Bioinformaticians: How to Become One
If you were to ask a group of bioinformaticians about how they arrived at their current job, there's a good chance you would get several different answers about the paths and steps that each person took.
That said, there are still ways that you can develop a baseline understanding of the preparation that is necessary to become one.
The Best Adult Colleges and Careers Guide has gathered data to provide you with insight into the type of education that's commonly required for bioinformaticians to land a job. This page contains information, sourced from real job postings, that describes the experience levels and specific skills that employers of bioinformaticians expect candidates to have. In the end, this information will help you create an education or professional development plan that aligns with your career aspirations.
Keep reading to learn more about career steps for bioinformaticians.
What Education & Experience is Needed for Bioinformaticians?
Do bioinformaticians need a degree? What kind of experience do bioinformaticians typically need? Thanks to data sourced from Lightcast™ from real job postings, we can get some clarity on those questions, as well as the level of education that is commonly required for bioinformaticians to secure jobs.
Education Level Required in Job Postings for Bioinformaticians
Jobs Postings for Bioinformaticians By Education
- Master's degree: 16,406 (34%)
- Bachelor's degree: 12,584 (26%)
- Ph.D. or professional degree: 11,900 (25%)
- No Education Listed: 6,423 (13%)
- High School or GED: 1,172 (2%)
A master's degree is the level of education sought the most by employers of bioinformaticians. According to job data, a master's degree was required for 34% of positions. In 26% of job listings a bachelor's degree was required and in 25% of postings a ph.d. or professional degree was required.
Experience Level Required in Job Postings for Bioinformaticians
Jobs Postings for Bioinformaticians By Experience
- 0-1 Years: 2,489 (11%)
- 2-3 Years: 7,568 (32%)
- 4-6 Years: 8,754 (37%)
- 7-9 Years: 2,774 (12%)
- 10+ Years: 1,842 (8%)
While the amount of required experience will vary based on the responsibility and seniority of the position, an aggregate view of job posting data can help paint a picture of the experience level sought for most job openings for bioinformaticians. In 37% of job postings for Bioinformaticians, employers were looking for candidates with 4-6 years of experience. In 32% of listings employers were looking for candidates with 2-3 years of experience, while 7-9 years of experience was sought in 12% of job postings for bioinformaticians.
What Kind of Degree Do Bioinformaticians Need?
So far this page has provided detail into the level of education and the amount of experience required in job openings for bioinformaticians, but what type of education or degree will help prepare you for a career in the field?
According to occupational data obtained through Lightcast,™ there are 37 key academic programs that can help prepare prospective bioinformaticians, and in 2021 a total of 336,252 of those programs were completed at institutions in the United States.
Check out the information below to learn more about the specific programs that should be considered by prospective bioinformaticians.
Top Degree Programs for Bioinformaticians
Top 5 Degree Programs for Bioinformaticians (2021)
| Program | Completions |
|---|---|
| Biology/Biological Sciences, General. | 94,732 |
| Computer Science. | 59,346 |
| Health/Health Care Administration/Management. | 31,252 |
| Mathematics, General. | 29,750 |
| Computer and Information Systems Security/Auditing/Information Assurance. | 22,799 |
| Program | Completions |
|---|---|
| Biology/Biological Sciences, General. | 94,732 |
| Computer Science. | 59,346 |
| Health/Health Care Administration/Management. | 31,252 |
| Mathematics, General. | 29,750 |
| Computer and Information Systems Security/Auditing/Information Assurance. | 22,799 |
| Public Health, General. | 22,677 |
| Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods, Other. | 13,371 |
| Biomedical Sciences, General. | 10,795 |
| Statistics, General. | 8,501 |
| Public Policy Analysis, General. | 5,667 |
| Applied Mathematics, General. | 4,658 |
| Business Statistics. | 4,292 |
| Biotechnology. | 3,785 |
| Data Modeling/Warehousing and Database Administration. | 3,745 |
| Public Health, Other. | 3,404 |
| Health Information/Medical Records Administration/Administrator. | 3,302 |
| Actuarial Science. | 2,206 |
| Health and Medical Administrative Services, Other. | 2,200 |
| Medical Informatics. | 2,004 |
| Biostatistics. | 1,263 |
| Computational and Applied Mathematics. | 1,164 |
| Bioinformatics. | 1,156 |
| Business Analytics. | 823 |
| Statistics, Other. | 540 |
| Data Science, General. | 526 |
| Mathematical Statistics and Probability. | 500 |
| Data Analytics, General. | 493 |
| Applied Statistics, General. | 464 |
| Mathematics and Statistics. | 436 |
| Research Methodology and Quantitative Methods. | 235 |
| Public Policy Analysis, Other. | 114 |
| Data Science, Other. | 15 |
| Mathematical Economics. | 10 |
| Institutional Research. | 8 |
| Epidemiology and Biostatistics. | 7 |
| Data Analytics, Other. | 7 |
| Medical Illustration and Informatics, Other. | 5 |
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What Skills Do Bioinformaticians Need?
Education and experience have been covered, so what are the specific skills and traits needed by bioinformaticians to secure a job?
A good way to understand this is to examine actual job postings for skills commonly sought by employers. Continue reading for a breakdown of specialized skills found in job postings for bioinformaticians, as well as common skills that can help you thrive in the workplace.
In-Demand Skills for Today's Bioinformaticians
Based on 33,093 job postings
Top 5 Specialized Skills for Bioinformaticians
| Skills | Postings | % of Total Postings |
|---|---|---|
| SAS (Software) | 17,009 | 51% |
| Clinical Trials | 12,868 | 39% |
| Data Analysis | 12,625 | 38% |
| Biostatistics | 12,133 | 37% |
| Statistical Analysis | 12,047 | 36% |
Top 5 Common Skills for Bioinformaticians
| Skills | Postings | % of Total Postings |
|---|---|---|
| Communications | 15,639 | 47% |
| Research | 12,090 | 37% |
| Management | 9,503 | 29% |
| Leadership | 8,848 | 27% |
| Mathematics | 7,694 | 23% |
Based on 33,093 job postings related to bioinformaticians, sas (software) was the top specialized skill sought by employers, with 51% of all postings looking for that skillset. Skills for clinical trials, data analysis, biostatistics, statistical analysis and r (programming language) were also highly sought.
As for common skills, communications was the most desired skill found in job postings for bioinformaticians, followed by research, management, leadership, mathematics and writing.
| Skill | Postings | % of Total Postings |
|---|---|---|
| SAS (Software) | 17,009 | 51% |
| Clinical Trials | 12,868 | 39% |
| Data Analysis | 12,625 | 38% |
| Biostatistics | 12,133 | 37% |
| Statistical Analysis | 12,047 | 36% |
| R (Programming Language) | 10,477 | 32% |
| Statistics | 8,112 | 25% |
| Statistical Programming | 7,216 | 22% |
| Pharmaceuticals | 7,104 | 21% |
| Computer Science | 6,816 | 21% |
| Python (Programming Language) | 6,561 | 20% |
| Data Management | 5,599 | 17% |
| Statistical Methods | 5,491 | 17% |
| Project Management | 5,485 | 17% |
| Drug Development | 4,795 | 14% |
| SQL (Programming Language) | 4,023 | 12% |
| Biology | 3,962 | 12% |
| Clinical Study Design | 3,805 | 11% |
| Biotechnology | 3,781 | 11% |
| Data Science | 3,760 | 11% |
| Skill | Postings | % of Total Postings |
|---|---|---|
| Communications | 15,639 | 47% |
| Research | 12,090 | 37% |
| Management | 9,503 | 29% |
| Leadership | 8,848 | 27% |
| Mathematics | 7,694 | 23% |
| Writing | 6,524 | 20% |
| Presentations | 6,150 | 19% |
| Quality Control | 6,111 | 18% |
| Timelines | 5,542 | 17% |
| Innovation | 4,947 | 15% |
| Problem Solving | 4,793 | 14% |
| Detail Oriented | 4,779 | 14% |
| Planning | 4,175 | 13% |
| Operations | 4,153 | 13% |
| Interpersonal Communications | 3,742 | 11% |
| Teamwork | 3,097 | 9% |
| Time Management | 3,018 | 9% |
| Coordinating | 2,982 | 9% |
| Organizational Skills | 2,953 | 9% |
| Verbal Communication Skills | 2,894 | 9% |
Additional Links
Ready to dig deeper into career information about bioinformaticians? Visit our other pages focused on salary and education for bioinformaticians.
What do bioinformaticians do?
How much do bioinformaticians make?
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