Bioinformatics Technicians
Machines can already do 66% of this job's tasks. By 2035 that rises to 89%. Most of the work is changing now.
Share of the work machines can do
Worldwide baseline, 2026 to 2050
Bioinformatics Technicians in 2026: the short answer
- Today: machines can do 66% of this job's tasks, and AI use is already seen in 48% of them.
- Forecast: machines can already do half of its tasks, and 89% by 2035, according to the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit.
- Size: 3,720 people do this job in the United States, on a median pay of $81,490 a year.
- Contact with people: it scores 64% for contact with people.
- Also called: Biocurator, Bioinformatics Analyst, Bioinformatics Data Analyst, Bioinformatics Specialist.
Updated by the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit. These are worldwide baseline figures; the Workforce Starburst shows them for your country. Go deeper: How ready am I? or an executive briefing.
How the work changes, task by task
The tasks that take up most of the day, with the share of each that machines can do in 2026 (dark) and 2035 (pink). Worldwide baseline.
| Task | Share of the day | Machines can do | 2026 to 2035 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Analyze or manipulate bioinformatics data using software packages, statistical applications, or data mining techniques | 22% | 60% to 90% | |
| Conduct quality analyses of data inputs and resulting analyses or predictions | 8% | 84% to 97% | |
| Confer with researchers, clinicians, or information technology staff to determine data needs and programming requirements and to provide assistance with database-related research activities | 8% | 30% to 60% | |
| Develop or maintain applications that process biologically based data into searchable databases for purposes of analysis, calculation, or presentation | 8% | 85% to 97% | |
| Extend existing software programs, web-based interactive tools, or database queries as sequence management and analysis needs evolve | 8% | 83% to 97% | |
| Write computer programs or scripts to be used in querying databases | 7% | 82% to 97% | |
| Enter or retrieve information from structural databases, protein sequence motif databases, mutation databases, genomic databases or gene expression databases | 7% | 60% to 88% | |
| Participate in the preparation of reports or scientific publications | 5% | 70% to 95% |
The skills this job runs on
The skills bioinformatics technicians use most, most used first.
Safer jobs nearby
Jobs with a similar skill shape where machines can do less of the work by 2035.
- Data Scientists84% of tasks by 2035 · US median $120,230
- Web Developers87% of tasks by 2035 · US median $92,650
- Computer Systems Analysts82% of tasks by 2035 · US median $105,850
- Software Developers76% of tasks by 2035 · US median $135,980
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Questions
When will machines do half of the tasks of Bioinformatics Technicians?
Machines can already do half of its tasks. That is the worldwide baseline from the 311 Workforce Starburst, before adjusting for country.
Will AI take the job of bioinformatics technicians?
Machines can do 66% of the tasks of bioinformatics technicians today and 89% by 2035. Most of the routine work moves to machines, and the people in the job move to oversight, judgement and client work.
Sources and citing
Tasks and their share of the day: O*NET 31.0, occupation 15-2099.01 (US Department of Labor, CC BY 4.0). Pay and jobs: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. AI use today: Anthropic Economic Index (CC BY). Scoring and forecast: the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit; after 2035 the figures extend each trend, with lower confidence. Foresight, not advice.
Cite as: 311 Institute (2026). Bioinformatics Technicians: the outlook to 2050. 311 Workforce Starburst. https://www.311institute.com/jobs/bioinformatics-technicians/