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Career Exploration

Bioinformatics Scientists

Also called: Bioinformaticist, Bioinformatics Scientist, Research Scientist, Scientist

What they do:

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.

On the job, you would:
  • 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.
On the job, you'll need:

Math and Science

  • biology
  • arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, or statistics

Engineering and Technology

  • computers and electronics

Arts and Humanities

  • English language

Education and Training

  • teaching and course design

Basic Skills

  • reading work related information
  • thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem

Problem Solving

  • noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it

People and Technology Systems

  • thinking about the pros and cons of different options and picking the best one
  • figuring out how a system should work and how changes in the future will affect it

Verbal

  • communicate by writing
  • read and understand what is written

Ideas and Logic

  • make general rules or come up with answers from lots of detailed information
  • notice when problems happen

Math

  • choose the right type of math to solve a problem
  • add, subtract, multiply, or divide

Memory

  • remember words, numbers, pictures, or steps

Investigative

People interested in this work like activities that include ideas, thinking, and figuring things out.

  • Analytical Thinking
  • Attention to Detail
  • Persistence
  • Dependability
  • Integrity
  • Independence

Analytical or scientific software

  • IBM SPSS Statistics
  • The MathWorks MATLAB

Presentation software

  • Microsoft PowerPoint

Object or component oriented development software

  • Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services SSRS
  • Scala

Job Outlook

The job outlook for this position is Average.

New job opportunities are likely in the future.

Median Annual Salary: $87,300

Education

Bachelor's degree or post-doctoral training is usually needed.