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The differences between bioinformaticians and senior scientists 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 senior scientist. Additionally, a senior scientist has an average salary of $106,672, which is higher than the $71,359 average annual salary of a bioinformatician.
The top three skills for a bioinformatician include python, data analysis and next-generation sequencing. The most important skills for a senior scientist are patients, data analysis, and molecular biology.
| Bioinformatician | Senior Scientist | |
| Yearly salary | $71,359 | $106,672 |
| Hourly rate | $34.31 | $51.28 |
| Growth rate | 17% | 17% |
| Number of jobs | 16,034 | 49,712 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 43% | Bachelor's Degree, 51% |
| 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 senior scientist is usually in charge of overseeing experiments and evaluating junior scientists' performance, especially in laboratory settings. Moreover, it is also their responsibility to assess every progress report to ensure it's accuracy and validity. As a senior scientist in the field, it is essential to lead and encourage fellow scientists in their joint pursuit for scientific innovations, all while adhering to the laboratory's standards and policies.
Bioinformaticians and senior scientists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Bioinformatician | Senior Scientist | |
| Average salary | $71,359 | $106,672 |
| Salary range | Between $40,000 And $127,000 | Between $74,000 And $153,000 |
| Highest paying City | Branford, CT | Redwood City, CA |
| Highest paying state | Rhode Island | California |
| Best paying company | AstraZeneca | Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Telecommunication |
There are a few differences between a bioinformatician and a senior scientist in terms of educational background:
| Bioinformatician | Senior Scientist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 43% | Bachelor's Degree, 51% |
| Most common major | Biostatistics | Chemistry |
| Most common college | University of Southern California | Duke University |
Here are the differences between bioinformaticians' and senior scientists' demographics:
| Bioinformatician | Senior Scientist | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 83.1% Female, 16.9% | Male, 70.1% Female, 29.9% |
| 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, 6.3% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 9.5% Asian, 26.9% White, 53.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |