How to become a biomedical engineer

1. 1Take calculus, chemistry, physics and biology in high school

   Time: 4 years (high school)Sources 1

   Engineering programs expect you to start college ready for calculus, so take the most advanced math your school offers along with chemistry, physics and biology. Programming, robotics clubs and science fair projects help too. Biomedical engineering majors are often competitive at large universities, and some admit students directly into the major while others require you to apply after the first year, so check each school's process.

2. 2Earn an ABET-accredited bachelor's in biomedical engineering

   Time: 4 years (5 with co-op)Cost: $13,390 a year (median public in-state tuition)Sources 2, 6

   ABET's criteria for bioengineering and biomedical programs require applying engineering, biology, physiology, chemistry, physics and statistics, designing biomedical devices and systems, and making and interpreting measurements on living systems. Every accredited program must include at least 45 credit hours of engineering topics and ends with a major design project. Choose an accredited program: hospitals and some employers look for it, and it is the standard route to the FE exam and the clinical engineering certifications.

3. 3Get internships, co-ops or research experience

   Time: Summers and co-op terms during collegeCost: Usually paidSources 1

   Device and pharmaceutical companies hire heavily from their own interns and co-op students. A summer in a quality, manufacturing or R&D group teaches you design controls and test documentation that classes barely touch. If you lean toward research, work in a faculty lab and aim for a publication or poster. Hospital clinical engineering departments also take students who want to see how equipment is chosen and maintained.

4. 4Land an entry-level engineering job and learn the regulations

   Time: First 1-3 yearsSources 7

   Entry titles include design, test, quality, manufacturing and process engineer. In medical devices you will work under the FDA's Quality Management System Regulation, which took effect February 2, 2026, and incorporates the ISO 13485:2016 standard for device quality systems. Learning design controls, risk management and complaint investigation early makes you more useful on any device team and opens doors to regulatory and quality roles.

5. 5Consider the FE exam, a graduate degree or a clinical engineering credential

   Time: OngoingCost: $225 FE exam; graduate tuition variesSources 3, 4

   The FE exam is optional for most biomedical engineers but useful if you may want a PE license. It is a 110-question computer test given year-round at Pearson centers for $225, and NCEES has no biomedical module, so you pick the discipline closest to your coursework. A master's or PhD suits research and leadership. Hospital clinical engineers can pursue the Certified Clinical Engineer credential after four years of practice with an ABET engineering bachelor's, or three with a master's or PE.

Programs, tuition and graduates’ earnings

U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard (most recent cohorts, released 2026-10-15). Scorecard groups programs by 4-digit field, so a row can include related programs. Tuition is the median published undergraduate tuition and fees of the colleges offering the program (shown only for undergraduate credentials); debt is the median of programs’ median federal loan debt at completion; earnings are the national median for the field and credential four years after completion.

Requirements differ by state. Check your state’s rules in the CareerOneStop License Finder (U.S. Department of Labor) before you enroll.

Engineering math and statistics

Proving a device works means designing tests with enough samples and analyzing the results with statistics regulators will accept.

Human physiology

A stent, sensor or implant has to work inside a living body, so engineers must understand blood flow, tissue response and how organs behave.

Technical writing and documentation

Every design decision, test and change on a medical device is recorded for audits and FDA submissions, so clear, accurate writing is a daily task.

CAD and programming

Engineers model parts in CAD and use languages such as MATLAB or Python to process signals, run simulations and automate tests.

Working with clinicians

Surgeons and nurses describe problems in clinical terms, and the engineer has to turn their needs into measurable design requirements.

O*NET 31.0 rates these skills as most important for the occupation: reading comprehension, active listening, writing, speaking, mathematics.

Training cost

$53.6K–$67.2K

Before financial aid

Time

4-6 years

Typical path

Median pay

$109,370

All US jobs: $50,980

Payback once qualified

0.9–1.2 yrs

Pay above the all-jobs median vs. cost

Low: 4 years x $13,390, the College Scorecard median published in-state tuition at public colleges for biomedical engineering bachelor's programs. High: 5 years at the same tuition ($66,950), for students in a co-op program, plus the $225 NCEES FE exam. Excludes fees, books, housing, graduate school and out-of-state or private tuition, which can be far higher. The median federal loan debt for these graduates is $20,770.

Rough guide only: ignores taxes, aid, interest and earnings given up during training. How we calculate it.

• Senior or principal engineer, R&D manager

  With experience and often a master's degree, engineers lead device programs, manage teams and own design decisions. BLS notes that leading a research team usually takes a graduate degree.

• Data scientist$120,230 median

  Engineers with strong statistics and programming skills move into analyzing clinical, imaging or device data; a master's in data science or statistics helps.

• Patent attorney$159,670 median

  Some biomedical engineers earn a law degree, pass a state bar exam and the USPTO registration exam, then handle patents for device and biotech companies; a biomedical engineering degree meets the USPTO's technical requirement.

• Physician$244,180 median

  Some biomedical engineering graduates go on to medical school, which takes 4 years after the bachelor's degree plus residency training.

• Director of clinical engineering

  Hospital clinical engineers can earn the CCE credential and move up to run a health system's medical technology program.