Bioinformatics Technicians

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.

SOC: 15-2099.01

Common Job Titles

Bioinformatics AnalystBioinformatics SpecialistBiotechnicianScientific Informatics Analyst

What You'll Need to Succeed

AI-generated

Key competencies for this occupation at a glance

  • KnowledgeAnalyze genomic and proteomic datasets using bioinformatics software tools such as BLAST, GATK, and Bowtie in computational biology environments.
  • KnowledgeDesign database architectures for storing and processing biological information using SQL, MySQL, and Oracle Database to support pharmaceutical and biotechnology research.
  • Hands-onOperate high-throughput bioinformatics pipelines and computational clusters in Linux environments to process large-scale molecular data.
  • KnowledgeApply statistical methods and algorithms using R, Python, MATLAB, and SAS to interpret molecular patterns and trends.
  • KnowledgeEvaluate sequence alignment results and biological data quality applying quality control standards in pharmaceutical and medical technology settings.
  • KnowledgeAssess emerging bioinformatics methodologies and computational tools through continuous learning to maintain currency in genomics, proteomics, and systems biology.
  • KnowledgeInterpret complex molecular data and computational analysis outputs for scientific reports and presentations to researchers in pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, and medical informatics.
  • KnowledgeDevelop custom scripts and programs for data visualization and manipulation using Python, Perl, C++, and R to meet specific research requirements.
  • MindsetEngage with interdisciplinary scientific teams to provide bioinformatics consultation and translate computational findings for biological interpretation.
  • Hands-onExecute version control workflows using Git and Apache Subversion to maintain reproducible bioinformatics analysis pipelines.
Wage Data According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics

Annual wage data for Bioinformatics Technicians (2024)

Estimated Total Employment (U.S.)

4,660

Wage Distribution by Percentile

MetricU.S.
10% of workers earn the following or less$40,330
10% of workers earn the following or more$154,140
Workers on average earn$84,700

+ indicates wage is at or above the BLS reporting cap ($239,200/year)

Skills & Requirements

Key competencies for this occupation, ranked by importance

  • Computers and Electronics4.8/5
  • Mathematics4.5/5
  • English Language4.0/5
  • Biology3.8/5
  • Design2.9/5
Tools & Technology

Equipment and software commonly used in this occupation

In-Demand Technology

Frequently requested by employers in job postings

Apache Subversion SVNCC++GitHypertext markup language HTMLIBM SPSS StatisticsJenkins CILinuxMicrosoft AccessMicrosoft ExcelMicrosoft Office softwareMicrosoft OutlookMicrosoft PowerPointMicrosoft SQL ServerMicrosoft SharePointMicrosoft VisioMicrosoft WindowsMicrosoft WordMySQLOracle DatabaseOracle JavaPerlPythonRRubySAP softwareSASStructured query language SQLThe MathWorks MATLAB

Technology Skills

Atlassian BambooAvaya Identity EnginesBasic Local Alignment Search Tool BLASTBioconductorBowtieBurrows-Wheeler Aligner BWAClustalWCufflinks

Tools & Equipment

Computer clustersComputer workstation setupsDesktop computersHigh throughput screening HTS systemsNetwork file serversNuclear magnetic resonance NMR spectrometersSemiconductor-based sequencersWeb servers