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Biotechnology & Pharmaceuticals
Pfizer, Genentech, Moderna
Mathematical Science Occupations, All Other
This job sits at the intersection of biology, coding, and statistics. People in it clean and analyze complex biological data, write scripts to pull information from scientific databases, and work closely with researchers and IT staff to make the data usable. The tradeoff is that the work is intellectually varied but highly specialized, and you have to keep up with new methods while handling a lot of detailed quality checks.
Also known as Bioinformatics ScientistComputational BiologistBioinformatics AnalystBioinformatics Research ScientistGenomics Data Scientist
Median Salary
$71,490
Mean $84,700
U.S. Workforce
~5K
0.3K openings per year
10-Year Growth
+4%
5K to 5.2K
Entry Education
Bachelor's degree
+ None experience
What This Role Looks Like in Practice
Mathematical Science Occupations, All Other sits in the Science category. In practical terms, this role combines day-to-day execution, cross-team coordination, and consistent decision-making under real business constraints.
U.S. employment is currently about ~5K workers, with a median annual pay of $71,490 and roughly 0.3K openings each year. Based on BLS projections, total employment is expected to grow from 5 K in 2024 to 5.2K in 2034.
Most hiring paths start with Bachelor's Degree in Biology, Computer Science, Mathematics, or Bioinformatics, and employers typically expect none of related experience. Many careers in this track begin around Research Assistant or Data Analyst and can progress toward Lead Computational Biologist. High-value skills usually include Reading Scientific Literature & Documentation, Python, R & Statistical Computing, and SQL, PostgreSQL & Database Querying, paired with soft skills such as Critical Thinking, Complex Problem Solving, and Writing.
Core Responsibilities
- Clean and analyze biological data, such as DNA, gene expression, or protein results, using statistical software.
- Meet with researchers, clinicians, or IT staff to figure out what data they need and how the analysis should be set up.
- Build checks that catch bad data early and write short guides so others can use the process correctly.
- Search biological databases and pull out the records needed for a study or project.
Keep exploring: more Science careers or browse all job titles.
A Day in the Life
01 Clean and analyze biological data, such as DNA, gene expression, or protein results, using statistical software.
02 Meet with researchers, clinicians, or IT staff to figure out what data they need and how the analysis should be set up.
03 Build checks that catch bad data early and write short guides so others can use the process correctly.
04 Search biological databases and pull out the records needed for a study or project.
05 Write scripts that automate database searches and repetitive analysis steps.
06 Review results for errors, prepare findings for reports or papers, and keep up with new tools and methods.
Industries That Hire
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Genomics & Diagnostics
Illumina, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Quest Diagnostics
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Healthcare Systems & Medical Research
Mayo Clinic, Cleveland Clinic, Kaiser Permanente
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Cloud, Software & Data Platforms
Google, Microsoft, Amazon Web Services
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Universities & Research Institutes
Harvard University, Stanford University, Broad Institute
Pros and Cons
Advantages
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The pay is solid for a niche field, with a mean salary of $84.7K and a median of $71.49K.
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You can often enter with a bachelor's degree, and the BLS says no prior work experience or on-the-job training is required.
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The work mixes coding, statistics, and biology, so the day-to-day tasks are varied instead of repetitive in a single way.
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You work closely with researchers, clinicians, and IT staff, which can make the job feel connected to real scientific or medical questions.
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The work can have visible impact because your analysis can shape experiments, publications, or database-driven decisions.
Challenges
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The labor market is very small, with only 4,660 jobs and about 0.3K annual openings, so competition can be tight.
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Growth is modest at 4% through 2034, which means this is not a fast-expanding field.
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Advanced education is common, and 40.66% of workers have a master's degree while 4.11% have a doctorate, so a bachelor's degree may not be enough for the best jobs.
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A lot of the work is careful debugging, data cleaning, and error checking, not just interesting analysis.
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Some routine database and scripting tasks can be standardized or automated as tools improve, which can limit long-term demand for the simplest work.
Career Progression
Research Assistant or Data Analyst
0-2 years
$45K-$62K
You support senior staff by cleaning data, running established scripts, and checking results for obvious problems.
Bioinformatics Analyst
2-5 years
$63K-$84K
You handle larger datasets, write your own analysis code, and work more directly with researchers on study questions.
Senior Bioinformatics Scientist THIS ROLE
5-9 years
$85K-$110K
You design analysis workflows, troubleshoot tricky data issues, and guide junior analysts or collaborators.
Lead Computational Biologist
9+ years
$111K-$145K
You set technical direction, oversee complex projects, and connect scientific goals with reliable data pipelines.
Education Paths
Bachelor's Degree in Biology, Computer Science, Mathematics, or Bioinformatics
This is the most common entry point, held by 50.89% of workers in this role.
Master's Degree in Bioinformatics, Statistics, or a Related Field
A very common path, held by 40.66% of workers in this role.
Doctoral Degree
A smaller but important path for research-heavy jobs, held by 4.11% of workers in this role.
Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in Bioinformatics or Data Science
An alternative route for people changing fields, held by 2.45% of workers in this role.
Key Skills
Technical
Reading Scientific Literature & Documentation 75%
Python, R & Statistical Computing 74%
SQL, PostgreSQL & Database Querying 73%
BLAST, Bioconductor & Galaxy 72%
Genomic Data Analysis & Bioinformatics Pipelines 71%
Applied Statistics & Data Mining 70%
Linux, Git & Reproducible Research 68%
Soft Skills
Critical ThinkingComplex Problem SolvingWritingActive LearningActive ListeningJudgment and Decision Making Job Outlook and Trends
+4%
Projected growth (2024-2034)
0.3K
Annual job openings
Employment is projected to rise from 5K to 5.2 K over the next decade, representing 4% growth. Around 0.3 K openings per year include both newly created roles and replacement hiring from turnover.
Remote availability is currently Moderate. Demand remains strongest where employers need practical domain knowledge plus modern workflow and data skills.