How to become a Bioinformatics Technician

Official title: Bioinformatics Technicians

Also called: Biocurator, Bioinformatics Analyst, Bioinformatics Data Analyst, Bioinformatics Specialist, Biotechnician, Research Scientist, Research Specialist, Scientific Informatics Analyst

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.

Main tasks

• Conduct quality analyses of data inputs and resulting analyses or predictions.
• Confer with researchers, clinicians, or information technology staff to determine data needs and programming requirements and to provide assistance with database-related research activities.
• Analyze or manipulate bioinformatics data using software packages, statistical applications, or data mining techniques.
• Document all database changes, modifications, or problems.
• Monitor database performance and perform any necessary maintenance, upgrades, or repairs.
• Participate in the preparation of reports or scientific publications.
• Maintain awareness of new and emerging computational methods and technologies.
• Test new or updated software or tools and provide feedback to developers.

How to become one

Typical education to start: Bachelor's degree

Ways in

• Apprenticeship: Bioinformatics Technician.
• College: Science degrees, Offered by 36 universities in the US

Pay · Outlook · AI and this job

• Median pay: $81,490 a year The middle half earn $60,750 to $107,180.
• About 4,000 people work in this job now, and about 4,200 are projected by 2035. (+7.1%)
• People already use generative AI for a good share of this work, which usually changes the job more than it replaces it. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as high.

Related jobs

• Actuaries
• Mathematicians
• Operations Research Analysts
• Statisticians
• Biostatisticians
• Data Scientists

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Questions people ask

How do I become a Bioinformatics Technician?

Ways in include: Science degrees; Bioinformatics Technician.

How much does a Bioinformatics Technician earn in the US?

Median full-time pay is $81,490 a year (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). The middle half earn $60,750 to $107,180.

Is a Bioinformatics Technician a growing career in the US?

Yes. Employment is projected to grow 7% by 2035, from about 4,000 to about 4,200 people (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).

Do you need a degree to become a Bioinformatics Technician?

Usually. 86% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

Will AI change the work of a Bioinformatics Technician?

People already use generative AI for a good share of this work, which usually changes the job more than it replaces it. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as high.

Sources

• Microsoft Research: Working with AI: AI applicability by occupation (2025-12-22 (built on O*NET 29.0)), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Employment Projections (2025-35 (released 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03

Updated 2026-10-03

This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.