Bioinformatics Technicians

Bioinformatics Technicians score 87 out of 100, which is very high exposure to AI. That ranks #20 of 923 US occupations, where #1 is the most exposed. Of the 19 tasks in this job, AI could speed up 15 on its own and 3 more with extra software built on top of it. In April–May 2026, 11 of these tasks showed up in real conversations with Claude, Anthropic's AI assistant.

87/ 100

Very high

Rank: #20of 923 jobs
US workers: 3,720for Mathematical Science Occupations, All Other
Median pay: $81,490a year
In real AI use: 11 of 19tasks, April–May 2026

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Task by task

Each task this job involves, as listed by O*NET, rated on whether a large language model like GPT-4 could cut the time it takes by at least half at the same quality. Tasks marked Seen in real AI use appeared in conversations with Claude in April–May 2026 (Anthropic Economic Index).

AI can speed this up on its own: 15 (79%)
AI can speed this up with extra software: 3 (16%)
Little or no AI speed-up: 1 (5%)

Analyze or manipulate bioinformatics data using software packages, statistical applications, or data mining techniques.AI can speed this up on its own · core task · Seen in real AI use
Extend existing software programs, web-based interactive tools, or database queries as sequence management and analysis needs evolve.AI can speed this up on its own · core task · Seen in real AI use
Conduct quality analyses of data inputs and resulting analyses or predictions.AI can speed this up on its own · core task · Seen in real AI use
Develop or maintain applications that process biologically based data into searchable databases for purposes of analysis, calculation, or presentation.AI can speed this up on its own · core task · Seen in real AI use
Participate in the preparation of reports or scientific publications.AI can speed this up on its own · core task · Seen in real AI use
Write computer programs or scripts to be used in querying databases.AI can speed this up on its own · core task · Seen in real AI use
Document all database changes, modifications, or problems.AI can speed this up on its own · core task
Create data management or error-checking procedures and user manuals.AI can speed this up on its own · core task · Seen in real AI use
Develop or apply data mining and machine learning algorithms.AI can speed this up on its own · supplemental task
Design or implement web-based tools for querying large-scale biological databases.AI can speed this up on its own · supplemental task
Monitor database performance and perform any necessary maintenance, upgrades, or repairs.AI can speed this up on its own · supplemental task
Perform routine system administrative functions, such as troubleshooting, back-ups, or upgrades.AI can speed this up on its own · supplemental task · Seen in real AI use
Package bioinformatics data for submission to public repositories.AI can speed this up on its own · supplemental task
Train bioinformatics staff or researchers in the use of databases.AI can speed this up on its own · supplemental task
Test new or updated software or tools and provide feedback to developers.AI can speed this up on its own · supplemental task · Seen in real AI use
Maintain awareness of new and emerging computational methods and technologies.AI can speed this up with extra software · core task · Seen in real AI use
Enter or retrieve information from structural databases, protein sequence motif databases, mutation databases, genomic databases or gene expression databases.AI can speed this up with extra software · core task · Seen in real AI use
Confer with researchers, clinicians, or information technology staff to determine data needs and programming requirements and to provide assistance with database-related research activities.AI can speed this up with extra software · core task
Confer with database users about project timelines and changes.Little or no AI speed-up · supplemental task

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Questions about bioinformatics technicians and AI

Will AI replace bioinformatics technicians?

Probably not entirely, but the job is likely to change a lot. Bioinformatics Technicians score 87 out of 100 (very high exposure), #20 of 923 US jobs. AI could speed up 18 of the job's 19 tasks, 15 of them on its own, while 1 see little or no speed-up. Exposure means the work is likely to change, not that the job will disappear.

Which bioinformatics technicians tasks can AI do?

The most exposed tasks include "Analyze or manipulate bioinformatics data using software packages, statistical applications, or data mining techniques"; "Extend existing software programs, web-based interactive tools, or database queries as sequence management and analysis needs evolve"; "Conduct quality analyses of data inputs and resulting analyses or predictions".

Which bioinformatics technicians tasks are hardest for AI?

Tasks with little or no AI speed-up include "Confer with database users about project timelines and changes".

Are people already using AI for this work?

Yes. In April–May 2026, 11 of the 19 tasks showed up in real conversations with Claude, according to the Anthropic Economic Index.

How many people work as bioinformatics technicians, and what do they earn?

About 3,720 people in the US (figure for Mathematical Science Occupations, All Other), with median pay of $81,490 a year (BLS, May 2025).

How to read this score. Exposure measures how much of the work AI could speed up, not whether the job will disappear. A highly exposed job can change shape, with people spending less time on routine tasks and more on the rest. The score counts tasks AI can speed up on its own in full, and tasks that need extra software at half weight.

The ratings come from published research based on GPT-4 (2023). To show what's happening now, each task is also checked against the latest Anthropic Economic Index, which records which tasks people actually use AI for. That data is refreshed automatically when Anthropic publishes a new release. Read the full method.