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The differences between forensic scientists and chemists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a forensic scientist has an average salary of $71,351, which is higher than the $64,961 average annual salary of a chemist.
The top three skills for a forensic scientist include laboratory equipment, physical evidence and analytical procedures. The most important skills for a chemist are chemistry, lab equipment, and test results.
| Forensic Scientist | Chemist | |
| Yearly salary | $71,351 | $64,961 |
| Hourly rate | $34.30 | $31.23 |
| Growth rate | 11% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 43,335 | 20,221 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 80% | Bachelor's Degree, 80% |
| Average age | 38 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 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.
Chemists are generally responsible for observing and investigating chemical substances to create new and safe compounds essential for practical applications. They are often grouped depending on a particular area of specialization to focus and understand the complexities of the matter. A chemist usually takes time performing research and conducting experiments to test and further improve the quality and usage of a specific chemical substance. Chemists are expected to write on their observations and findings to establish scientific results.
Forensic scientists and chemists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Forensic Scientist | Chemist | |
| Average salary | $71,351 | $64,961 |
| Salary range | Between $45,000 And $112,000 | Between $46,000 And $90,000 |
| Highest paying City | Lincoln, NE | Wilmington, DE |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | Delaware |
| Best paying company | Alere | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a forensic scientist and a chemist in terms of educational background:
| Forensic Scientist | Chemist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 80% | Bachelor's Degree, 80% |
| Most common major | Biology | Chemistry |
| Most common college | California State University - Bakersfield | University of Southern California |
Here are the differences between forensic scientists' and chemists' demographics:
| Forensic Scientist | Chemist | |
| Average age | 38 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 43.1% Female, 56.9% | Male, 59.6% Female, 40.4% |
| 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, 7.8% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 9.4% Asian, 18.2% White, 59.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 5% |