Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between genetic scientists and genetic engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a genetic scientist, becoming a genetic engineer takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a genetic engineer has an average salary of $96,906, which is higher than the $86,662 average annual salary of a genetic scientist.
The top three skills for a genetic scientist include next-generation sequencing, molecular biology and RNA. The most important skills for a genetic engineer are R, , and .
| Genetic Scientist | Genetic Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $86,662 | $96,906 |
| Hourly rate | $41.66 | $46.59 |
| Growth rate | 17% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 44,179 | 22,544 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Average age | 41 | 38 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 2 |
Genetic scientists and genetic engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Genetic Scientist | Genetic Engineer | |
| Average salary | $86,662 | $96,906 |
| Salary range | Between $59,000 And $125,000 | Between $74,000 And $125,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | - |
| Highest paying state | California | - |
| Best paying company | 23andMe | - |
| Best paying industry | - | - |
There are a few differences between a genetic scientist and a genetic engineer in terms of educational background:
| Genetic Scientist | Genetic Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Most common major | Biology | Biology |
| Most common college | University of Southern California | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between genetic scientists' and genetic engineers' demographics:
| Genetic Scientist | Genetic Engineer | |
| Average age | 41 | 38 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 51.6% Female, 48.4% | Male, 100.0% Female, 0.0% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.6% Unknown, 3.5% Hispanic or Latino, 7.4% Asian, 27.9% White, 56.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% | Black or African American, 4.9% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 6.5% Asian, 14.3% White, 68.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 13% |