Bioengineer
Snapshot
Bioengineers combine state of the art findings in the field of biology with engineering logics in order to develop solutions aimed at improving the well-being of society. They can develop improvement systems for natural resource conservation, agriculture, food production, genetic modification, and economic use.
As a bioengineer, your days could involve designing medical devices, developing sustainable agricultural practices, or researching genetic modification techniques. You’ll apply engineering principles to biological systems, often working collaboratively with scientists, researchers, and other engineers. Problem-solving, analytical thinking, and a strong understanding of both biological and engineering concepts are essential to your work.
- • Designing and developing medical equipment, prosthetics, and diagnostic tools.
- • Creating solutions for environmental challenges, such as improving natural resource conservation and sustainable agriculture.
- • Conducting research and experimentation to advance understanding of biological systems and apply that knowledge to engineering solutions.
Where this occupation is in demand
Reported labour shortages and surpluses, by year. Published for occupation groups, not for individual job titles.
Figures cover Science and engineering professionals — 274 jobs including this one.
In shortage: Belgium, Bulgaria, Denmark, Ireland and 4 more.
Longest-running shortage: Ireland, 4 years.
Select a place on the map to see its figures.
About this source›
Source: ELA/EURES labour shortages and surpluses. Readings are published at occupation-group level, and cover Europe. Editions differ in annex layout and country coverage, so a change between years does not always mean the labour market changed. Countries in grey were not reported, which is not the same as being in balance.
What these words mean
The four things this section reports
- Reported demand
- Whether employers report needing people in this job — a judgement published by a national or EU body, not a count.
- Where it is heading
- Which way employment in this job is expected to move over the coming years, from an official projection.
- Openings
- Roughly how many openings arise — from growth and from people leaving the job.
- Typical pay
- What people in this job typically earn where the source publishes it. Blank does not mean unpaid; it means nobody publishes it for that place.
A measure is left out when nobody publishes it for that place, rather than shown as zero.
Which way the market leans for you
- In your favour
- More openings than people looking — employers are competing for candidates.
- Balanced
- Openings and candidates are roughly matched.
- Competitive
- More people looking than openings — expect to compete.
- Mixed evidence
- Sources disagree, or the same occupation group is short in one part and oversupplied in another.
Every source resolves to one of these four, so there is a single vocabulary to learn. What differs is the evidence behind it, which is printed underneath each verdict — a measured ratio of openings to jobseekers, or an assessment published by a national body.
How this job compares with other jobs in the same country
- Strong
- Among the strongest in that country
- Good
- Stronger than most jobs in that country
- Mixed
- About typical for that country
- Weak
- Weaker than most jobs in that country
This is a rank within one country, not a score you can carry across borders — the registers behind two countries count different people, so the same number means different things in each. It is also why a job can be among the strongest in a country and still show as Competitive: it leads the field in a market that is crowded overall.
Where these come from
Every figure is published by a national statistics office, a public employment service or an EU body, and each card names its source and the period it covers. Some places are counted monthly, others assessed once or twice a year, so two places on the same map can be describing different moments — the date is always shown.
None of this predicts one person’s chances. It describes a market.
Reported demand · Typical pay · Where it is heading (United States, Ireland, Australia, Malta, United Kingdom)
| Reported demand | Typical pay | Where it is heading | |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | Not reported | $109,370 2025-05 | +5.2% 2024–2034 · BLS 2024-2034 |
| Ireland | Shortage reported ELA/EURES 2025 * | — | +35.5% 2023–2035 · Cedefop 2026 * |
| Australia | Shortage reported Jobs and Skills Australia 2025 * | — | — |
| Malta | Shortage reported ELA/EURES 2024 * | — | — |
| United Kingdom | Not reported | £51,950 2025-provisional | — |
* Published for occupation groups, not for individual job titles.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS)
Source: Office for National Statistics, Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, Open Government Licence v3.0
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Future Outlook for bioengineer
The outlook for bioengineer reflects a balanced mix of automation exposure and durable, human-led work.
How are these scores calculated?
The Resilience Score (0–100) estimates how structurally protected this occupation is from automation and AI disruption, based on task-level analysis. Higher scores mean more human-judgment-intensive tasks. AI Exposure shows the estimated percentage of task hours that current AI capabilities could affect. These are model-derived structural indicators, not predictions about individual job security.
How could bioengineer change as AI adoption grows?
This role is likely to change gradually, with AI supporting selected tasks rather than replacing the whole occupation.
Illustrative scenario based on task automatability — not a forecast. Values are rounded the further ahead you look.
This role is likely to change gradually, with AI supporting selected tasks rather than replacing the whole occupation.
Illustrative scenario based on task automatability — not a forecast. Values are rounded the further ahead you look.
Model-based estimate. Use it as a planning signal, not a guarantee.
Compare this to your profile
How AI may change this role
Deterministic, model-based interpretation of current role signals — not a guarantee of replacement.
What still depends on people
Most tasks here are AI-assistable rather than purely human-led.
Where AI may become a co-pilot
- develop bioremediation techniques
- perform scientific research
- adjust engineering designs
Tasks most exposed to automation
No single task here is highly automatable yet.
Vital Signs & AI Vectors
AI Exposure Vectors
0-100%Exposure to AI-assisted analysis, pattern recognition, and predictive modelling tasks
Exposure to content generation, creative augmentation, and large language model tools
Exposure to physical automation, robotics, and sensor-driven task displacement
Exposure to workflow automation, decision-support software, and process digitisation
Technical Details
NexFuture v3.0 estimates automation exposure natively from ESCO essential-skill groups, weighted by skill mass and calibrated against expert anchors. Scores are probabilistic estimates, not guarantees. See the NexFuture Methodology White Paper for full details.
Measures automation exposure. It does not measure pay, demand, or how many jobs exist near you.
What people in this role usually do
Healthcare & Human Services
A typical day as a bioengineer
09 09:00 · Morning develop bioremediation techniques
10 10:30 · Mid-morning adjust engineering designs
12 12:00 · Midday approve engineering design
14 14:00 · Afternoon perform scientific research
Task order is illustrative. Individual days vary.
What you need to do this work
The skills, knowledge and tools this role calls for — and the traits and rewards that come with it.
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develop bioremediation techniques
Research and elaborate new methods to neutralise or remove contaminants using organisms that will transform pollutants into less toxic substances.
-
perform scientific research
Gain, correct or improve knowledge about phenomena by using scientific methods and techniques, based on empirical or measurable observations.
-
adjust engineering designs
Adjust designs of products or parts of products so that they meet requirements.
-
approve engineering design
Give consent to the finished engineering design to go over to the actual manufacturing and assembly of the product.
biological chemistry
Biological chemistry is a medical specialty mentioned in the EU Directive 2005/36/EC.
computational biology
The interdisciplinary scientific field that focus on employing data analytics and theories to investigate biological systems obtained through experiments.
computational chemistry
The branch of chemistry that aims at addressing complex chemical problems through computer simulations.
engineering processes
The systematic approach to the development and maintenance of engineering systems.
genetics
The study of heredity, genes and variations in living organisms. Genetic science seeks to understand the process of trait inheritance from parents to offspring and the structure and behaviour of genes in living beings.
nanomaterials
The characteristics of engineered nanoparticles that conform to a specific set of properties such as being manufactured at nanoscale, being composed of nano-objects as defined by ISO. Some of the well known nanomaterials could be carbon nanotubes,quantum dots gold or titanium dioxide.
synthetic biology
The field of science that is interdisciplinary between engineering and biology. It aims at redesigning organisms and fabricate biological components and engineering them to have new abilities. It is used by researchers to solve problems in the medical sector, manufacturing and agriculture.
- bioeconomy
- biology
- biotechnology
- engineering principles
- life sciences
Path to become a bioengineer
What it typically takes to qualify: education level, where it is a regulated profession, and where to study.
Bachelor's or equivalent level
2,598 programmes in 30 countries teach the core skills of this job. Plus 133 short courses that build single skills.
A few examples, taught in the language of this page:
Postgraduate Certificate in Industrial Biotechnology and Biomanufacturing
University College Cork · Ireland
These are 6 of 2,731.
Sources
- 1. Source: Opintopolku.fi (Finnish National Agency for Education)
- 2. Source: Commonwealth of Australia (Department of Education), CRICOS, data.gov.au, CC BY 2.5 AU. Data as at 01/09/2026. Adapted by NexPath.
- 3. Source: Europass Qualification Dataset Register (European Commission)
- 4. Source: South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA), All Qualifications and Unit Standards (allqs.saqa.org.za).
- 5. Contains information from MySkillsFuture Course Run accessed on 2026-09-28 from data.gov.sg which is made available under the terms of the Singapore Open Data Licence version 1.0 (https://data.gov.sg/open-data-licence)
Growth Pathways & Similar Roles
Explore typical career progression paths, adjacent skills, and similar roles to plan your next transition.
Where does bioengineer fit?
Similarity scores based on skill overlap from ESCO data.
For organisations
The data on this page, working for your students, clients and staff.
Frequently asked questions
What kind of education is typically required to become a bioengineer?
Are there specific areas within bioengineering that are particularly in demand?
What are the typical work environments for bioengineers?
Is there a shortage of Bioengineer in Europe?
How much does Bioengineer pay in the United States?
Sources: ESCO O*NET ELA/EURES Cedefop BLS Data updated October 3, 2026 About our data