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The differences between crime specialists and forensic specialists 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 specialist. Additionally, a forensic specialist has an average salary of $51,653, 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 specialist are social work, encase, and criminal justice.
| Crime Specialist | Forensic Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $35,227 | $51,653 |
| Hourly rate | $16.94 | $24.83 |
| Growth rate | 11% | 11% |
| Number of jobs | 1,239 | 1,338 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 53% | Bachelor's Degree, 54% |
| 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 Specialists analyze and evaluate physical evidence using different analysis methods like chemical, instrumental, microscopic, and physical. They are sometimes required to work with blood and other biological fluids, hair, gunshot residue, etc. Forensic Specialist duties depend on their area of expertise. Some specialists spend their days in a lab; others spend their visiting crime scenes searching for evidence. No matter what specialization they're in, their core responsibilities are to collect, document, preserve, test, and report evidence that is then submitted to those in charge of the case.
Crime specialists and forensic specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Crime Specialist | Forensic Specialist | |
| Average salary | $35,227 | $51,653 |
| Salary range | Between $26,000 And $47,000 | Between $33,000 And $79,000 |
| Highest paying City | Salt Lake City, UT | Santa Monica, CA |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | Alaska |
| Best paying company | Collabera | QED Group |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Government |
There are a few differences between a crime specialist and a forensic specialist in terms of educational background:
| Crime Specialist | Forensic Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 53% | Bachelor's Degree, 54% |
| Most common major | Business | Criminal Justice |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between crime specialists' and forensic specialists' demographics:
| Crime Specialist | Forensic Specialist | |
| Average age | 38 | 38 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 35.1% Female, 64.9% | Male, 49.1% Female, 50.9% |
| 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, 9.6% Unknown, 6.0% Hispanic or Latino, 17.0% Asian, 10.1% White, 56.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |