Biomedical Jobs

If you have been a patient in hospital, or visited a friend or family member undergoing treatment, you will probably have been aware of the variety of equipment used in today’s increasingly sophisticated healthcare system. All this equipment – machines such as ventilators, x-ray machines, CT scanners, heart monitors – must be safe to use with patients, and this is the responsibility of people working in biomedical jobs.

Because of the aging baby boomer generation and the overall increasing demand for healthcare services, biomedical jobs are predicted to grow by 27 per cent by 2018. If you enjoy science and have some technical ability, you would be eligible for an entry-level job as a biomedical technician with a High School diploma. On the job training would teach you to maintain and repair the equipment used on a daily basis in hospitals and health centres. A flexible approach to working hours is important, as hospital equipment can malfunction at any time and biomedical staff must be prepared to be on call and work overtime.

Biomedical technicians are usually supervised by biomedical engineers, who are expected to have a master’s degree in their subject. Their training enables them to combine a knowledge of biology and medicine with engineering principles to develop devices used in healthcare. Many biomedical engineers are involved in research, working on the development of new equipment or methods. Others work in hospitals, helping to maintain and monitor complex medical systems. Salaries for biomedical technicians start at around $20,000, whilst a biomedical engineer can expect to earn at least $60,000 a year.