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The differences between evidence technicians 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 an evidence technician and a forensic scientist. Additionally, a forensic scientist has an average salary of $71,351, which is higher than the $44,213 average annual salary of an evidence technician.
The top three skills for an evidence technician include law enforcement agencies, criminal justice and data entry. The most important skills for a forensic scientist are laboratory equipment, physical evidence, and analytical procedures.
| Evidence Technician | Forensic Scientist | |
| Yearly salary | $44,213 | $71,351 |
| Hourly rate | $21.26 | $34.30 |
| Growth rate | 11% | 11% |
| Number of jobs | 5,316 | 43,335 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 54% | Bachelor's Degree, 80% |
| Average age | 38 | 38 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
Evidence technicians and forensic scientists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Evidence Technician | Forensic Scientist | |
| Average salary | $44,213 | $71,351 |
| Salary range | Between $31,000 And $61,000 | Between $45,000 And $112,000 |
| Highest paying City | West Valley City, UT | Lincoln, NE |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | Alaska |
| Best paying company | Federal Bureau of Investigation | Alere |
| Best paying industry | Government | Health Care |
There are a few differences between an evidence technician and a forensic scientist in terms of educational background:
| Evidence Technician | Forensic Scientist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 54% | Bachelor's Degree, 80% |
| Most common major | Criminal Justice | Biology |
| Most common college | Stanford University | California State University - Bakersfield |
Here are the differences between evidence technicians' and forensic scientists' demographics:
| Evidence Technician | Forensic Scientist | |
| Average age | 38 | 38 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 47.0% Female, 53.0% | Male, 43.1% Female, 56.9% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.7% Unknown, 5.7% Hispanic or Latino, 17.2% Asian, 10.4% White, 56.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0% | 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% |