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Bioinformatics Scientists

Conduct research using bioinformatics theory and methods in areas such as pharmaceuticals, medical technology, biotechnology, computational biology, proteomics, computer information science, biology and medical informatics. May design databases and develop algorithms for processing and analyzing genomic information, or other biological information.

Median salary (BLS)

$98,920

10th–90th percentile (BLS)

$60k – $168k

Job outlook

+1% (about average)

AI exposure

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports one wage for this occupational group, which covers 4 related roles — so read the median as an approximate group figure, and the range as the truer picture for this specific title. BLS source.

Early-career check: graduates of the matching programs below typically earn $119,000 ten years after starting college — an early-career figure, vs. the all-experience BLS median above. Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard.

Plan a path to Bioinformatics Scientists

Qualification costsStack incomeBest cities/statesSchool ROIJob-posting fitTailored resume

Education

Typical entry: Master's degree

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How to qualify

Estimate

Cost to qualify

$64,000–$230,000

Time to qualify

6 yr

Renewal

—

  1. 1

    Bachelor's degree

    Degree

    Four years at public in-state rates — average published tuition & fees ≈ $11,610/yr, plus books. Private and out-of-state run higher; grant aid lowers most students' actual net price.

    $40,000–$150,000 · 4 years source

  2. 2

    Master's degree

    Degree

    Typically two years; average graduate tuition ≈ $20,000/yr at public universities (NCES).

    $24,000–$80,000 · 2 years source

Estimated typical U.S. route for "Bioinformatics Scientists" — built from BLS education requirements and College Board 2024–25 average published prices (public, in-state tuition + fees + books). Not yet verified against a specific state's licensing rules — confirm with your state licensing board or program.

Typical progression

  1. Bioinformatics Scientists Intern

    Internship

    $36,000

    ~4 mos to advance

  2. Junior Bioinformatics Scientists

    Entry / Junior

    $60,430

    ~2 yrs to advance

  3. Bioinformatics Scientists

    Established

    $98,920

    ~3 yrs to advance

  4. Senior Bioinformatics Scientists

    Senior

    $133,465

Internships are a common on-ramp here — they speed up landing that first role and improve your odds, which is why the Safe and High-ceiling plans build one in.

Key skills

A typical day

  • •Develop new software applications or customize existing applications to meet specific scientific project needs.
  • •Communicate research results through conference presentations, scientific publications, or project reports.
  • •Create novel computational approaches and analytical tools as required by research goals.
  • •Consult with researchers to analyze problems, recommend technology-based solutions, or determine computational strategies.
  • •Analyze large molecular datasets, such as raw microarray data, genomic sequence data, or proteomics data, for clinical or basic research purposes.

Fields of study

Any field

Top colleges for Science

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Reputation-based selection; stats shown are outcome data per school.