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Bioinformatics Technicians

Typical education: Bachelor's degreeLower pressure

What they do

Apply principles and methods of bioinformatics to assist scientists in areas such as pharmaceuticals, medical technology, biotechnology, computational biology, proteomics, computer information science, biology and medical informatics. Apply bioinformatics tools to visualize, analyze, manipulate or interpret molecular data. May build and maintain databases for processing and analyzing genomic or other biological information.

Kinds of work

  • Investigative: Science, research, figuring out how things work and solving complex problems.
  • Conventional: Organizing information, following clear procedures and working with data and details.
  • Realistic: Hands-on work with tools, machines, plants or animals, often outdoors.

Lower pressure: How much pressure workers in this job report: deadlines, conflict, dealing with upset people, the cost of mistakes, responsibility for others' safety, competition and long hours. It varies a lot from one employer to the next. Source: U.S. Department of Labor worker surveys.

Pay, tasks and more

Salary

United States $81,490 Median per year · $39.18/hr Most earn $47,980–$154,580

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025.

What you might do

  • Extend existing software programs, web-based interactive tools, or database queries as sequence management and analysis needs evolve.
  • Conduct quality analyses of data inputs and resulting analyses or predictions.
  • Create data management or error-checking procedures and user manuals.
  • Perform routine system administrative functions, such as troubleshooting, back-ups, or upgrades.
  • Document all database changes, modifications, or problems.
  • Maintain awareness of new and emerging computational methods and technologies.

Job outlook

United States
7% more jobs by 2035, faster than average · about 200 openings a year

Openings include new jobs and jobs left by workers who retire or change careers. Projections: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. "Bright Outlook": U.S. Department of Labor.

Where they work

  • Computer systems design and related services16.0%
  • Federal government, excluding postal service13.7%
  • Management, scientific, and technical consulting services7.8%
  • Colleges, universities, and professional schools7.4%
  • Research and development in the physical, engineering, and life sciences4.6%

Share of all workers in this career. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Employment Matrix.

Experience before this job: 2 to 4 years

Career path

How people usually get into this career, from school to their first job and beyond.

Typical education: Bachelor's degreeExperience before this job: 2 to 4 years

Bioinformatics Technician is usually not a first job out of school. Most people earn a bachelor's degree and then spend about 2 to 4 years in related lab or data work before taking this role, so the full path often takes 6 to 8 years after high school.

  1. Bachelor's degree in biology, computational biology, bioinformatics, or computer science

    4 years

    You build the science and computing base, and you learn how to work with biological data and basic programming. This degree is the typical entry requirement for this field.

  2. Biological Technician

    1-3 years

    You work in a lab or research setting, running experiments and handling samples while learning how biological data is produced. This hands-on experience helps you understand the data you will later analyze.

  3. Bioinformatics Technician

    Target role

    You apply bioinformatics tools to visualize, analyze, and interpret molecular data, and you may help build and maintain databases for genomic information.

Where it can lead

  1. Data Scientist

    2-4 years of experience first

    You move toward larger data projects, building models and drawing conclusions from complex datasets, which usually requires stronger statistics and programming skills and more independent project work.

  2. Database Administrator

    4-6 years of experience first

    You take responsibility for the systems that store and secure large data collections, which requires deep database knowledge and experience managing data at scale.

What you can do now

Ideas for high school and college students.

In high school

  • Take biology, chemistry, and mathStrong science and math classes prepare you for a bachelor's degree in a biology or data-related field.
  • Take a computer science or programming classLearning to code early makes it much easier to analyze biological data later on.
  • Join a science club or science fairWorking on a project teaches you how to ask questions, collect data, and explain your results.
  • Look for a summer or after-school job in a lab or hospitalEven a basic support role shows you how real labs work and looks good on future applications.
  • Try a free online introductory course in bioinformatics or PythonStarting with the basics now helps you decide whether this path fits your interests.

In college

  • Major in biology, computational biology, bioinformatics, or computer scienceA relevant major gives you the core knowledge that this career requires.
  • Take statistics and programming coursesStatistics helps you interpret data, and programming lets you use the tools bioinformatics relies on every day.
  • Get a research job in a campus labLab experience builds the hands-on background that employers look for before hiring bioinformatics technicians.
  • Pursue a summer internship in a biotech, pharmaceutical, or genomics settingAn internship gives you real project work and a professional reference for later applications.
  • Join a coding or biology student organizationClubs offer peers, workshops, and chances to work on team projects that strengthen your resume.

Tips for getting started

  • Learn a programming language such as Python or R and practice on real biological datasets, since coding is central to this job.
  • Get lab or research experience early, whether through a campus lab job or a volunteer position, so you understand how the data is generated.
  • Keep a simple portfolio of projects on GitHub or a personal website to show employers what you can do.

Related jobs that often lead here

Related jobs a step up

Education, experience and related careers: U.S. Department of Labor. The step-by-step path, where it can lead and what you can do now were written by AI as typical examples; many people take other ways.

College majors that lead here

Majors: U.S. Department of Education and BLS (CIP–SOC crosswalk). Earnings and debt: College Scorecard, typical across U.S. colleges.

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