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Forensic toxicologist vs ballistic technician

The differences between forensic toxicologists and ballistic technicians 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 toxicologist and a ballistic technician. Additionally, a forensic toxicologist has an average salary of $70,179, which is higher than the $54,313 average annual salary of a ballistic technician.

The top three skills for a forensic toxicologist include ms, laboratory equipment and GC. The most important skills for a ballistic technician are ammunition, ATF, and .

Forensic toxicologist vs ballistic technician overview

Forensic ToxicologistBallistic Technician
Yearly salary$70,179$54,313
Hourly rate$33.74$26.11
Growth rate11%11%
Number of jobs8075,513
Job satisfaction5-
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 81%Associate Degree, 50%
Average age3838
Years of experience44

Forensic toxicologist vs ballistic technician salary

Forensic toxicologists and ballistic technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.

Forensic ToxicologistBallistic Technician
Average salary$70,179$54,313
Salary rangeBetween $39,000 And $123,000Between $28,000 And $104,000
Highest paying City--
Highest paying state--
Best paying company--
Best paying industry--

Differences between forensic toxicologist and ballistic technician education

There are a few differences between a forensic toxicologist and a ballistic technician in terms of educational background:

Forensic ToxicologistBallistic Technician
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 81%Associate Degree, 50%
Most common majorChemistryBusiness
Most common collegeUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel HillCalifornia State University - Long Beach

Forensic toxicologist vs ballistic technician demographics

Here are the differences between forensic toxicologists' and ballistic technicians' demographics:

Forensic ToxicologistBallistic Technician
Average age3838
Gender ratioMale, 53.1% Female, 46.9%Male, 95.7% Female, 4.3%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 9.9% Unknown, 6.2% Hispanic or Latino, 15.8% Asian, 10.1% White, 56.9% 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 Percentage8%8%

Differences between forensic toxicologist and ballistic technician duties and responsibilities

Forensic toxicologist example responsibilities.

  • Perform Headspace GC analysis for presence and concentration determination of alcohols and other volatile substances in biological samples.
  • Used laboratory information management system (LIMS) to track casework and release results.
  • SOP's have to be constantly update and follow to detail to prepare the samples accurately before extraction.
  • Prepare samples for analysis through extraction of control substances from biological matrices.
  • Duplicate VHS tapes and various other types of media to DVD.
  • Perform confirmatory semen testing (p30 ELISA and microscopic slide searches for spermatozoa) on casework samples.

Ballistic technician example responsibilities.

  • Assist in managing technical and regulatory site visits to the laboratory and interface with QA and RA on all vendor/regulatory audits.
  • Conduct ballistic tests for customers, domestic and foreign, seeking NIJ certification or research.
  • Evaluate current lab practices and independent initialization of startup procedures for new lab practices and lab organization for ISO accreditation.
  • Install blast sleeves, positive and negative EB switches w/ retaining nuts and top sub head assembly.
  • Check SID numbers in RAS system.

Forensic toxicologist vs ballistic technician skills

Common forensic toxicologist skills
  • Ms, 23%
  • Laboratory Equipment, 13%
  • GC, 10%
  • LC, 9%
  • Sops, 7%
  • Immunoassay, 7%
Common ballistic technician skills
  • Ammunition, 58%
  • ATF, 42%

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