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The differences between forensic scientists and forensic investigators 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 a forensic investigator. Additionally, a forensic scientist has an average salary of $71,351, which is higher than the $52,267 average annual salary of a forensic investigator.
The top three skills for a forensic scientist include laboratory equipment, physical evidence and analytical procedures. The most important skills for a forensic investigator are incident response, windows, and FTK.
| Forensic Scientist | Forensic Investigator | |
| Yearly salary | $71,351 | $52,267 |
| Hourly rate | $34.30 | $25.13 |
| Growth rate | 11% | 11% |
| Number of jobs | 43,335 | 5,032 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 80% | Bachelor's Degree, 55% |
| Average age | 38 | 38 |
| 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.
A forensic investigator is responsible for collecting evidence and pieces of a clue to solve a complicated incident. A forensic investigator must have strong critical-thinking and problem-solving skills to handle various cases that would require intensive research and scientific principles application. Forensic investigators usually work closely with law enforcement personnel to identify all possible sources and secure evidence for further examination. They also study the scene where the incident happened, document observations, creating investigation reports, and communicating with several witnesses that would support possible claims.
Forensic scientists and forensic investigators have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Forensic Scientist | Forensic Investigator | |
| Average salary | $71,351 | $52,267 |
| Salary range | Between $45,000 And $112,000 | Between $27,000 And $98,000 |
| Highest paying City | Lincoln, NE | - |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | - |
| Best paying company | Alere | - |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | - |
There are a few differences between a forensic scientist and a forensic investigator in terms of educational background:
| Forensic Scientist | Forensic Investigator | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 80% | Bachelor's Degree, 55% |
| Most common major | Biology | Criminal Justice |
| Most common college | California State University - Bakersfield | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill |
Here are the differences between forensic scientists' and forensic investigators' demographics:
| Forensic Scientist | Forensic Investigator | |
| Average age | 38 | 38 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 43.1% Female, 56.9% | Male, 65.1% Female, 34.9% |
| 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, 9.7% Unknown, 5.7% Hispanic or Latino, 17.1% Asian, 10.4% White, 56.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |