What Can You Do With a Master's Degree in Bioinformatics?

The data revolution is affecting every area of society, including studying living organisms. Welcome to bioinformatics, which sits at the nexus of computational science and biology. This field deals with the organization, analysis, understanding, visualization, and storing of information associated with biological data. The applications of data science in bioinformatics stretch into several different fields, and those with advanced education in bioinformatics are pushing the limits of what’s possible every day.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (2024) lumps the bioinformatics specialty under the field of computer and information research scientists—a profession that’s projected to grow 23 percent between 2022 and 2032. That may make it sound like bioinformatics is a small niche in a larger area of study, but in reality, bioinformatics touches several different disciplines at once. Think of them as data scientists who also have a strong foundational understanding of the unique characteristics of biological processes.

According to the International Society for Computational Biology (ISCB), bioinformatics professionals generally fall into one of three categories: bioinformatics users, scientists, and engineers. Each category has spiderweb connections with multiple other professions and industries. Medical professionals may utilize bioinformatics tools for diagnosis, treatment, and counseling. Scientists employ computational bioinformatics to advance scientific understanding. Bioinformatics engineers develop computational methods and tools that are used by others.

But it goes further than that. The solid foundational knowledge provided by a master’s degree in bioinformatics allows graduates to pivot into other fields like general data science and software engineering. It can also be the stepping stone to further education and a career as a professor or microbiologist. Bioinformatics is a rapidly developing industry, and becoming fluent in it can open the doors to several different careers.

Read on to see what you can do with a master’s degree in bioinformatics.

Bioinformatics Scientists research using bioinformatics theories and methods in areas such as medtech, biotech, proteomics, and computer information science. They may also develop their own algorithms and databases for processing genomic or other biological information.

Bioinformatics scientists have either master’s or doctoral degrees, and their jobs often require a strong understanding of biology, computer science, and mathematics. Further tech skills in analytical software (SAS), database management software (Hadoop), development environment software (Azure), object-oriented programming (Python), and web platform development software (Django) are also highly valued additions to a bioinformatics scientist’s resume.

According to PayScale (2024), the average salary of a bioinformatics scientist is $101,499, with the 90th percentile earning $145,000 per year.

Bioinformatics technicians apply bioinformatics principles to assist scientists in areas such as med tech, biotech, pharmaceuticals, and computer information science. Usually working under the direction of a bioinformatics scientist, microbiologist, or geneticist, they may utilize bioinformatics tools to visualize, analyze, or manipulate molecular data in the name of scientific inquiry.

According to O*NET (2024), 41 percent of bioinformatics technicians have a master’s degree. But it’s sometimes still possible to join this profession with only a bachelor’s degree, making it a potential stepping stone to positions of higher responsibility or more advanced education. Tech skills in analytical, database, and file versioning software are highly sought after.

The salary for bioinformatics technicians can vary widely based on the specific context and nature of one’s work, but ZipRecruiter (2024) puts the average annual pay for bioinformatics technicians at $64,999 per year.

Closely related to bioinformatics scientists, biostatisticians develop and apply biostatistical theories and methods to the study of the life sciences. Their typical responsibilities may include drawing conclusions or developing predictions based on statistical analyses, designing research studies, or providing biostatistical consultation to clients or colleagues.

According to O*NET (2024), practically all biostatisticians have graduate-level education, with 58 percent of surveyed respondents holding a master’s degree, and 29 percent holding a doctoral degree. Tech skills in analytical software (SAS), database software (SQL), and object-oriented programming (Python, R) are highly desirable.

Salary data from PayScale (2024) suggests that biostatisticians earn an average of $83,079 per year, with the 90th percentile earning $124,000 per year.

Clinical data managers apply their knowledge of healthcare, database management, and bioinformatics to analyze clinical data and to identify and report trends from within that data. Their typical responsibilities may include designing and validating clinical databases, processing clinical data, generating data queries, or developing project-specific data management plans.

While O*NET (2024) reports that most clinical data managers currently hold only a bachelor’s degree, it’s becoming increasingly common for clinical data managers to earn graduate-level degrees in clinical research management or bioinformatics. Further technical skills in open-source clinical data management systems (CDMS) like TrailDB and OpenClinica are a plus.

According to PayScale (2024), the average salary of a clinical data manager is $80,705 per year.

Data scientists use statistics and computer science to extract insights from data. Their typical responsibilities may include determining which data sets and variables to use, cleaning and validating collected data sets, analyzing data to identify trends, and reporting their findings to other stakeholders through the use of visualization tools.

Most data scientists have a master’s degree or higher, and, according to the BLS, those who work in a specialized field, such as bioinformatics, need specialized technical knowledge. Important qualities for data scientists include analytical skills, detail orientation, logical thinking, and strong mathematical ability.

According to the BLS (May 2023), computer, and information research scientists, a category that includes data scientists, earn an average of $157,160 per year.

Microbiologists investigate the growth, structure, development, and other characteristics of microscopic organisms. This category also includes medical microbiologists, who study the relationship between organisms and disease, or the effects of antibiotics on certain microorganisms.

According to O*NET (2024), only 13 percent of microbiologists have master’s degrees, but extensive knowledge of biology, chemistry, and mathematics is a requirement. Some technical skills in analytical software (TreeView) and database user interfaces (Microsoft Access) are a plus.

According to PayScale (2024), the average salary for a microbiologist is $61,156, while GlassDoor (2024) puts the average microbiologist’s salary at $87,333 per year.

Software engineers develop, modify, and implement software applications that analyze biological data. Typical responsibilities for a software engineer may include analyzing user needs, designing custom software, and analyzing large databases within a specific application area.

Software engineers typically have a bachelor’s or master’s degree in an area of computer science, but a master’s degree in bioinformatics can supply the specialized knowledge necessary to work with biological data sets. This profession demands high competency in programming languages like Python, Java, and C++.

According to Indeed (2024), the average salary for software engineers is $105,390 per year.