What Do Bioinformatics Technician Do?
Career Description 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.
Life As a Bioinformatics Technician: What Do They Do?
- Confer with database users about project timelines and changes.
- Analyze or manipulate bioinformatics data using software packages, statistical applications, or data mining techniques.
- Enter or retrieve information from structural databases, protein sequence motif databases, mutation databases, genomic databases or gene expression databases.
- Participate in the preparation of reports or scientific publications.
- Create data management or error-checking procedures and user manuals.
- Develop or maintain applications that process biologically based data into searchable databases for purposes of analysis, calculation, or presentation.
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Things a Bioinformatics Technician Should Know How to Do
Below is a list of the skills most Bioinformatics Technicians say are important on the job.
Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Writing: Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Active Learning: Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
Complex Problem Solving: Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
Types of Bioinformatics Technician Jobs
- Submission Technician
- Log Data Technician
- Biometrics Technician
- Museum Informatics Specialist
- Data Technician
What Kind of Bioinformatics Technician Job Opportunities Are There?
There were about 11,800 jobs for Bioinformatics Technician in 2016 (in the United States). New jobs are being produced at a rate of 9.3% which is above the national average. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 1,100 new jobs for Bioinformatics Technician by 2026. The BLS estimates 1,600 yearly job openings in this field.
The states with the most job growth for Bioinformatics Technician are Utah, Florida, and Arkansas. Watch out if you plan on working in Rhode Island, New Hampshire, or Mississippi. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.
Salary for a Bioinformatics Technician
The average yearly salary of a Bioinformatics Technician ranges between $31,470 and $72,860.
Bioinformatics Technicians who work in Connecticut, Washington, or Massachusetts, make the highest salaries.
Below is a list of the median annual salaries for Bioinformatics Technicians in different U.S. states.
| State | Annual Mean Salary |
|---|---|
| Alabama | $41,720 |
| Arizona | $39,180 |
| California | $50,250 |
| Colorado | $45,250 |
| Connecticut | $72,480 |
| District of Columbia | $54,990 |
| Florida | $48,180 |
| Georgia | $50,510 |
| Hawaii | $47,890 |
| Illinois | $53,760 |
| Indiana | $37,970 |
| Iowa | $55,120 |
| Louisiana | $56,010 |
| Maine | $40,530 |
| Maryland | $49,900 |
| Massachusetts | $61,730 |
| Michigan | $49,940 |
| Minnesota | $49,370 |
| Mississippi | $25,280 |
| Missouri | $43,410 |
| Nebraska | $41,940 |
| Nevada | $50,320 |
| New Hampshire | $47,210 |
| New Jersey | $51,020 |
| New Mexico | $45,020 |
| New York | $55,620 |
| North Carolina | $41,520 |
| Ohio | $43,390 |
| Oklahoma | $45,520 |
| Oregon | $45,920 |
| Pennsylvania | $49,850 |
| Rhode Island | $52,530 |
| South Carolina | $40,160 |
| Tennessee | $41,240 |
| Texas | $56,700 |
| Utah | $54,440 |
| Virginia | $52,100 |
| Washington | $63,900 |
| West Virginia | $42,530 |
| Wisconsin | $45,510 |
What Tools do Bioinformatics Technicians Use?
Below is a list of the types of tools and technologies that Bioinformatics Technicians may use on a daily basis:
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Word
- Microsoft Office
- Hypertext markup language HTML
- Microsoft PowerPoint
- Git
- Microsoft Outlook
- Web browser software
- Python
- Microsoft Access
- MySQL
- Word processing software
- Data visualization software
- Microsoft Windows
- Microsoft SharePoint
- Microsoft Visio
- Structured query language SQL
- The MathWorks MATLAB
- SAS
- Linux
Becoming a Bioinformatics Technician
Education needed to be a Bioinformatics Technician:
How many years of work experience do I need?
Bioinformatics Technicians Sector
The table below shows some of the most common industries where those employed in this career field work.
References:
Image Credit: Pixabay via CC0 License
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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