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The differences between forensic scientists and associate 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 forensic scientist and an associate scientist. Additionally, an associate scientist has an average salary of $76,461, which is higher than the $71,351 average annual salary of a forensic scientist.
The top three skills for a forensic scientist include laboratory equipment, physical evidence and analytical procedures. The most important skills for an associate scientist are chemistry, patients, and cell culture.
| Forensic Scientist | Associate Scientist | |
| Yearly salary | $71,351 | $76,461 |
| Hourly rate | $34.30 | $36.76 |
| Growth rate | 11% | 17% |
| Number of jobs | 43,335 | 54,950 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 80% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| Average age | 38 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
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.
An Associate Scientist assists in various experiments and research, working under the direction of a lead scientist. Their specialties may include biological life sciences, geo-science, atmospheric physics, and computing.
Forensic scientists and associate scientists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Forensic Scientist | Associate Scientist | |
| Average salary | $71,351 | $76,461 |
| Salary range | Between $45,000 And $112,000 | Between $53,000 And $109,000 |
| Highest paying City | Lincoln, NE | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | California |
| Best paying company | Alere | Phillips 66 |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a forensic scientist and an associate scientist in terms of educational background:
| Forensic Scientist | Associate Scientist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 80% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| Most common major | Biology | Biology |
| Most common college | California State University - Bakersfield | University of Southern California |
Here are the differences between forensic scientists' and associate scientists' demographics:
| Forensic Scientist | Associate Scientist | |
| Average age | 38 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 43.1% Female, 56.9% | Male, 48.6% Female, 51.4% |
| Race ratio | 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% | Black or African American, 6.4% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 9.7% Asian, 26.3% White, 53.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |