Forensic specialist vs forensic ballistics expert

The differences between forensic specialists and forensic ballistics experts 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 forensic ballistics expert. Additionally, a forensic ballistics expert has an average salary of $64,737, 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 forensic ballistics expert are litigation, cyber security, and encase.

Forensic specialist vs forensic ballistics expert overview

	Forensic Specialist	Forensic Ballistics Expert
Yearly salary	$51,653	$64,737
Hourly rate	$24.83	$31.12
Growth rate	11%	11%
Number of jobs	1,338	8,905
Job satisfaction	-	5
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 54%	Bachelor's Degree, 44%
Average age	38	38
Years of experience	4	4

Forensic specialist vs forensic ballistics expert salary

Forensic specialists and forensic ballistics experts have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Forensic Specialist	Forensic Ballistics Expert
Average salary	$51,653	$64,737
Salary range	Between $33,000 And $79,000	Between $36,000 And $116,000
Highest paying City	Santa Monica, CA	-
Highest paying state	Alaska	-
Best paying company	QED Group	-
Best paying industry	Government	-

Differences between forensic specialist and forensic ballistics expert education

There are a few differences between a forensic specialist and a forensic ballistics expert in terms of educational background:

	Forensic Specialist	Forensic Ballistics Expert
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 54%	Bachelor's Degree, 44%
Most common major	Criminal Justice	Criminal Justice
Most common college	Stanford University	University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Forensic specialist vs forensic ballistics expert demographics

Here are the differences between forensic specialists' and forensic ballistics experts' demographics:

	Forensic Specialist	Forensic Ballistics Expert
Average age	38	38
Gender ratio	Male, 49.1% Female, 50.9%	Male, 75.8% Female, 24.2%
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, 6.8% Unknown, 5.7% Hispanic or Latino, 12.4% Asian, 11.4% White, 62.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0%
LGBT Percentage	8%	8%

Differences between forensic specialist and forensic ballistics expert 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.

Forensic ballistics expert example responsibilities.

Manage use and maintenance of company vehicle, surveying equip., cameras, and firearms.
Provide computer forensics, litigation and regulatory support, including expert testimony.
Perform in-depth forensic analysis of Macintosh computer hard drives and prepare expert report for use in ongoing litigation.
Perform function tests on submit firearms and collect standards for microscopic comparisons.

Forensic specialist vs forensic ballistics expert skills

Common forensic specialist skills

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

Common forensic ballistics expert skills

Litigation, 42%
Cyber Security, 23%
Encase, 15%
E-Discovery, 13%
Security Practices, 7%

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Forensic Specialist vs Forensic Ballistics Expert

Updated January 8, 2025

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