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The differences between biological technicians and 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 biological technician and a scientist. Additionally, a scientist has an average salary of $97,344, which is higher than the $43,572 average annual salary of a biological technician.
The top three skills for a biological technician include GPS, lab equipment and data collection. The most important skills for a scientist are chemistry, data analysis, and patients.
| Biological Technician | Scientist | |
| Yearly salary | $43,572 | $97,344 |
| Hourly rate | $20.95 | $46.80 |
| Growth rate | 9% | 17% |
| Number of jobs | 9,182 | 62,467 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 78% | Bachelor's Degree, 60% |
| Average age | 40 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A biological technician is in charge of performing laboratory support tasks, ensuring accuracy and efficiency. Their responsibilities typically revolve around gathering and preparing samples, operating laboratory equipment, conducting analysis and experiments, recording every progress, and maintaining documentation. They may also coordinate with other technicians and scientists in various research and development efforts, summarizing findings into reports and presentations. Furthermore, as a laboratory technician, it is essential to maintain the cleanliness and order in the laboratory, all while adhering to its policies and regulations.
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.
Biological technicians and scientists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Biological Technician | Scientist | |
| Average salary | $43,572 | $97,344 |
| Salary range | Between $30,000 And $61,000 | Between $67,000 And $140,000 |
| Highest paying City | Berkeley, CA | Redwood City, CA |
| Highest paying state | Connecticut | California |
| Best paying company | Bristol-Myers Squibb | Airbnb |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Technology |
There are a few differences between a biological technician and a scientist in terms of educational background:
| Biological Technician | Scientist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 78% | Bachelor's Degree, 60% |
| Most common major | Biology | Chemistry |
| Most common college | Duke University | University of Southern California |
Here are the differences between biological technicians' and scientists' demographics:
| Biological Technician | Scientist | |
| Average age | 40 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 53.2% Female, 46.8% | Male, 56.9% Female, 43.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.7% Unknown, 6.0% Hispanic or Latino, 15.0% Asian, 12.6% White, 53.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.3% | 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 | 6% | 8% |