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The differences between bioinformaticians and postdoctoral scholars can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a bioinformatician and a postdoctoral scholar. Additionally, a bioinformatician has an average salary of $71,359, which is higher than the $57,587 average annual salary of a postdoctoral scholar.
The top three skills for a bioinformatician include python, data analysis and next-generation sequencing. The most important skills for a postdoctoral scholar are chemistry, python, and patients.
| Bioinformatician | Postdoctoral Scholar | |
| Yearly salary | $71,359 | $57,587 |
| Hourly rate | $34.31 | $27.69 |
| Growth rate | 17% | 17% |
| Number of jobs | 16,034 | 18,983 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 43% | Bachelor's Degree, 50% |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
Bioinformaticians are experts who are responsible for developing and conducting research by using methods and software tools to collect and analyze complex biological data. By combining their research in biology, medicine, and health-related studies with information technology, these bioinformaticians are required to interpret data that covers areas such as genetics or pharmaceutics. They must develop databases to compile a large amount of information from activities such as gene expression profiling and protein expression. Bioinformaticians must also maintain laboratory documents and keep updated with scientific or medical journals.
A Postdoctoral Scholar is responsible for supporting an educational research group to conduct studies and gather relevant data to support study claims and scientific evidence. They review initial findings, perform field investigations, and interview the target respondents for data and statistical analysis. They also coordinate with the whole team for efficient research methods, ensuring adherence to budget limitations and required timetables. A Postdoctoral Scholar must have excellent communication skills, both oral and written, to document reports and discuss results with the research team.
Bioinformaticians and postdoctoral scholars have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Bioinformatician | Postdoctoral Scholar | |
| Average salary | $71,359 | $57,587 |
| Salary range | Between $40,000 And $127,000 | Between $41,000 And $79,000 |
| Highest paying City | Branford, CT | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Rhode Island | California |
| Best paying company | AstraZeneca | Microsoft |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Technology |
There are a few differences between a bioinformatician and a postdoctoral scholar in terms of educational background:
| Bioinformatician | Postdoctoral Scholar | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 43% | Bachelor's Degree, 50% |
| Most common major | Biostatistics | Chemistry |
| Most common college | University of Southern California | Duke University |
Here are the differences between bioinformaticians' and postdoctoral scholars' demographics:
| Bioinformatician | Postdoctoral Scholar | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 83.1% Female, 16.9% | Male, 53.0% Female, 47.0% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 5.8% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 8.9% Asian, 39.0% White, 42.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% | Black or African American, 6.5% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 9.7% Asian, 26.3% White, 53.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |