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The differences between marine scientists and environmental specialists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a marine scientist, becoming an environmental specialist takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a marine scientist has an average salary of $76,640, which is higher than the $54,482 average annual salary of an environmental specialist.
The top three skills for a marine scientist include NOAA, water quality and geotechnical. The most important skills for an environmental specialist are hazardous waste, environmental compliance, and hazardous materials.
| Marine Scientist | Environmental Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $76,640 | $54,482 |
| Hourly rate | $36.85 | $26.19 |
| Growth rate | 1% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 57,007 | 18,074 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 82% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Average age | 40 | 39 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 6 |
Marine scientists and environmental specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Marine Scientist | Environmental Specialist | |
| Average salary | $76,640 | $54,482 |
| Salary range | Between $45,000 And $128,000 | Between $36,000 And $80,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Jose, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | California |
| Best paying company | Center for Coastal Studies | Texas Instruments |
| Best paying industry | - | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a marine scientist and an environmental specialist in terms of educational background:
| Marine Scientist | Environmental Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 82% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Most common major | Biology | Environmental Science |
| Most common college | University of California - Davis | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill |
Here are the differences between marine scientists' and environmental specialists' demographics:
| Marine Scientist | Environmental Specialist | |
| Average age | 40 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 47.7% Female, 52.3% | Male, 62.6% Female, 37.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 2.3% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 6.3% Asian, 11.1% White, 74.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% | Black or African American, 3.1% Unknown, 3.7% Hispanic or Latino, 6.2% Asian, 5.0% White, 81.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 16% |