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The differences between biologists and scientists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 6-8 years to become a biologist, becoming a scientist takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a scientist has an average salary of $97,344, which is higher than the $65,158 average annual salary of a biologist.
The top three skills for a biologist include data collection, GPS and renewable energy. The most important skills for a scientist are chemistry, data analysis, and patients.
| Biologist | Scientist | |
| Yearly salary | $65,158 | $97,344 |
| Hourly rate | $31.33 | $46.80 |
| Growth rate | 1% | 17% |
| Number of jobs | 5,741 | 62,467 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 78% | Bachelor's Degree, 60% |
| Average age | 40 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 8 | 4 |
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 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.
Biologists and scientists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Biologist | Scientist | |
| Average salary | $65,158 | $97,344 |
| Salary range | Between $46,000 And $91,000 | Between $67,000 And $140,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Redwood City, CA |
| Highest paying state | New York | California |
| Best paying company | Airbnb | |
| Best paying industry | Pharmaceutical | Technology |
There are a few differences between a biologist and a scientist in terms of educational background:
| Biologist | Scientist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 78% | Bachelor's Degree, 60% |
| Most common major | Biology | Chemistry |
| Most common college | University of California, Berkeley | University of Southern California |
Here are the differences between biologists' and scientists' demographics:
| Biologist | Scientist | |
| Average age | 40 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 51.4% Female, 48.6% | Male, 56.9% Female, 43.1% |
| 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, 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 | 10% | 8% |