Occupation Details
Bioinformatics Technicians
Apply principles and methods of bioinformatics to assist scientists in areas such as pharmaceuticals, medical technology, biotechnology, computational biology, proteomics, computer information science, biology and medical informatics. Apply bioinformatics tools to visualize, analyze, manipulate or interpret molecular data. May build and maintain databases for processing and analyzing genomic or other biological information.
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Interests
Realistic
Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.
Investigative
Investigative occupations frequently involve working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. These occupations can involve searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally.
Conventional
Conventional occupations frequently involve following set procedures and routines. These occupations can include working with data and details more than with ideas. Usually there is a clear line of authority to follow.
Work Values
Working Conditions
Occupations that satisfy this work value offer job security and good working conditions. Corresponding needs are Activity, Compensation, Independence, Security, Variety and Working Conditions.
Support
Occupations that satisfy this work value offer supportive management that stands behind employees. Corresponding needs are Company Policies, Supervision: Human Relations and Supervision: Technical.
Independence
Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to work on their own and make decisions. Corresponding needs are Creativity, Responsibility and Autonomy.
Salary & Job Outlook
Starting Salary
$53,690.00
New York StateMedian Salary
$62,550.00
New York StateExperienced Salary
$108,140.00
New York StateNational Average for Comparison
New York State Job Market Outlook
Jobs Right Now (2018)
14,430
professionals in NYFuture Job Growth (2030)
18,990
+456 jobs/yearNew Jobs Every Year
1,545
new opportunities yearlyGrowth Rate
0.3%
projected increasePreparation: Experience, Training, and Education
The list below outlines the prior educational experience required to perform in this occupation.
Degree Needed - Four-year college
Experience Requirements
A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations. For example, an accountant must complete four years of college and work for several years in accounting to be considered qualified.
Education Requirements
Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
Training Details
Employees in these occupations usually need several years of work-related experience, on-the-job training, and/or vocational training.
Transferrable Skills and Experience
Many of these occupations involve coordinating, supervising, managing, or training others. Examples include real estate brokers, sales managers, database administrators, graphic designers, conservation scientists, art directors, and cost estimators.
School Programs
The following lists school programs which are applicable to this occupation.
Licensing & Certification
State License and Certifications Requirements are not currently associated with this occupation.
Skills
The list below includes the skills required by workers in this occupation; skills are what allow you to learn more quickly and improve your performance.
Reading Comprehension
Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
Writing
Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Critical Thinking
Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
Active Learning
Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
Mathematics
Using mathematics to solve problems.
Skill level is measured on a seven point scale, where one means 'some competence required for this occupation' and seven means 'a high level of expertise required for this occupation'.
Knowledge
The list below includes knowledge items, the principles and facts required by this occupation.
Computers and Electronics
Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
Mathematics
Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
English Language
Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
Biology
Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
Knowledge level is measured on a seven point scale, where one means 'some competence required for this occupation' and seven means 'a high level of expertise required for this occupation'.
Work Environment
The list below includes the physical and social factors that influence the nature of work in this occupation.
Hover over or tap each factor to see its description.
Work Styles
Included in the list below are the personal work style characteristics that can affect how well a worker is likely to perform in this occupation.
Achievement/Effort
Job requires establishing and maintaining personally challenging achievement goals and exerting effort toward mastering tasks.
Analytical Thinking
Job requires analyzing information and using logic to address work-related issues and problems.
Attention to Detail
Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.
Cooperation
Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.
Dependability
Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.
Independence
Job requires developing one's own ways of doing things, guiding oneself with little or no supervision, and depending on oneself to get things done.
Initiative
Job requires a willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges.
Innovation
Job requires creativity and alternative thinking to develop new ideas for and answers to work-related problems.
Integrity
Job requires being honest and ethical.
Persistence
Job requires persistence in the face of obstacles.
Tools & Technology
This list below describes the machines, equipment, tools, software, and information technology that workers in this occupation will use.
Tools
- Computer workstation setups
- Desktop computers
- High throughput screening HTS systems
- Network file servers
- Nuclear magnetic resonance NMR spectrometers
- Semiconductor-based sequencers
Technology
- Apache Subversion
- Atlassian Bamboo
- Avaya Identity Engines
- Burrows-Wheeler Aligner BWA
- C
- C++
- Cufflinks
- Customer relationship management CRM software
- Data visualization software
- Enterprise resource planning ERP software
- Esri ArcGIS
- Genome Analysis Toolkit GATK
- Geographic information system GIS software
- Git
- Hypertext markup language HTML
- IBM SPSS Statistics
Duties
Job duties information is not available for this occupation.
Tasks
The list below outlines specific tasks that a worker in this occupation is called upon to do regularly.
- Analyze or manipulate bioinformatics data using software packages, statistical applications, or data mining techniques.
- Develop or apply data mining and machine learning algorithms.
- Extend existing software programs, web-based interactive tools, or database queries as sequence management and analysis needs evolve.
- Maintain awareness of new and emerging computational methods and technologies.
- Design or implement web-based tools for querying large-scale biological databases.
- Conduct quality analyses of data inputs and resulting analyses or predictions.
- Enter or retrieve information from structural databases, protein sequence motif databases, mutation databases, genomic databases or gene expression databases.
- Develop or maintain applications that process biologically based data into searchable databases for purposes of analysis, calculation, or presentation.
- Confer with researchers, clinicians, or information technology staff to determine data needs and programming requirements and to provide assistance with database-related research activities.
- Participate in the preparation of reports or scientific publications.
- Monitor database performance and perform any necessary maintenance, upgrades, or repairs.
- Confer with database users about project timelines and changes.
- Write computer programs or scripts to be used in querying databases.
- Document all database changes, modifications, or problems.
- Create data management or error-checking procedures and user manuals.
- Perform routine system administrative functions, such as troubleshooting, back-ups, or upgrades.
- Package bioinformatics data for submission to public repositories.
- Train bioinformatics staff or researchers in the use of databases.
- Test new or updated software or tools and provide feedback to developers.