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The differences between physicists and optical instrument specialists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a physicist and an optical instrument specialist. Additionally, a physicist has an average salary of $110,869, which is higher than the $64,049 average annual salary of an optical instrument specialist.
The top three skills for a physicist include patients, radiology and oncology. The most important skills for an optical instrument specialist are fiber optic, customer service, and schedule appointments.
| Physicist | Optical Instrument Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $110,869 | $64,049 |
| Hourly rate | $53.30 | $30.79 |
| Growth rate | 8% | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 803 | 22,415 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 53% | Bachelor's Degree, 44% |
| Average age | 48 | 48 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
Physicists and optical instrument specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Physicist | Optical Instrument Specialist | |
| Average salary | $110,869 | $64,049 |
| Salary range | Between $68,000 And $180,000 | Between $40,000 And $102,000 |
| Highest paying City | Rochester, NY | - |
| Highest paying state | Connecticut | - |
| Best paying company | Sanford Health | - |
| Best paying industry | - | - |
There are a few differences between a physicist and an optical instrument specialist in terms of educational background:
| Physicist | Optical Instrument Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 53% | Bachelor's Degree, 44% |
| Most common major | Physics | Business |
| Most common college | Harvard University | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between physicists' and optical instrument specialists' demographics:
| Physicist | Optical Instrument Specialist | |
| Average age | 48 | 48 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 83.9% Female, 16.1% | Male, 66.0% Female, 34.0% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 2.0% Unknown, 3.4% Hispanic or Latino, 7.4% Asian, 13.2% White, 73.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% | Black or African American, 2.9% Unknown, 3.4% Hispanic or Latino, 8.1% Asian, 7.2% White, 77.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 24% | 24% |