Occupation profile

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.

Apprenticeship

Median Wage

$71,490/yr • $34.37/hr

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Full Occupation Profile
Job Zone

Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed

Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.

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.

Employees in these occupations usually need several years of work-related experience, on-the-job training, and/or vocational training.

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.

Education
Bachelor's degree: 51%
Master's degree: 41%
Doctoral degree: 4%
Skills

Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.

Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.

Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.

Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.

Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.

Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.

Using mathematics to solve problems.

Talking to others to convey information effectively.

Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.

Determining how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect outcomes.

Writing computer programs for various purposes.

Using scientific rules and methods to solve problems.

Identifying measures or indicators of system performance and the actions needed to improve or correct performance, relative to the goals of the system.

Managing one's own time and the time of others.

Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.

Teaching others how to do something.

Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.

Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.

Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.

Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, identifying the best people for the job.

Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.

Bringing others together and trying to reconcile differences.

Actively looking for ways to help people.

Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.

Analyzing needs and product requirements to create a design.

Generating or adapting equipment and technology to serve user needs.

Determining how money will be spent to get the work done, and accounting for these expenditures.

Obtaining and seeing to the appropriate use of equipment, facilities, and materials needed to do certain work.

Performing routine maintenance on equipment and determining when and what kind of maintenance is needed.

Determining the kind of tools and equipment needed to do a job.

Controlling operations of equipment or systems.

Repairing machines or systems using the needed tools.

Determining causes of operating errors and deciding what to do about it.

Installing equipment, machines, wiring, or programs to meet specifications.

Knowledge Areas

Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.

Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.

Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, and rules of composition and grammar.

Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.

Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.

Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.

Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.

Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.

Knowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology.

Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.

Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.

Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.

Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub-atomic structures and processes.

Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.

Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.

Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.

Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.

Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.

Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.

Knowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.

Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.

Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.

Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.

Knowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking, and the analysis and reporting of financial data.

Knowledge of principles and methods for describing the features of land, sea, and air masses, including their physical characteristics, locations, interrelationships, and distribution of plant, animal, and human life.

Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures, and their history and origins.

Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.

Knowledge of the structure and content of a foreign (non-English) language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition and grammar, and pronunciation.

Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.

Knowledge of the theory and techniques required to compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.

Knowledge of techniques and equipment for planting, growing, and harvesting food products (both plant and animal) for consumption, including storage/handling techniques.

Knowledge of historical events and their causes, indicators, and effects on civilizations and cultures.

Knowledge of different philosophical systems and religions. This includes their basic principles, values, ethics, ways of thinking, customs, practices, and their impact on human culture.

Abilities

The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.

The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.

The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).

The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.

The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).

The ability to choose the right mathematical methods or formulas to solve a problem.

The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.

The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.

The ability to concentrate on a task over a period of time without being distracted.

The ability to generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways.

The ability to identify or detect a known pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) that is hidden in other distracting material.

The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).

The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing that there is a problem.

The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.

The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.

The ability to come up with a number of ideas about a topic (the number of ideas is important, not their quality, correctness, or creativity).

The ability to add, subtract, multiply, or divide quickly and correctly.

The ability to come up with unusual or clever ideas about a given topic or situation, or to develop creative ways to solve a problem.

The ability to quickly and accurately compare similarities and differences among sets of letters, numbers, objects, pictures, or patterns. The things to be compared may be presented at the same time or one after the other. This ability also includes comparing a presented object with a remembered object.

The ability to imagine how something will look after it is moved around or when its parts are moved or rearranged.

The ability to see details at a distance.

The ability to remember information such as words, numbers, pictures, and procedures.

The ability to quickly make sense of, combine, and organize information into meaningful patterns.

The ability to shift back and forth between two or more activities or sources of information (such as speech, sounds, touch, or other sources).

The ability to make precisely coordinated movements of the fingers of one or both hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble very small objects.

The ability to match or detect differences between colors, including shades of color and brightness.

The ability to focus on a single source of sound in the presence of other distracting sounds.

The ability to detect or tell the differences between sounds that vary in pitch and loudness.

The ability to judge which of several objects is closer or farther away from you, or to judge the distance between you and an object.

The ability to make fast, simple, repeated movements of the fingers, hands, and wrists.

The ability to quickly and repeatedly adjust the controls of a machine or a vehicle to exact positions.

The ability to keep your hand and arm steady while moving your arm or while holding your arm and hand in one position.

The ability to quickly and repeatedly bend, stretch, twist, or reach out with your body, arms, and/or legs.

The ability to exert muscle force repeatedly or continuously over time. This involves muscular endurance and resistance to muscle fatigue.

