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The differences between human factors scientists and 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 human factors scientist and a scientist. Additionally, a scientist has an average salary of $97,344, which is higher than the $87,720 average annual salary of a human factors scientist.
The top three skills for a human factors scientist include human subjects, consumer products and data collection. The most important skills for a scientist are chemistry, data analysis, and patients.
| Human Factors Scientist | Scientist | |
| Yearly salary | $87,720 | $97,344 |
| Hourly rate | $42.17 | $46.80 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 17% |
| Number of jobs | 78,875 | 62,467 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 60% |
| Average age | 42 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A human factors scientist conducts analysis and research on human behavior. Depending on which industry they are in, they analyze human behavior relevant settings and apply that data. They also review technical data and scientific literature. They may serve as a technical consultant on some scientific boards or committees in the behavioral science field. They develop new methods and techniques to solve existential problems.
A scientist is responsible for researching and analyzing the nature and complexities of the physical world to identify discoveries that would improve people's lives and ignite scientific knowledge for society. Scientists' duties differ in their different areas of expertise, but all of them must have a broad comprehension of scientific disciplines and methods to support their experiments and investigations. They collect the sample for their research, record findings, create research proposals, and release publications. A scientist must know how to utilize laboratory equipment to support the study and drive results efficiently and accurately.
Human factors scientists and scientists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Human Factors Scientist | Scientist | |
| Average salary | $87,720 | $97,344 |
| Salary range | Between $59,000 And $129,000 | Between $67,000 And $140,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Redwood City, CA |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | California |
| Best paying company | Amazon | Airbnb |
| Best paying industry | - | Technology |
There are a few differences between a human factors scientist and a scientist in terms of educational background:
| Human Factors Scientist | Scientist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 60% |
| Most common major | Psychology | Chemistry |
| Most common college | Duke University | University of Southern California |
Here are the differences between human factors scientists' and scientists' demographics:
| Human Factors Scientist | Scientist | |
| Average age | 42 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 55.0% Female, 45.0% | Male, 56.9% Female, 43.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.7% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 11.6% Asian, 11.2% White, 68.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 6.5% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 9.8% Asian, 26.3% White, 53.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 4% | 8% |