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The differences between criminalists and latent fingerprint examiners can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a criminalist and a latent fingerprint examiner. Additionally, a criminalist has an average salary of $68,152, which is higher than the $46,980 average annual salary of a latent fingerprint examiner.
The top three skills for a criminalist include physical evidence, laboratory reports and body fluids. The most important skills for a latent fingerprint examiner are law enforcement agencies, afis, and identification system.
| Criminalist | Latent Fingerprint Examiner | |
| Yearly salary | $68,152 | $46,980 |
| Hourly rate | $32.77 | $22.59 |
| Growth rate | 11% | 11% |
| Number of jobs | 14,872 | 2,232 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 60% |
| Average age | 38 | 38 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
Criminalists and latent fingerprint examiners have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Criminalist | Latent Fingerprint Examiner | |
| Average salary | $68,152 | $46,980 |
| Salary range | Between $36,000 And $127,000 | Between $23,000 And $92,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Mateo, CA | - |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | - |
| Best paying company | City of Los Angeles | - |
| Best paying industry | - | - |
There are a few differences between a criminalist and a latent fingerprint examiner in terms of educational background:
| Criminalist | Latent Fingerprint Examiner | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 60% |
| Most common major | Chemistry | Criminal Justice |
| Most common college | California State University - Bakersfield | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between criminalists' and latent fingerprint examiners' demographics:
| Criminalist | Latent Fingerprint Examiner | |
| Average age | 38 | 38 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 35.9% Female, 64.1% | Male, 37.3% Female, 62.7% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.6% Unknown, 6.2% Hispanic or Latino, 17.0% Asian, 10.4% White, 55.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1% | Black or African American, 11.4% Unknown, 5.7% Hispanic or Latino, 13.8% Asian, 10.0% White, 58.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |