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The differences between bioinformatics scientists and bioinformatics engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a bioinformatics scientist and a bioinformatics engineer. Additionally, a bioinformatics engineer has an average salary of $104,575, which is higher than the $91,530 average annual salary of a bioinformatics scientist.
The top three skills for a bioinformatics scientist include python, next-generation sequencing and data analysis. The most important skills for a bioinformatics engineer are python, next-generation sequencing, and NGS.
| Bioinformatics Scientist | Bioinformatics Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $91,530 | $104,575 |
| Hourly rate | $44.00 | $50.28 |
| Growth rate | 17% | 21% |
| Number of jobs | 57,026 | 125,410 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 43% | Bachelor's Degree, 47% |
| Average age | 41 | 39 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A bioinformatics scientist specializes in studying biology while utilizing their expertise in computer science. Their responsibilities revolve around developing databases and software for biological advances, improving existing applications as needed, coordinating with different scientists and professionals, and maintaining extensive records of all research and transactions. It is essential to review all data, identify issues, troubleshoot, and perform corrective measures as needed. In a company setting, a bioinformatics scientist must create progress reports and presentations, all while adhering to the company's vision, mission, and goals.
Bioinformatics engineers are professionals who use bioinformatics methodology and hypothesis to analyze biological data such as gene sequence and protein absorption. These engineers are required to distribute, formulate, and engineer the open-source application solutions so that they can facilitate the analysis and unified stem cell information management systems. They must ensure that information entered is accurate and correct while sustaining infrastructure for the maintenance of the sequencing information and other related data. Bioinformatics engineers must also apply an algorithm to recover and execute the exchange of vital information.
Bioinformatics scientists and bioinformatics engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Bioinformatics Scientist | Bioinformatics Engineer | |
| Average salary | $91,530 | $104,575 |
| Salary range | Between $64,000 And $129,000 | Between $73,000 And $148,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Richmond, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | NVIDIA | Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center |
| Best paying industry | Pharmaceutical | Start-up |
There are a few differences between a bioinformatics scientist and a bioinformatics engineer in terms of educational background:
| Bioinformatics Scientist | Bioinformatics Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 43% | Bachelor's Degree, 47% |
| Most common major | Biostatistics | Biostatistics |
| Most common college | Duke University | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between bioinformatics scientists' and bioinformatics engineers' demographics:
| Bioinformatics Scientist | Bioinformatics Engineer | |
| Average age | 41 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 81.9% Female, 18.1% | Male, 62.2% Female, 37.8% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 5.7% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 8.8% Asian, 38.6% White, 42.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% | Black or African American, 2.9% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 6.4% Asian, 31.3% White, 55.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |