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: 8,000 (40%)
- Ph.D. or professional degree: 5,992 (30%)
- Bachelor's degree: 4,317 (21%)
- No Education Listed: 1,367 (7%)
- High School or GED: 438 (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 40% of positions. In 30% of job listings a ph.d. or professional degree was required and in 21% of postings a bachelor's degree was required.
Experience Level Required in Job Postings for Bioinformaticians
Jobs Postings for Bioinformaticians By Experience
- 0-1 Years: 1,411 (16%)
- 2-3 Years: 2,470 (28%)
- 4-6 Years: 2,519 (29%)
- 7-9 Years: 1,183 (14%)
- 10+ Years: 1,113 (13%)
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 29% of job postings for Bioinformaticians, employers were looking for candidates with 4-6 years of experience. In 28% of listings employers were looking for candidates with 2-3 years of experience, while 0-1 years of experience was sought in 16% 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 38 key academic programs that can help prepare prospective bioinformaticians, and in 2023 a total of 367,586 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 (2023)
| Program | Completions |
|---|---|
| Biology/Biological Sciences, General. | 91,150 |
| Computer Science. | 72,432 |
| Computer and Information Systems Security/Auditing/Information Assurance. | 29,839 |
| Health/Health Care Administration/Management. | 29,623 |
| Mathematics, General. | 26,754 |
| Program | Completions |
|---|---|
| Biology/Biological Sciences, General. | 91,150 |
| Computer Science. | 72,432 |
| Computer and Information Systems Security/Auditing/Information Assurance. | 29,839 |
| Health/Health Care Administration/Management. | 29,623 |
| Mathematics, General. | 26,754 |
| Public Health, General. | 25,431 |
| Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods, Other. | 19,243 |
| Biomedical Sciences, General. | 11,284 |
| Statistics, General. | 8,285 |
| Public Policy Analysis, General. | 5,838 |
| Business Analytics. | 5,235 |
| Business Statistics. | 4,902 |
| Applied Mathematics, General. | 4,571 |
| Data Science, General. | 4,387 |
| Biotechnology. | 3,714 |
| Data Modeling/Warehousing and Database Administration. | 3,494 |
| Public Health, Other. | 3,119 |
| Health Information/Medical Records Administration/Administrator. | 2,947 |
| Medical Informatics. | 2,611 |
| Health and Medical Administrative Services, Other. | 1,994 |
| Actuarial Science. | 1,705 |
| Biostatistics. | 1,602 |
| Research Methodology and Quantitative Methods. | 1,496 |
| Data Analytics, General. | 1,256 |
| Bioinformatics. | 1,245 |
| Computational and Applied Mathematics. | 786 |
| Mathematics and Statistics. | 591 |
| Statistics, Other. | 574 |
| Applied Statistics, General. | 541 |
| Mathematical Statistics and Probability. | 487 |
| Public Policy Analysis, Other. | 143 |
| Mathematical Economics. | 139 |
| Epidemiology and Biostatistics. | 80 |
| Data Analytics, Other. | 44 |
| Data Science, Other. | 29 |
| Institutional Research. | 10 |
| Medical Illustration and Informatics, Other. | 4 |
| Survey Research/Methodology. | 1 |
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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 12,615 job postings
Top 5 Specialized Skills for Bioinformaticians
| Skills | Postings | % of Total Postings |
|---|---|---|
| Statistics | 10,070 | 80% |
| SAS (Software) | 6,679 | 53% |
| Biostatistics | 6,621 | 52% |
| Statistical Analysis | 6,172 | 49% |
| R (Programming Language) | 5,312 | 42% |
Top 5 Common Skills for Bioinformaticians
| Skills | Postings | % of Total Postings |
|---|---|---|
| Research | 6,682 | 53% |
| Communication | 4,758 | 38% |
| Management | 4,192 | 33% |
| Mathematics | 3,625 | 29% |
| Leadership | 3,566 | 28% |
Based on 12,615 job postings related to bioinformaticians, statistics was the top specialized skill sought by employers, with 80% of all postings looking for that skillset. Skills for sas (software), biostatistics, statistical analysis, r (programming language) and clinical trials were also highly sought.
As for common skills, research was the most desired skill found in job postings for bioinformaticians, followed by communication, management, mathematics, leadership and writing.
| Skill | Postings | % of Total Postings |
|---|---|---|
| Statistics | 10,070 | 80% |
| SAS (Software) | 6,679 | 53% |
| Biostatistics | 6,621 | 52% |
| Statistical Analysis | 6,172 | 49% |
| R (Programming Language) | 5,312 | 42% |
| Clinical Trials | 5,116 | 41% |
| Data Analysis | 4,669 | 37% |
| Statistical Methods | 3,756 | 30% |
| Statistical Programming | 2,976 | 24% |
| Pharmaceuticals | 2,919 | 23% |
| Data Management | 2,671 | 21% |
| Clinical Study Design | 2,474 | 20% |
| Python (Programming Language) | 2,401 | 19% |
| Data Science | 2,388 | 19% |
| Statistical Software | 2,280 | 18% |
| Project Management | 2,202 | 17% |
| Pre-Clinical Development | 2,102 | 17% |
| Data Collection | 1,891 | 15% |
| Computer Science | 1,794 | 14% |
| Drug Development | 1,739 | 14% |
| Skill | Postings | % of Total Postings |
|---|---|---|
| Research | 6,682 | 53% |
| Communication | 4,758 | 38% |
| Management | 4,192 | 33% |
| Mathematics | 3,625 | 29% |
| Leadership | 3,566 | 28% |
| Writing | 3,557 | 28% |
| Innovation | 2,891 | 23% |
| Presentations | 2,841 | 23% |
| Planning | 2,751 | 22% |
| Operations | 2,233 | 18% |
| Verbal Communication Skills | 1,881 | 15% |
| Interpersonal Communications | 1,852 | 15% |
| Problem Solving | 1,850 | 15% |
| Microsoft Excel | 1,546 | 12% |
| Detail Oriented | 1,524 | 12% |
| Mentorship | 1,480 | 12% |
| Microsoft Office | 1,428 | 11% |
| Timelines | 1,344 | 11% |
| Quality Control | 1,198 | 9% |
| Microsoft PowerPoint | 1,122 | 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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