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The differences between computer scientists 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 computer scientist and a scientist. Additionally, a computer scientist has an average salary of $103,238, which is higher than the $97,344 average annual salary of a scientist.
The top three skills for a computer scientist include python, computer system and machine learning. The most important skills for a scientist are chemistry, data analysis, and patients.
| Computer Scientist | Scientist | |
| Yearly salary | $103,238 | $97,344 |
| Hourly rate | $49.63 | $46.80 |
| Growth rate | 16% | 17% |
| Number of jobs | 59,802 | 62,467 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 60% |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A computer scientist is responsible for analyzing network infrastructure and designing efficient computer systems according to clients' specifications and business functions. Computer scientists inspect the safety and security of the organization's database, ensuring its protection from malicious activities and unauthorized access. They also manage a large scale of software applications, identifying technical opportunities to improve optimal performance and navigations. A computer scientist must have excellent knowledge of the technology industry, strong command on programming languages and system codes, and the ability to solve technical complexities for conceptualization.
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.
Computer scientists and scientists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Computer Scientist | Scientist | |
| Average salary | $103,238 | $97,344 |
| Salary range | Between $74,000 And $144,000 | Between $67,000 And $140,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Redwood City, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Meta | Airbnb |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Technology |
There are a few differences between a computer scientist and a scientist in terms of educational background:
| Computer Scientist | Scientist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 60% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Chemistry |
| Most common college | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | University of Southern California |
Here are the differences between computer scientists' and scientists' demographics:
| Computer Scientist | Scientist | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 78.8% Female, 21.2% | Male, 56.9% Female, 43.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.2% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 6.9% Asian, 18.8% White, 64.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% | 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 | 9% | 8% |