and testing
  • Maths and physicsmechanics, electronics and signals
  • Human biologyanatomy and physiology for safe device design
  • Problem solvingturning a clinical need into a working design
  • Regulationdocumentation and risk management for devices
  • Teamworkworking with surgeons, therapists and technicians

Route in

How to become a biomedical engineer

  1. Study maths and physics at school, plus a science such as biology or chemistry.
  2. Take an accredited engineering degree, ideally in biomedical engineering.
  3. Gain experience through an industry placement or a hospital engineering department.
  4. Work towards professional registration, such as chartered engineer status.

Degrees people take

  • Biomedical engineering
  • Mechanical engineering
  • Electrical engineering
  • Materials science
  • Physics

In the UK, hospital clinical engineers can train through the NHS Scientist Training Programme and register with the HCPC as clinical scientists.

Practise for it

The quizzes and tools that fit

Also on biofideX

Next to it

Careers to weigh against it

Sources

Where the facts come from

Written for biofideX from these public sources. The pay figures are theirs, copied as published, last read 2026-10-25.

Requirements differ by country and change over time; check with the body that registers the profession where you will work. Spotted a mistake? Tell us and we'll correct it.

Career Paths

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