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The differences between bioinformatics analysts and scientists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become a bioinformatics analyst, becoming a scientist takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a scientist has an average salary of $97,344, which is higher than the $79,394 average annual salary of a bioinformatics analyst.
The top three skills for a bioinformatics analyst include python, next-generation sequencing and data analysis. The most important skills for a scientist are chemistry, data analysis, and patients.
| Bioinformatics Analyst | Scientist | |
| Yearly salary | $79,394 | $97,344 |
| Hourly rate | $38.17 | $46.80 |
| Growth rate | 9% | 17% |
| Number of jobs | 30,669 | 62,467 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 59% | Bachelor's Degree, 60% |
| Average age | 43 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 4 |
A bioinformatics analyst is responsible for assisting with laboratory examinations and research investigations on the Human Genome Project. Bioinformatics analysts analyze scientific data with the researchers to develop treatment plans for human diseases and maintain the accuracy of the database for algorithms. They submit genomic data to the medical professionals, write report findings, and discuss results to the researchers. A bioinformatics analyst must have excellent technical and analytical skills to operate various software tools and applications to generate data efficiently.
A scientist is responsible for researching and analyzing the nature and complexities of the physical world to identify discoveries that would improve people's lives and ignite scientific knowledge for society. Scientists' duties differ in their different areas of expertise, but all of them must have a broad comprehension of scientific disciplines and methods to support their experiments and investigations. They collect the sample for their research, record findings, create research proposals, and release publications. A scientist must know how to utilize laboratory equipment to support the study and drive results efficiently and accurately.
Bioinformatics analysts and scientists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Bioinformatics Analyst | Scientist | |
| Average salary | $79,394 | $97,344 |
| Salary range | Between $59,000 And $106,000 | Between $67,000 And $140,000 |
| Highest paying City | Foster City, CA | Redwood City, CA |
| Highest paying state | Maryland | California |
| Best paying company | Editas Medicine | Airbnb |
| Best paying industry | Professional | Technology |
There are a few differences between a bioinformatics analyst and a scientist in terms of educational background:
| Bioinformatics Analyst | Scientist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 59% | Bachelor's Degree, 60% |
| Most common major | Biostatistics | Chemistry |
| Most common college | Harvard University | University of Southern California |
Here are the differences between bioinformatics analysts' and scientists' demographics:
| Bioinformatics Analyst | Scientist | |
| Average age | 43 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 49.2% Female, 50.8% | Male, 56.9% Female, 43.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 7.0% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 9.1% Asian, 26.7% White, 52.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 6.5% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 9.8% Asian, 26.3% White, 53.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |