Will AI replace bioinformatics scientists?

Some tasks are already handled by AI or machines; the rest still needs a person. About 2h 42m of an 8-hour shift goes to tasks that AI or robots largely take over. The breakdown: 56m done by people with AI help, 2h 42m that AI mostly does alone. The other 4h 22m (55%) stays with people. Separately, BLS expects about 4.7% more of these jobs by 2035 (all jobs: +3.5%).

AI shows up regularly in 9 of 20 tasks, about 3h 38m of a typical shift. The biggest ones:

• Develop new software applications or customize existing applications to meet specific scientific project needs. (1h 1m a shift, AI mostly does it alone)
• Design and apply bioinformatics algorithms including unsupervised and supervised machine learning, dynamic programming, or graphic algorithms. (28m a shift, AI mostly does it alone)
• Manipulate publicly accessible, commercial, or proprietary genomic, proteomic, or post-genomic databases. (28m a shift, AI mostly does it alone)
• Develop data models and databases. (22m a shift, AI mostly does it alone)
• Test new and updated bioinformatics tools and software. (11m a shift, AI mostly does it alone)

4h 22m of a typical shift, or 55%, goes to tasks with no AI or robot evidence yet. No AI usage or robot deployment has shown up for these so far. The biggest:

• Analyze large molecular datasets, such as raw microarray data, genomic sequence data, or proteomics data, for clinical or basic research purposes. (1h 13m a shift)
• Communicate research results through conference presentations, scientific publications, or project reports. (45m a shift)
• Create novel computational approaches and analytical tools as required by research goals. (34m a shift)
• Keep abreast of new biochemistries, instrumentation, or software by reading scientific literature and attending professional conferences. (28m a shift)
• Compile data for use in activities, such as gene expression profiling, genome annotation, or structural bioinformatics. (28m a shift)

Much of it comes down to where and how the work happens. In-person, hands-on and high-stakes work is where AI and robots have made the least headway so far. In the official O*NET survey of people in this job:

• 87% talk face to face with others every day

For the 5 tasks in this job where AI shows up and timing data exists, a typical request takes about 8h 47m for a person alone and about 1h 18m with AI. These are Claude's own estimates from real conversations in April and May 2026 (Anthropic Economic Index). They describe single requests, not whole workdays, and time saved on a task doesn't mean jobs are cut. The biggest gaps:

• Design and apply bioinformatics algorithms including unsupervised and supervised machine learning, dynamic programming, or graphic algorithms (about 15h 44m alone, 1h 49m with AI)
• Develop new software applications or customize existing applications to meet specific scientific project needs (about 11h 24m alone, 1h 18m with AI)
• Recommend new systems and processes to improve operations (about 8h 47m alone, 1h 8m with AI)

On Indeed, job postings in the Scientific Research & Development sector are at 84% of their February 2020 level (all U.S. postings: 104%), up 19.9% from a year earlier, as of Oct 9, 2026. BLS separately expects about 4,300 openings a year in this job through 2035. Across all U.S. postings, 7.3% now mention AI skills. Sector postings cover more than this one job and move for many reasons besides AI.

The median pay is about $98,920 a year ($47.56 an hour), 94% above the median for all U.S. jobs ($50,980). Most people in this job earn between $60,430 and $168,010 a year; that range covers the middle 80%. Pay figures are from BLS, May 2025, and vary a lot by state and employer. Pick a state to compare:

BLS projects growth of 4.7% from 2025 to 2035, compared with 3.5% growth for all jobs. That's about 62,000 jobs in 2035. It expects about 4,300 openings a year, mostly from people retiring or changing careers. These projections don't single out AI as a cause.

About 56,000 people in the U.S., roughly 0.04% of all workers (BLS, May 2025). That makes it the 369th largest of the 796 jobs on this site. BLS expects about 62,000 in 2035.

The most common requirement is a bachelor's degree: about 34% of people in the job said so in the official O*NET survey. O*NET rates the job at level 5 of 5 for preparation, which usually means: graduate degree. Requirements vary by state and employer, especially for licensed work.

These come from the job's official skill ratings and from the tasks that AI and robots touch least today. Building them keeps you strong in the parts of the work that still need a person:

• Skills that matter more here than in most jobs: Science, Mathematics, Complex Problem Solving, Critical Thinking
• Get strong at the parts of the job that stay with people (listed above), which take 4h 22m of a typical shift
• Tools employers list: UNIX, The MathWorks MATLAB, Structured query language SQL, R, Python
• Learn to use AI well on the tasks where it already shows up in this job (listed above)

These use similar skills, with less of a typical shift touched by AI or robots. Matches come from 109 official ratings of skills, knowledge and work activities, and each needs the same or less preparation unless the official list relates the jobs directly:

• Molecular and Cellular Biologists (21m touched, $99k median pay)
• Astronomers (2h 58m touched, $129k median pay)
• Biochemists and Biophysicists (43m touched, $127k median pay)
• Physicists (2h 3m touched, $172k median pay)
• Medical Scientists (17m touched, $103k median pay)

Each task carries its own evidence label. For this job: 9 observed in real AI use, 11 with no AI or robot evidence found. The minutes per task are estimates, not measured hours, and "no evidence" doesn't prove a task is safe.