Forensic specialist vs dna analyst

The differences between forensic specialists and dna analysts 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 specialist and a dna analyst. Additionally, a dna analyst has an average salary of $55,294, which is higher than the $51,653 average annual salary of a forensic specialist.

The top three skills for a forensic specialist include social work, encase and criminal justice. The most important skills for a dna analyst are extraction, dna analysis, and lab equipment.

Forensic specialist vs dna analyst overview

	Forensic Specialist	DNA Analyst
Yearly salary	$51,653	$55,294
Hourly rate	$24.83	$26.58
Growth rate	11%	11%
Number of jobs	1,338	12,410
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 54%	Bachelor's Degree, 67%
Average age	38	38
Years of experience	4	4

Forensic specialist vs dna analyst salary

Forensic specialists and dna analysts have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Forensic Specialist	DNA Analyst
Average salary	$51,653	$55,294
Salary range	Between $33,000 And $79,000	Between $37,000 And $82,000
Highest paying City	Santa Monica, CA	Dover, DE
Highest paying state	Alaska	Mississippi
Best paying company	QED Group	InfosysPublicService
Best paying industry	Government	Health Care

Differences between forensic specialist and dna analyst education

There are a few differences between a forensic specialist and a dna analyst in terms of educational background:

	Forensic Specialist	DNA Analyst
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 54%	Bachelor's Degree, 67%
Most common major	Criminal Justice	Biology
Most common college	Stanford University	Stanford University

Forensic specialist vs dna analyst demographics

Here are the differences between forensic specialists' and dna analysts' demographics:

	Forensic Specialist	DNA Analyst
Average age	38	38
Gender ratio	Male, 49.1% Female, 50.9%	Male, 30.5% Female, 69.5%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 9.6% Unknown, 6.0% Hispanic or Latino, 17.0% Asian, 10.1% White, 56.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1%	Black or African American, 9.4% Unknown, 6.2% Hispanic or Latino, 16.7% Asian, 10.4% White, 56.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1%
LGBT Percentage	8%	8%

Differences between forensic specialist and dna analyst duties and responsibilities

Forensic specialist example responsibilities.

Manage use and maintenance of company vehicle, surveying equip., cameras, and firearms.
Provide individualize intervention for problematic behaviors using TCI techniques such as de-escalation, to prevent and/or manage crisis.
Secure and track any DNA evidence submit for testing.
Examine evidence for the presence of biological material and collect potential DNA samples.
Provide individualize intervention for problematic behaviors using TCI techniques such as de-escalation, to prevent and/or manage crisis.
Assess for risk of suicide, homicide, psychosis and other safety concerns.

Dna analyst example responsibilities.

Ensure CODIS sample preparation and organic extraction of DNA daily metrics are achieved and maintain.
Address CODIS software and network issues throughout Wisconsin.
Monitor quality of reagents in a LIMS tracking system.
Process convict offender DNA profiles for entry into CODIS.
Collect data from the capillary electrophoresis machine and interpret the ladders, controls and data for each sample.
Train to use standard operating procedures and policy and procedure to analyze capillary electrophoresis data for several different clients.

Forensic specialist vs dna analyst skills

Common forensic specialist skills

Social Work, 10%
Encase, 8%
Criminal Justice, 8%
Mental Health, 6%
Digital Forensics, 5%
Forensic Interviews, 5%

Common dna analyst skills

Extraction, 10%
DNA Analysis, 10%
Lab Equipment, 8%
Proficiency Testing, 8%
Lims, 7%
ABI, 7%

Forensic Specialist vs. similar jobs

Forensic Specialist related careers

Forensic Specialist related jobs

What similar roles do

Zippia Careers
Life, Physical, and Social Science Industry
Forensic Specialist
Forensic Specialist vs DNA Analyst

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse life, physical, and social science jobs