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The differences between biologists and computational biologists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-8 years to become both a biologist and a computational biologist. Additionally, a biologist has an average salary of $65,158, which is higher than the $61,449 average annual salary of a computational biologist.
The top three skills for a biologist include data collection, GPS and renewable energy. The most important skills for a computational biologist are python, machine learning, and next-generation sequencing.
| Biologist | Computational Biologist | |
| Yearly salary | $65,158 | $61,449 |
| Hourly rate | $31.33 | $29.54 |
| Growth rate | 1% | 17% |
| Number of jobs | 5,741 | 12,839 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 78% | Bachelor's Degree, 53% |
| Average age | 40 | 40 |
| Years of experience | 8 | 8 |
A biologist is a specialized scientist focusing on studying living organisms and their relationship to the existing ecosystem. Biologists spend lots of time doing research and validating theories to support the complexity of the living matter. In some cases, biologists could also be out in the field rather than staying in a laboratory to collect biological specimens to justify their findings and create reports from their scientific investigations. Biologists also often communicate with government entities and private industries to provide recommendations on preserving the ecosystem and wildlife habitat.
A computational biologist is an expert in computational management, high-performance computing, data algorithm, and biological and statistical processes. You study to understand biological systems using computational theoretical principles. Your duties typically include doing research and computer programming, developing a theory, mathematical models, and computer simulations to organize and analyze your findings, and building databases. To become a successful computational biologist, you must have extensive knowledge of bioinformatics, biochemistry, and computational biology, excellent communication skills, and problem-solving skills.
Biologists and computational biologists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Biologist | Computational Biologist | |
| Average salary | $65,158 | $61,449 |
| Salary range | Between $46,000 And $91,000 | Between $38,000 And $99,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | New York | Alaska |
| Best paying company | ||
| Best paying industry | Pharmaceutical | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a biologist and a computational biologist in terms of educational background:
| Biologist | Computational Biologist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 78% | Bachelor's Degree, 53% |
| Most common major | Biology | Biology |
| Most common college | University of California, Berkeley | Harvard University |
Here are the differences between biologists' and computational biologists' demographics:
| Biologist | Computational Biologist | |
| Average age | 40 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 51.4% Female, 48.6% | Male, 80.2% Female, 19.8% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.1% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 8.7% Asian, 10.4% White, 71.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% | Black or African American, 2.7% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 7.4% Asian, 17.0% White, 67.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 10% |