The ability to use short bursts of muscle force to propel oneself (as in jumping or sprinting), or to throw an object.

The ability to bend, stretch, twist, or reach with your body, arms, and/or legs.

The ability to see objects in the presence of a glare or bright lighting.

The ability to coordinate the movement of your arms, legs, and torso together when the whole body is in motion.

The ability to keep or regain your body balance or stay upright when in an unstable position.

The ability to quickly move your hand, your hand together with your arm, or your two hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.

The ability to coordinate two or more limbs (for example, two arms, two legs, or one leg and one arm) while sitting, standing, or lying down. It does not involve performing the activities while the whole body is in motion.

The ability to see under low-light conditions.

The ability to see objects or movement of objects to one's side when the eyes are looking ahead.

The ability to time your movements or the movement of a piece of equipment in anticipation of changes in the speed and/or direction of a moving object or scene.

The ability to quickly respond (with the hand, finger, or foot) to a signal (sound, light, picture) when it appears.

The ability to choose quickly between two or more movements in response to two or more different signals (lights, sounds, pictures). It includes the speed with which the correct response is started with the hand, foot, or other body part.

The ability to tell the direction from which a sound originated.

The ability to know your location in relation to the environment or to know where other objects are in relation to you.

The ability to quickly move the arms and legs.

The ability to exert yourself physically over long periods of time without getting winded or out of breath.

The ability to exert maximum muscle force to lift, push, pull, or carry objects.

The ability to use your abdominal and lower back muscles to support part of the body repeatedly or continuously over time without "giving out" or fatiguing.

Work Context

How frequently does your job require you to use E-mail?

How much does this job require sitting?

How important is it to work with or contribute to a work group or team in this job?

How important is being very exact or highly accurate in performing this job?

How often does this job require working indoors in an environmentally controlled environment (like a warehouse with air conditioning)?

How frequently does your job require face-to-face discussions with individuals and within teams?

How much decision making freedom, without supervision, does the job offer?

How much freedom does the worker have in determining the tasks, priorities, or goals of the job?

How much does this job require the worker to be in contact with others (face-to-face, by telephone, or otherwise) in order to perform it?

How responsible is the worker for work outcomes and results of other workers?

Duration of Typical Work Week
60

Number of hours typically worked in one week.

How often does this job require the worker to meet strict deadlines?

To what extent does this job require the worker to compete or to be aware of competitive pressures?

To what extent does this job require the worker to perform job tasks physically close to other people?

How important are continuous, repetitive, physical activities (like key entry) or mental activities (like checking entries in a ledger) to performing this job?

How automated is the job?

How important is it to coordinate or lead others (not as a supervisor or team leader) in accomplishing work activities in this job?

How much does this job require making repetitive motions?

What results do your decisions usually have on other people or the image or reputation or financial resources of your employer?

How important is it to deal with external customers (as in retail sales) or the public in general (as in police work) in this job?

How serious would the result usually be if the worker made a mistake that was not easily correctable?

How often is the worker required to make decisions that affect other people, the financial resources, and/or the image and reputation of the organization?

How often do you have telephone conversations in this job?

How often does this job require working exposed to sounds and noise levels that are distracting or uncomfortable?

How much responsibility is there for the health and safety of others in this job?

How frequently does your job require public speaking (one speaker with an audience)?

How much does this job require using your hands to handle, control, or feel objects, tools or controls?

Work Schedules
30

How regular are the work schedules for this job?

How frequently does your job require written letters and memos?

How frequently are there conflict situations the employee has to face in this job?

How often does this job require working exposed to contaminants (such as pollutants, gases, dust or odors)?

How frequently does the worker have to deal with unpleasant, angry, or discourteous individuals as part of the job requirements?

How often does this job require wearing common protective or safety equipment such as safety shoes, glasses, gloves, hearing protection, hard hats or life-jackets?

How much does this job require standing?

How frequently does this job require the worker to deal with physical aggression of violent individuals?

How often does this job require exposure to hazardous conditions?

How often does this job require exposure to disease/infections?

How much does this job require walking or running?

How often does this job require working in an environment that is not environmentally controlled (like a warehouse without air conditioning)?

How often does this job require working in a closed vehicle or operate enclosed equipment (like a car)?

How often does this job require working in cramped work spaces that requires getting into awkward positions?

How much does this job require bending or twisting your body?

How much does this job require kneeling, crouching, stooping or crawling?

How often does this job require exposure to minor burns, cuts, bites, or stings?

How often does this job require working outdoors, under cover (like in an open shed)?

How often does this job require exposure to hazardous equipment?

How often does this job require exposure to high places?

How often does this job require exposure to radiation?

How often does this job require working in extremely bright or inadequate lighting conditions?

How often does this job require working outdoors, exposed to all weather conditions?

How often does this job require working in very hot (above 90 F degrees) or very cold (below 32 F degrees) temperatures?

How important is it to this job that the pace is determined by the speed of equipment or machinery? (This does not refer to keeping busy at all times on this job.)

How much does this job require keeping or regaining your balance?

How often does this job require exposure to whole body vibration (like operating a jackhammer or earth moving equipment)?

How much does this job require climbing ladders, scaffolds, poles, etc.?

How often does this job require working in an open vehicle or operating equipment (like a tractor)?

How often does this job require wearing specialized protective or safety equipment such as breathing apparatus, safety harness, full protection suits, or radiation protection?

Technology Skills

Presentation software

Object or component oriented development software

Development environment software

File versioning software

Enterprise application integration software

Operating system software

Spreadsheet software

Electronic mail software

Access software

Document management software

Enterprise resource planning ERP software

Office suite software

Word processing software

Data base management system software

Internet browser software

Internet protocol IP multimedia subsystem software

Web platform development software

Process mapping and design software

Customer relationship management CRM software

    Tools and Equipment

    High end computer server

    Deoxyribonucleic sequence analyzers

    High throughput screening HTS systems in nucleic acid purification

    Desktop computer

    Nuclear magnetic resonance NMR spectrometers

      Detailed Work Activities
      Work Styles
      Attention to Detail
      96

      A tendency to be detail-oriented, organized, and thorough in completing work.

      Intellectual Curiosity
      85

      A tendency to seek out and acquire new work-related knowledge and obtain a deep understanding of work-related subjects.

      Dependability
      79

      A tendency to be reliable, responsible, and consistent in meeting work-related obligations.

      Adaptability
      75

      A tendency to be open to and comfortable with change, new experiences, or ideas at work.

      Innovation
      71

      A tendency to be inventive, to be imaginative, and to adopt new perspectives on ways to accomplish work.

      Cautiousness
      69

      A tendency to be careful, deliberate, and risk-avoidant when making work-related decisions or doing work.

      Achievement Orientation
      64

      A tendency to establish and maintain personally challenging work-related goals, set high work-related standards, and exert high effort toward meeting those goals and standards.

      Integrity
      59

      A tendency to be honest and ethical at work.

      Perseverance
      55

      A tendency to exhibit determination and resolve to perform or complete tasks in the face of difficult circumstances or obstacles at work.

      Tolerance for Ambiguity
      54

      A tendency to be comfortable with ambiguity and uncertainty at work.

      Cooperation
      47

      A tendency to be pleasant, helpful, and willing to assist others at work.

      Initiative
      38

      A tendency to be proactive and take on extra responsibilities and tasks that may fall outside of one's required work role.

      Stress Tolerance
      36

      A tendency to cope and function effectively in stressful situations at work.

      Self-Confidence
      31

      A tendency to believe in one's work-related capabilities and ability to control one's work-related outcomes.

      Self-Control
      16

      A tendency to remain calm and composed and to manage emotions effectively in response to criticism or difficult situations at work.

      Humility
      15

      A tendency to be modest and humble when interacting with others at work.

      Sincerity
      13

      A tendency to be genuine and sincere in interactions with others at work, without concern for personal gain or self-interest.

      Social Orientation
      9

      A tendency to seek out, enjoy, and be energized by social interaction at work.

      Optimism
      4

      A tendency to exhibit a positive attitude and positive emotions at work, even under difficult circumstances.

      Work Values

      Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to work on their own and make decisions. Corresponding needs are Creativity, Responsibility and Autonomy.

      Occupations that satisfy this work value offer supportive management that stands behind employees. Corresponding needs are Company Policies, Supervision: Human Relations and Supervision: Technical.

      Occupations that satisfy this work value offer job security and good working conditions. Corresponding needs are Activity, Compensation, Independence, Security, Variety and Working Conditions.

      Occupations that satisfy this work value are results oriented and allow employees to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment. Corresponding needs are Ability Utilization and Achievement.

      Occupations that satisfy this work value offer advancement, potential for leadership, and are often considered prestigious. Corresponding needs are Advancement, Authority, Recognition and Social Status.

      Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to provide service to others and work with co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment. Corresponding needs are Co-workers, Moral Values and Social Service.

      Reference

      O*NET in-it

      This page includes information from the O*NET Career Exploration Tools by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the O*NET Tools Developer License. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. Beesla has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.