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Bioinformatics Scientist

Overview and Key Facts

man looking at computer analysing DNA data
Education
Education
Master's degree
Median Pay
Median Pay
$93,330
Job Growth
Job Growth
1.20%
(Below US Average)
Jobs in 2034
Jobs in 2034
64,500

What Do They Do?

A bioinformatics scientist could...

 
Database
Envision and build a database for researchers to share their biological data and observe how they interconnect.
medicine on hand
Help create personalized medicines by working with a team to evaluate thousands of individuals' genetic code and biochemistry.
COVID tracker map
Create computer tools to track and analyze the patterns of viral outbreaks, like COVID-19, around the country.
Protein structure
Program an algorithm that will help piece together the structure and function of a protein.
 
Database medicine on hand COVID tracker map Protein structure

Overview Listen to this section

The human body can be viewed as a machine made up of complex processes. Scientists are working on figuring out how these processes work and on sequencing and correlating the sections of the genome that correspond to the individual processes. (The genome is an organism's complete set of genetic material.) In the course of doing so, they generate large amounts of data. So large, in fact, that to make sense of it, the data must be organized into databases and labeled. This is where bioinformatics scientists step in. They design databases and develop algorithms for processing and analyzing genomic and other biological information. These scientists work at the crossroads of biology and computer science.
Owen White is associate director of bioinformatics at the Institute for Genome Sciences, University of Maryland School of Medicine. In this video, Dr. White discusses what the bioinformatics field includes and why the need for bioinformatics scientists will increase in the future.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xODTm4a6nsM

Do You Have the Skills and Characteristics of a Bioinformatics Scientist?


  1. Reading Comprehension: ?
  2. Critical Thinking: ?
  3. Active Listening: ?
  4. Complex Problem Solving: ?
  5. Speaking: ?
More skills...

Core Tasks

Think about if you'd like the typical tasks a Bioinformatics Scientist might do:
  • 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.
  • Keep abreast of new biochemistries, instrumentation, or software by reading scientific literature and attending professional conferences.
  • Develop data models and databases.
  • Compile data for use in activities, such as gene expression profiling, genome annotation, or structural bioinformatics.
  • Design and apply bioinformatics algorithms including unsupervised and supervised machine learning, dynamic programming, or graphic algorithms.
  • Manipulate publicly accessible, commercial, or proprietary genomic, proteomic, or post-genomic databases.
  • Direct the work of technicians and information technology staff applying bioinformatics tools or applications in areas such as proteomics, transcriptomics, metabolomics, or clinical bioinformatics.
  • Provide statistical and computational tools for biologically based activities, such as genetic analysis, measurement of gene expression, or gene function determination.
  • Create or modify web-based bioinformatics tools.

Salary & Job Openings

Median Salary (Yearly Pay)

Tap or scroll over map to see median salaries for each state

Future Jobs

Blast-Off:

How Will Bioinformatics Scientist Jobs Grow by 2034?
Projected % Growth
Rapid growth
(10% or higher)
Much faster than average
(7% - 10%)
Faster than average
(5% - 7%)
About as fast as average
(3% - 5%)
Slower than average
(0% - 3%)
Decreasing
Average of all U.S. jobs (5.3%)
Bioinformatics Scientist jobs (1.20%)
Source: https://www.bls.gov/emp/tables/occupational-projections-and-characteristics.htm

Steps to Get There: Becoming a Bioinformatics Scientist

High School Subjects to Study

Aim to study the yellow-shaded subjects.
Math
Algebra 1
Geometry
Algebra 2
Pre-Calculus
Calculus
Statistics
Science
Biology
Chemistry
Physics
Environmental Science
Physiology
Bio-Medical / Biotech
IT &
Engineering
Computer Science
Applied Technology
Drafting & CAD Training
Core
English
Foreign Language
Business
Psychology / Sociology

Career Pathway Listen to this section

In order to find a position as a bioinformatics scientist, candidates must have experience working in a biological laboratory.

Education- Typical Degree Needed After High School Listen to this section

Degree
Post
high school credential
AA
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctoral or Professional Degree

Typical degree for an entry-level position: Master's degree ? Types of Degrees and Credentials

The minimum degree required to qualify for a position as a bioinformatics scientists is a master's degree in bioinformatics, computer engineering, computational biology, computer science, or related field. Many employers prefer candidates with PhD degrees, as these individuals have a higher level of expertise. Candidates with PhDs are also equipped to teach the university level.

Companies That Hire Bioinformatics Scientists

Try it Out with an Activity or Project

STEM Activities

STEM activities are fun hands-on explorations that usually take from 10 minutes to one hour and use readily available household or classroom materials while introducing you to STEM concepts common in this career.

Science Project Ideas

Project Ideas are in-depth STEM explorations that have a strong focus on controlling variables, taking accurate measurements, and analyzing data suitable for investigating the scientific method or the engineering design process.

On the Job

Role Models

Meet Caroline Thorn, a scientific curator at Stanford University.
[Biocurators] read scientific literature and data sets and catalogue them with descriptions that allow them to be put into scientific databases so people can find the data they are looking for in an easily searchable way.  
Caronline Thorn, Ph.D.

Nature of the Work

Bioinformatics scientists work at the intersection of biology, computer science, and information technology (IT), helping identify the genetic causes of human, animal, and plant development and disease. They create the methods and algorithms for integrating knowledge about genes to help other scientists analyze and interpret gene-expression data. Bioinformatics scientists design and apply the computer systems and databases used to organize and analyze large amounts of genomic, pharmacological, and other biological data. Large amounts of data are generated by biologists and geneticists through research, and this information must be stored, organized, labeled, and mined so that scientists around the world can share and work with it to make discoveries. Bioinformatics scientists conduct research to study huge molecular datasets including DNA, microarray, and proteomics data.

Bioinformatics scientists develop software and custom scripts that automate data mining and manipulation. They develop these tools using Perl, PHP, MySQL, and other computer languages. Bioinformatics scientists also use standard tools such as Basic Local Alignment Search Tool (BLAST) and other sequence comparison software packages for data mining.

Bioinformatics scientists assist in the preparation of journal publications and present their findings at professional meetings and seminars.

Work Environment

Bioinformatics scientists work for private corporations, universities doing genomics and genetics research, and for government agencies such as the National Institutes of Health. Bioinformatics scientists typically work regular hours. However, longer hours are not uncommon. Evening or weekend work may be necessary to meet deadlines or to solve specific problems. As networks expand, telecommuting is increasingly common for many bioinformatics scientists, enabling them to work from remote locations through modems, laptops, electronic mail, and the Internet.

Bioinformatics scientists may be required to work odd or long hours in front of their desks or in the database laboratory.

More Information

Ask Questions

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Additional Resources

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