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The differences between forensic specialists and forensic scientists 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 scientist. Additionally, a forensic scientist has an average salary of $71,351, 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 scientist are laboratory equipment, physical evidence, and analytical procedures.
| Forensic Specialist | Forensic Scientist | |
| Yearly salary | $51,653 | $71,351 |
| Hourly rate | $24.83 | $34.30 |
| Growth rate | 11% | 11% |
| Number of jobs | 1,338 | 43,335 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 54% | Bachelor's Degree, 80% |
| Average age | 38 | 38 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
Forensic Specialists analyze and evaluate physical evidence using different analysis methods like chemical, instrumental, microscopic, and physical. They are sometimes required to work with blood and other biological fluids, hair, gunshot residue, etc. Forensic Specialist duties depend on their area of expertise. Some specialists spend their days in a lab; others spend their visiting crime scenes searching for evidence. No matter what specialization they're in, their core responsibilities are to collect, document, preserve, test, and report evidence that is then submitted to those in charge of the case.
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.
Forensic specialists and forensic scientists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Forensic Specialist | Forensic Scientist | |
| Average salary | $51,653 | $71,351 |
| Salary range | Between $33,000 And $79,000 | Between $45,000 And $112,000 |
| Highest paying City | Santa Monica, CA | Lincoln, NE |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | Alaska |
| Best paying company | QED Group | Alere |
| Best paying industry | Government | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a forensic specialist and a forensic scientist in terms of educational background:
| Forensic Specialist | Forensic Scientist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 54% | Bachelor's Degree, 80% |
| Most common major | Criminal Justice | Biology |
| Most common college | Stanford University | California State University - Bakersfield |
Here are the differences between forensic specialists' and forensic scientists' demographics:
| Forensic Specialist | Forensic Scientist | |
| Average age | 38 | 38 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 49.1% Female, 50.9% | Male, 43.1% Female, 56.9% |
| 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, 10.0% Unknown, 6.0% Hispanic or Latino, 15.7% Asian, 10.5% White, 56.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |