Career Guide To Jobs in Bioinformatics

Updated April 18, 2024

Bioinformatics is a relatively new field that is providing individuals with innovative roles. To get a job in bioinformatics, you'll likely need a specific skill set and additional qualifications that can help you succeed in the role. Learning how to obtain these qualifications and what types of jobs are available can help you determine if this field is right for you. In this article, we offer a complete guide on careers in the bioinformatics field.

What is bioinformatics?

Bioinformatics is an interdisciplinary field that combines molecular biology and computational technology. With the rise of data generated in the medical field, including proteomics and genomics, computer science is now serving as an essential virtual warehouse where medical professionals can store data.Bioinformatics encompasses different fields of study, including biotechnology, computer sciences, statistics, engineering and molecular biology. The area uses extensive data sets for analysis and research in patient-health information, genetic data and other biological information.This emerging field is highly innovative and works to discover new drug technology, gene expression studies and gene sequencing. With bioinformatics, medical professionals can create far more customized medical treatments for patients by using their DNA data.Bioinformatics is helping scientists identify connections between a disease and the genetic sequences that cause them. The goals of individuals with careers in bioinformatics include:

Organize molecular data in a way that is easily accessible.
Read results more accurately.
Develop tools that help in analyzing this data.

Related: 16 Highest Paying Biology Jobs

Studying bioinformatics

If you're interested in a career in bioinformatics, consider the following education that you might need to pursue:

Bachelor's degree

Most entry-level jobs in bioinformatics require at least a bachelor's degree. If your school doesn't offer a bioinformatics major, you can also major in computational biology, biomathematics, computer science, life sciences or statistics. A major in statistics is a good choice if you wish to specialize in developing mathematical representations to analyze extensive data. If interpreting data from databases is more interesting to you, then computational biology is an excellent field to start your bioinformatics journey.

Master's degree

To pursue higher-level bioinformatics jobs, you'll probably need a master's degree. Your graduate program will likely include classes like chemistry, biology, computer programming, genetics, linear algebra and statistics. If you're interested in specializing in bioinformatics or pursuing a doctoral degree, you can take more focused classes, like genetics and genomics.An excellent way of preparing yourself for graduate studies is to apply for an internship during the last year of your undergraduate studies. This opportunity will give you real-world experience that can make it easier to understand in-classroom learning.

Doctorate

You'll need a doctoral degree if you intend to work in academic bioinformatics. Lab work is often a large part of Ph.D. programs in bioinformatics. You can also expect fundamental courses during this time, including molecular biology, computing, informatics and statistics. Other courses that may be fundamental to your specialization can include probabilistic modeling, computational neuroscience, macromolecular structure, biological databases and genomics. To succeed in a bioinformatics Ph.D. program, you will need to pass oral and written exams and submit a dissertation.

Training

Training opportunities are essential throughout your studies, from the moment you begin your undergraduate program. You can seek training opportunities with health institutes, private companies and medical labs.Related: Definitive Guide To Internships

Specializations in bioinformatics

Bioinformatics includes three different specializations:

Bioinformatics scientists: This area of specialization includes biologists using computational tools to analyze the science behind living systems.
Bioinformatics users: Researchers working in the industry or academia make up most of this area of specialization. Working with domains, these researchers use data for their job. However, bioinformatic users can also be medical professionals, like genetic counselors and physicians, who use data to diagnose, treat and help patients.
Bioinformatics engineers: This area of specialization includes professionals using statistical sciences and computational skills to create innovative methods for bioinformatics users and scientists to do their job efficiently.

Jobs in bioinformatics

Here are six jobs that you can consider in bioinformatic with the most up-to-date salary information from Indeed Salaries being linked to to the salary by each job title below:

1. Bioinformatics computer specialist

National average salary: $50,152 per yearPrimary duties: A bioinformatics computer specialist develops and maintains algorithms and computational tools to spot duplications and other variants. Installing and troubleshooting computational tools are also the primary duties of this role. A bioinformatics computer specialist works closely with researchers to implement computational methods and assess data.

2. Bioinformatics specialist

National average salary: $54,403 per yearPrimary duties: A bioinformatics specialist collects, manages and analyzes biological and biochemical data by using computer software. Bioinformatics specialists mainly focus on analyzing DNA and molecular data. They also develop complex mathematical algorithms to analyze and categorize the data gathered.

3. Bioinformatics programmer

National average salary: $78,368 per yearPrimary duties: A bioinformatics programmer creates living materials algorithms. They are responsible for administering sequencing and other computational algorithms to produce accurate interpretations of biological data. Creating tools to track these sequences is another duty of a bioinformatics programmer. Coordinating with other programmers, designing scripts for extensive data, training junior analysts and noting technical issues are also basic responsibilities.

4. Bioinformatics analyst

National average salary: $73,774 per yearPrimary duties: Bioinformatics analysts evaluate the information gathered from large databases to develop cures for diseases. Bioinformatics analysts are experts in computer databases, software and algorithms. Collaborating closely with researchers, bioinformatics analysts are the ones who start researching genomic data. Designing algorithms and developing databases are more duties of this role.

5. Bioinformatics scientist

National average salary: $89,737 per yearPrimary duties: A bioinformatics scientist's role is to analyze data, whether biological, statistical or sequencing data, and present their results to key decision-makers within the company or facility. Conducting research, applying bioinformatics theory and designing databases and algorithms may also be part of the job.

6. Bioinformatics consultant

National average salary: $96,311 per yearPrimary duties: Providing expert bioinformatics services, such as API development, NGS analysis and data harmonization, are duties of a bioinformatics consultant. The role involves collaborating with researchers and software development teams to integrate complex biological information and provide solutions.

Career outlook in bioinformatics

The career outlook for bioinformatics careers varies depending on the job. According to O*NET, a division of the Department of Labor, the outlook for bioinformatics scientists is slightly lower than average, while the demand for bioinformatics technicians is expected to increase much faster than average from 2019-2029. Generally, you can expect a positive career outlook as researchers rely more on technology.Many bioinformatics careers are in the science, technology and medical fields, though research and academics are also common fields.

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Should you pursue bioinformatics?

Bioinformatics is a diverse field, which can make it appealing for many professionals. You can become an expert in very different areas—from molecular biology to computer programming. If you think applying research and analytics to biology to create innovative cures and processes is interesting, then you may want to pursue a career in bioinformatics.

Computational chemists & biologists