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The differences between crime specialists and forensic 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 crime specialist and a forensic scientist. Additionally, a forensic scientist has an average salary of $71,351, which is higher than the $35,227 average annual salary of a crime specialist.
The top three skills for a crime specialist include criminal justice, anti-money laundering and secrecy. The most important skills for a forensic scientist are laboratory equipment, physical evidence, and analytical procedures.
| Crime Specialist | Forensic Scientist | |
| Yearly salary | $35,227 | $71,351 |
| Hourly rate | $16.94 | $34.30 |
| Growth rate | 11% | 11% |
| Number of jobs | 1,239 | 43,335 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 53% | Bachelor's Degree, 80% |
| Average age | 38 | 38 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
The duties of a Crime Specialist usually depend on their place of employment. Their responsibilities include visiting crime scenes, gathering and analyzing pieces of evidence, conducting interviews with witnesses, utilizing forensic equipment and techniques, taking photographs or videos, and preparing reports and other paperwork. They may also attend court hearings, provide insights, and train new members of the workforce. Crime Specialists work together with law enforcement, which requires an active communication line for a smooth and efficient workflow.
Forensic scientists work as experts in collecting evidence, analyzing evidence collected at crime scenes, and communicating with law enforcement. They can work as a lab manager and detective. They are responsible for ensuring that tests are performed correctly and ethically without any bias. They obtain evidence at the crime scene, making reports of the findings, examining the evidence in the lab if the evidence collected is relevant or not, and testifying in court. They report to superiors the findings of the analysis.
Crime specialists and forensic scientists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Crime Specialist | Forensic Scientist | |
| Average salary | $35,227 | $71,351 |
| Salary range | Between $26,000 And $47,000 | Between $45,000 And $112,000 |
| Highest paying City | Salt Lake City, UT | Lincoln, NE |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | Alaska |
| Best paying company | Collabera | Alere |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a crime specialist and a forensic scientist in terms of educational background:
| Crime Specialist | Forensic Scientist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 53% | Bachelor's Degree, 80% |
| Most common major | Business | Biology |
| Most common college | Stanford University | California State University - Bakersfield |
Here are the differences between crime specialists' and forensic scientists' demographics:
| Crime Specialist | Forensic Scientist | |
| Average age | 38 | 38 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 35.1% Female, 64.9% | Male, 43.1% Female, 56.9% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.5% Unknown, 6.0% Hispanic or Latino, 16.8% Asian, 10.4% White, 56.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1% | Black or African American, 10.0% Unknown, 6.0% Hispanic or Latino, 15.7% Asian, 10.5% White, 56.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |