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The differences between laboratory 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 laboratory scientist and a scientist. Additionally, a scientist has an average salary of $97,344, which is higher than the $66,249 average annual salary of a laboratory scientist.
The top three skills for a laboratory scientist include chemistry, ASCP and laboratory procedures. The most important skills for a scientist are chemistry, data analysis, and patients.
| Laboratory Scientist | Scientist | |
| Yearly salary | $66,249 | $97,344 |
| Hourly rate | $31.85 | $46.80 |
| Growth rate | 17% | 17% |
| Number of jobs | 83,505 | 62,467 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 74% | Bachelor's Degree, 60% |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A laboratory scientist specializes in conducting research and experiments for a company or an academic institution. Their responsibilities primarily revolve around gathering and labeling samples, documenting data and progress, reviewing results, and even maintaining the cleanliness of the laboratory and its apparatus. There are also instances when they have to collaborate with other scientists, report progress, and even contribute them to different publications. Furthermore, a laboratory scientist may supervise less experienced colleagues, all while implementing the safety policies and regulations of the laboratory to maintain a safe and productive work environment.
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.
Laboratory scientists and scientists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Laboratory Scientist | Scientist | |
| Average salary | $66,249 | $97,344 |
| Salary range | Between $47,000 And $93,000 | Between $67,000 And $140,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Redwood City, CA |
| Highest paying state | Connecticut | California |
| Best paying company | Microsoft | Airbnb |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Technology |
There are a few differences between a laboratory scientist and a scientist in terms of educational background:
| Laboratory Scientist | Scientist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 74% | Bachelor's Degree, 60% |
| Most common major | Biology | Chemistry |
| Most common college | University of Southern California | University of Southern California |
Here are the differences between laboratory scientists' and scientists' demographics:
| Laboratory Scientist | Scientist | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 49.0% Female, 51.0% | Male, 56.9% Female, 43.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 6.5% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 9.8% Asian, 26.3% White, 53.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% | 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 | 8% | 8% |