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The differences between application specialists and field scientists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become an application specialist, becoming a field scientist takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, an application specialist has an average salary of $84,635, which is higher than the $76,601 average annual salary of a field scientist.
The top three skills for an application specialist include customer service, customer satisfaction and technical support. The most important skills for a field scientist are field testing, data collection, and geotechnical.
| Application Specialist | Field Scientist | |
| Yearly salary | $84,635 | $76,601 |
| Hourly rate | $40.69 | $36.83 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 96,980 | 88,454 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 61% | Bachelor's Degree, 82% |
| Average age | 42 | 39 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 6 |
An application specialist is responsible for maintaining the optimal performance of system applications, ensuring smooth navigation by upgrading the features of existing applications, and performing multiple diagnostic tests before releasing the applications to the digital marketplace. Application specialists work closely with the design engineers to improve system codes, verify the efficiency of network infrastructure, and adjusting application functions based on the clients' specifications and business' needs. They should always consider the budget goals, target end-users, and current market trends to design applications, meeting users' demands and public interests.
The duties of a field scientist depend on one's line of work or industry of employment. In general, their responsibilities typically include conducting studies and scientific research, visiting various sites to observe and gather samples, performing laboratory analyses and experiments, maintaining records of all operations, and coming up with conclusions from the research findings. When it comes to employment opportunities, a field scientist may work for learning institutions, government agencies, and private companies, where they usually work together with other scientists and experts.
Application specialists and field scientists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Application Specialist | Field Scientist | |
| Average salary | $84,635 | $76,601 |
| Salary range | Between $60,000 And $118,000 | Between $52,000 And $111,000 |
| Highest paying City | Jersey City, NJ | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | California |
| Best paying company | Cheniere Energy | Syngenta |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Internet |
There are a few differences between an application specialist and a field scientist in terms of educational background:
| Application Specialist | Field Scientist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 61% | Bachelor's Degree, 82% |
| Most common major | Business | Environmental Science |
| Most common college | Stanford University | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between application specialists' and field scientists' demographics:
| Application Specialist | Field Scientist | |
| Average age | 42 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 53.7% Female, 46.3% | Male, 72.5% Female, 27.5% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.8% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 16.7% Asian, 11.1% White, 55.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | Black or African American, 3.1% Unknown, 3.7% Hispanic or Latino, 6.2% Asian, 5.0% White, 81.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 16% |