Job description

Bioinformatics Scientists conduct research using bioinformatics theory and methods in areas such as pharmaceuticals, medical technology, biotechnology, computational biology, proteomics, computer information science, biology and medical informatics. May design databases and develop algorithms for processing and analyzing genomic information, or other biological information.

• Develop new software applications or customize existing applications to meet specific scientific project needs.
• Communicate research results through conference presentations, scientific publications, or project reports.
• Create novel computational approaches and analytical tools as required by research goals.
• Consult with researchers to analyze problems, recommend technology-based solutions, or determine computational strategies.

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Salary

Bioinformatics Scientists with little to no experience tend to make between $45030 and $60250 while the more experienced ones can earn over $98040 per year.

One of the easiest ways to increase your salary as a Bioinformatics Scientist is to move to a higher paying state like DC. Right now, the highest paying states for Bioinformatics Scientists are DC, MD, VA, CT and DE.

However, a higher pay at DC doesn’t guarantee that you will make more because the living expenses at DC might be twice as high than where you are currently at now.

Three other factors that can increase your salary as a Bioinformatics Scientist is the degree you hold, the industry you work in, and lastly the company you work for.

Requirements

We asked other Bioinformatics Scientists what degree they had when they got the job and most of them said they had a Bachelor’s Degree followed by a Post-Doctoral Training.

Other than that, we also asked them what did they major in and here are the most popular majors that came up.

Pros and Cons

Here are some of the pros and cons of being a Bioinformatics Scientist.

What is the job like

69% of Bioinformatics Scientists said they were satisfied with their job and 65% said they feel like their job is making other people’s lives better.

Is this right for me

You can read more about these career personality types here.

People who are suitable for this job tends to like working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. They like searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally..

They also like following set procedures and routines. They like working with data and details more than with ideas.

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