Biomedical Engineer salary

Q: How much does a biomedical engineer make?

The median biomedical engineer salary in the U.S. is about $106,950 per year. Most biomedical engineers earn between $71,860 and $165,060, and top earners (90th percentile) make $165,060 or more. These national figures come from published U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS OEWS) wage data.

Q: How much do entry-level biomedical engineers make?

Entry-level biomedical engineers (0–2 years) earn about $83,500 per year, rising to roughly $115,500 at mid-level and $144,500+ at the principal/staff level. These by-experience figures are modeled estimates based on typical engineering career progression.

Q: Do biomedical engineers make good money?

Yes. The median biomedical engineer salary of $106,950 is 11% below the roughly $120,395 median across engineering occupations, and experienced biomedical engineers can earn $165,060 or more.

Q: Which cities pay biomedical engineers the most?

Estimated biomedical engineer pay is highest in San Jose ($139,490), San Francisco ($136,720), Columbus ($128,220). These are cost-of-labor estimates that adjust the national baseline by local wage levels — not direct BLS metro wages.

Verified

Updated March 2025

Biomedical engineers design medical devices, equipment, and software that combine engineering with biology and medicine.

Median pay

$106,950

U.S. typical

Top earners

$165,060

90th percentile

Entry level

$83,500

0–2 yrs

Senior

$144,500

15+ yrs

The median biomedical engineer salary in the U.S. is about $106,950 per year. Entry-level pay starts near $71,860, while top earners (90th percentile) make $165,060 or more. Add your city and experience for a sharper, local number.

Median annual wage

$106,950

Mean

$115,020

10th pct · $71,86090th pct · $165,060

What biomedical engineers do

Design medical devices and instrumentation, evaluate device safety and efficacy, and work with clinicians and regulators.

Biomedical engineers design medical devices, equipment, and software that combine engineering with biology and medicine.

What affects biomedical engineer pay

▹Medical device vs. research vs. clinical setting
▹Regulatory (FDA) experience
▹Advanced degrees
▹Years of experience
▹Metro cost of labor

Biomedical Engineer salary by experience

Pay typically climbs from about $83,500 for entry level engineers to $144,500+ at the principal / staff level.

Entry level 0–2 yrs

$83,500

Early career 3–5 yrs

$100,500

Mid level 6–9 yrs

$115,500

Senior 10–14 yrs

$130,500

Principal / Staff 15+ yrs

$144,500

Your actual offer depends on company, location, and specialization — run the calculator for a tailored range.

Highest-paying cities for biomedical engineers

Published biomedical engineer pay in the top-paying U.S. metro areas, vs the national benchmark.

15results

Metro	State	Median	90th pct	vs U.S.	Data
San Jose California	CA	$139,490	$205,160	+30%	Verified
San Francisco California	CA	$136,720	$179,710	+28%	Verified
Columbus Ohio	OH	$128,220	$166,910	+20%	Verified
Indianapolis Indiana	IN	$127,650	$178,370	+19%	Verified
Cincinnati Ohio	OH	$127,490	$163,380	+19%	Verified
Minneapolis Minnesota	MN	$126,780	$171,600	+19%	Verified
Seattle Washington	WA	$125,010	$200,010	+17%	Verified
Phoenix Arizona	AZ	$120,310	$165,770	+12%	Verified
San Diego California	CA	$116,790	$162,120	+9%	Verified
New York City New York	NY	$115,080	$177,740	+8%	Verified
Los Angeles California	CA	$115,020	$168,660	+8%	Verified
Boston Massachusetts	MA	$110,880	$165,000	+4%	Verified
Washington, D.C. District of Columbia	DC	$108,310	$168,620	+1%	Verified
Denver Colorado	CO	$106,690	$139,490	0%	Verified
Durham North Carolina	NC	$103,270	$140,280	-3%	Verified

Biomedical Engineer salary by state

All 37 states with published biomedical engineer wage data, ranked highest to lowest. Open a state for its full metro-level breakdown.

Rank	State	Median	90th pct
1	Wisconsin	$129,440	$161,480
2	Oregon	$129,020	$159,390
3	California	$125,700	$173,630
4	Washington	$125,010	$182,250
5	Minnesota	$124,760	$184,510
6	Arizona	$121,680	$165,770
7	Ohio	$117,960	$165,570
8	Oklahoma	$117,250	$189,700
9	New York	$117,180	$170,930
10	New Mexico	$116,560	$193,550
11	New Jersey	$115,080	$165,680
12	Kansas	$109,140	$140,210
13	Rhode Island	$107,970	$196,850
14	Massachusetts	$107,720	$163,430
15	North Carolina	$107,070	$141,050
16	Colorado	$106,690	$151,880
17	Indiana	$105,750	$168,710
18	Maryland	$105,650	$159,930
19	Michigan	$103,810	$234,710
20	Virginia	$103,170	$152,630
21	Tennessee	$103,020	$163,460
22	Georgia	$101,710	$149,320
23	District of Columbia	$101,620	$121,890
24	Kentucky	$101,420	$123,640
25	Connecticut	$100,590	$139,050
26	Florida	$99,980	$154,850
27	Pennsylvania	$97,900	$141,500
28	North Dakota	$97,520	$136,300
29	Texas	$97,160	$151,330
30	South Carolina	$96,350	$127,670
31	Montana	$94,700	$144,490
32	Iowa	$91,760	$133,740
33	Nevada	$90,640	$116,070
34	Utah	$86,140	$143,800
35	Illinois	$83,730	$132,860
36	Missouri	$77,550	$128,100
37	Nebraska	$72,590	$101,960

Figures are published state wage data, not modeled. States without published data for this occupation are not listed. See Source details for provenance.

Biomedical Engineer salary — frequently asked questions

How much does a biomedical engineer make?

The median biomedical engineer salary in the U.S. is about $106,950 per year. Most biomedical engineers earn between $71,860 and $165,060, and top earners (90th percentile) make $165,060 or more. These national figures come from published U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS OEWS) wage data.

What is the highest biomedical engineer salary?

Top-earning biomedical engineers (90th percentile) make about $165,060 or more nationally. In the highest-paying metros, estimated pay can run even higher — for example around $139,490 in San Jose. Metro figures are cost-of-labor estimates, not direct BLS metro data.

How much do entry-level biomedical engineers make?

Entry-level biomedical engineers (0–2 years) earn about $83,500 per year, rising to roughly $115,500 at mid-level and $144,500+ at the principal/staff level. These by-experience figures are modeled estimates based on typical engineering career progression.

Do biomedical engineers make good money?

Yes. The median biomedical engineer salary of $106,950 is 11% below the roughly $120,395 median across engineering occupations, and experienced biomedical engineers can earn $165,060 or more.

Which cities pay biomedical engineers the most?

Estimated biomedical engineer pay is highest in San Jose ($139,490), San Francisco ($136,720), and Columbus ($128,220). These are cost-of-labor estimates that adjust the national baseline by local wage levels — not direct BLS metro wages.

How can a biomedical engineer earn more?

Biomedical Engineer pay rises most with medical device vs. research vs. clinical setting, regulatory (fda) experience, and advanced degrees. Moving to a higher-cost metro, specializing, and taking on senior or lead scope are the biggest levers — the salary calculator lets you model each one.

Source details

Published wage from BLS OEWS May 2024 for SOC 17-2031 (Bioengineers and Biomedical Engineers), national.

Benchmarks come from published government wage data via BLS OEWS. Local and emerging-role figures are labeled estimates. Full methodology →