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The differences between forensic scientists and research fellows 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 research fellow. Additionally, a forensic scientist has an average salary of $71,351, which is higher than the $53,823 average annual salary of a research fellow.
The top three skills for a forensic scientist include laboratory equipment, physical evidence and analytical procedures. The most important skills for a research fellow are patients, research projects, and data analysis.
| Forensic Scientist | Research Fellow | |
| Yearly salary | $71,351 | $53,823 |
| Hourly rate | $34.30 | $25.88 |
| Growth rate | 11% | 17% |
| Number of jobs | 43,335 | 59,746 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 80% | Bachelor's Degree, 47% |
| 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.
A research fellow is an academic researcher who conducts research and analysis of comprehensive literature, data, and results and provides literature reviews. He/She supervises research assistants and recruits study participants to interview them for a particular study. To become a research fellow, a candidate should have a doctorate in a relevant discipline and publish peer-reviewed papers. Also, a research fellow can be an independent investigator or be supervised by a principal investigator.
Forensic scientists and research fellows have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Forensic Scientist | Research Fellow | |
| Average salary | $71,351 | $53,823 |
| Salary range | Between $45,000 And $112,000 | Between $39,000 And $72,000 |
| Highest paying City | Lincoln, NE | South San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | Hawaii |
| Best paying company | Alere | McKinsey & Company Inc |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Non Profits |
There are a few differences between a forensic scientist and a research fellow in terms of educational background:
| Forensic Scientist | Research Fellow | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 80% | Bachelor's Degree, 47% |
| Most common major | Biology | Chemistry |
| Most common college | California State University - Bakersfield | Duke University |
Here are the differences between forensic scientists' and research fellows' demographics:
| Forensic Scientist | Research Fellow | |
| Average age | 38 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 43.1% Female, 56.9% | Male, 55.3% Female, 44.7% |
| 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, 9.6% Asian, 27.1% White, 52.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |