You don’t have to spend a long time in the healthcare technology industry to notice that companies are hiring more and more engineers. These professionals are in demand across various corners of the industry, including brands developing wearable biosensors, surgical robots and telemedicine platforms, among others. Here’s what’s driving the hiring race, and why some engineering roles are becoming difficult to fill.

Healthcare Innovation Requires More Engineers Than Ever

When you look at the biggest innovations in healthcare today, engineering is usually behind them. New advances in digital health, biotechnology, diagnostics and connected medical devices are creating opportunities to improve patient care. Artificial intelligence (AI) and data analytics, for example, help doctors diagnose diseases earlier, predict health risks and support more personalized treatment plans. However, these technologies are increasing the need for engineering expertise.

Many of today’s healthcare products are far more complex than they were a decade ago. A single medical device may combine hardware, embedded software, cloud connectivity and machine learning capabilities. If you want to bring these technologies to market, you need engineers from multiple disciplines to collaborate throughout development, testing, manufacturing and quality assurance.

At the same time, healthcare organizations face growing pressure to deliver solutions that are faster, more accurate and more efficient. According to a recent BMJ Future Health Commission report, 80% of healthcare professionals believe digital technology has enabled better care delivery. However, only 47% say these tools have reduced administrative tasks, and just 38% believe they have lowered clinical workloads. Closing those gaps will require continued innovation, which is why demand for engineering talent continues to rise.

New Technologies Are Creating Demand for Multiple Engineering Disciplines

Not long ago, biomedical engineers were seen as the primary engineering professionals in healthcare. Today, the talent landscape is much wider. Healthcare technology companies need experts who can design physical products, build digital platforms, manage complex systems and support large-scale manufacturing. The hiring strategies of life sciences entities such as Danaher demonstrate this transition. It actively recruits engineers across biomedical, mechanical, software, manufacturing and system disciplines.

Biomedical Engineers

Many of healthcare’s most important innovations still start with biomedical engineers. These professionals help develop the medical devices, robotics, vaccinations and other products that healthcare providers rely on every day. With healthcare technology becoming more sophisticated, demand for this expertise continues to grow.

Employment of bioengineers and biomedical engineers is projected to grow by 5% between 2024 and 2034. This creates roughly 1,300 openings each year. You can find biomedical engineering jobs across medical device manufacturers, diagnostics businesses, biotechnology firms and other healthcare technology entities.

Mechanical Engineers

You can see the growing importance of the wearable medical device market. Smartwatches and other health-monitoring devices are giving people access to real-time health information. The market was valued at $54 billion in 2024 and is expected to reach $330.5 billion by 2033 at a compound annual growth rate of 29.5%.

Growth on this scale creates significant engineering demands. Companies need mechanical engineers who can solve challenges related to design, durability, manufacturing and performance.

Software Engineers

Software is now a critical part of modern healthcare technology. According to the American Medical Association, 71.4% of physicians reported using telehealth weekly in 2024 compared with 25.1% in 2018. Cloud-based diagnostics and remote care technologies are now more common, as well, particularly in areas with limited access to healthcare services.

These trends are creating strong demand for software engineers. As more services move online and more devices become connected, you’ll likely find more brands looking for engineers who can build secure, scalable systems capable of supporting a digital healthcare environment.

The Skills Healthcare Companies Need Are in Short Supply

While demand for engineering talent continues to rise, the pool of qualified candidates remains relatively limited. Technical expertise alone is no longer enough. Healthcare enterprises need professionals who also understand regulatory requirements, risk management, product validation and quality systems.

Engineers in general are in short supply. The U.S. will need around 400,000 new engineers, but skill shortages could leave nearly one in three positions unfilled throughout at least 2030. That means medical technology companies must compete harder than ever to attract and retain skilled engineering talent.

Even in biomedical engineering, shortages persist despite how essential these professionals are. There are now many places where you can find biomedical engineering jobs outside of the medical technology industry, such as food production, agriculture, aerospace, consulting and law.

Engineering the Future of Healthcare 

If one trend is clear, it’s that healthcare’s future relies just as much on engineering as on medicine. The technologies that enhance patient care depend on people who can turn ideas into reliable, real-world solutions. Therefore, for many businesses, engineering expertise is now a strategic advantage.