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Biomedical Technology

Types of Degrees Biomedical Technology Majors Are Earning

Those studying Biomedical Technology can earn degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	244
Associate’s Degree	602
Bachelor’s Degree	51
Master’s Degree	563

What Biomedical Technology Majors Need to Know

Studies in Biomedical Technology build a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Biomedical Technology graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

According to O*NET, a major in Biomedical Technology emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Computers and Electronics — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Mechanical — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Engineering and Technology — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.3 / 7.
• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

The skill set built by a Biomedical Technology program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Quality Control Analysis — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.7 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 3.7 / 7.
• Troubleshooting — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 3.6 / 7.
• Equipment Maintenance — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 3.4 / 7.
• Operations Monitoring — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 3.5 / 7.

Abilities

The cognitive and physical abilities most relevant to Biomedical Technology careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Near Vision — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Problem Sensitivity — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.6 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Deductive Reasoning — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.5 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Biomedical Technology graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials	4.3 / 7
Getting Information	4.3 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.3 / 7
Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards	4.2 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	4.1 / 7
Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings	4.1 / 7
Working with Computers	3.9 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	3.9 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	3.9 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	3.8 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Biomedical Technology professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	—
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	✓
SAP software	Enterprise resource planning ERP software	—
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	✓
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Operating system software	Operating system software	—
Autodesk AutoCAD	Computer aided design CAD software	—
National Instruments LabVIEW	Development environment software	—
Microsoft Access	Data base user interface and query software	—
Inventory control system software	Inventory management software	✓

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Biomedical Technology graduates include:

• Test Technician (Test Tech)
• Biomedical Equipment Specialist (Biomed Equipment Specialist)
• Biomedical Service Technician (Biomed Service Tech)
• Biomedical Equipment Support Specialist (Biomed Equipment Support Specialist)
• X-ray Service Tech (X-ray Service Technician)
• Durable Medical Equipment Technician (DME Tech)
• Biomedical Equipment Technician (BMET)
• Certified Biomedical Engineering Technician (Certified Biomed Engineering Tech)
• Certified Biomedical Equipment Technician (CBET)
• Equipment Specialist
• Dental Equipment Mechanic
• Electromedical Equipment Technician (Electromedical Equipment Tech)
• Surgical Instrument Mechanic
• Biomedical Technician (Biomed Tech)
• Cryogenics Repairer

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Biomedical Technology graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
High school diploma or equivalent	41.6%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	31.6%
Postsecondary certificate	9.7%
Some college courses	9.4%
Bachelor’s degree	5.1%
Master’s degree	1.3%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	1.2%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Biomedical Technology?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly male, with men earning 61.8% of Biomedical Technology degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	557	38.2%
Men	903	61.8%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Biomedical Technology graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	392	26.8%
Asian	200	13.7%
Hispanic or Latino	485	33.2%
Black or African American	87	6.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native	2	0.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	3	0.2%
Two or More Races	59	4.0%
Race Unknown	212	14.5%
International Students	20	1.4%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Biomedical Technology Graduates Earn?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of Biomedical Technology graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. These numbers tend to grow steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$55,527
4 years	$62,211
5 years	$69,356

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $69,356 — roughly 25% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online Biomedical Technology Programs

Fully online options is reported by IPEDS for Biomedical Technology. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Associate’s	1	1
Bachelor’s	2	5

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in Biomedical Technology Worth It?

On the earnings side, the federal earnings tracker, Biomedical Technology graduates earn a median of $62,211 four years after completion — roughly 64% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	Annual Degrees Awarded
Electromechanical Technologies/Technicians	11,920
Electromechanical/Electromechanical Engineering Technology/Technician	2,973
Instrumentation Technology/Technician	2,697
Electromechanical Technologies/Technicians, Other	1,873
Architectural Engineering Technologies/Technicians	1,557
Automation Engineer Technology/Technician	1,364
Computer/Computer Systems Technology/Technician	1,272
Computer Engineering Technology/Technician	1,215
Mechatronics, Robotics, and Automation Engineering Technology/Technician	792
Robotics Technology/Technician	761
Computer Engineering Technologies/Technicians, Other	492
Computer Software Technology/Technician	278

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.