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The differences between physicists and optical scientists 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 scientist. Additionally, a physicist has an average salary of $110,869, which is higher than the $83,856 average annual salary of an optical scientist.
The top three skills for a physicist include patients, radiology and oncology. The most important skills for an optical scientist are system design, zemax, and optical design.
| Physicist | Optical Scientist | |
| Yearly salary | $110,869 | $83,856 |
| Hourly rate | $53.30 | $40.32 |
| Growth rate | 8% | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 803 | 43,029 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 53% | Bachelor's Degree, 43% |
| Average age | 48 | 48 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
Physicists and optical scientists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Physicist | Optical Scientist | |
| Average salary | $110,869 | $83,856 |
| Salary range | Between $68,000 And $180,000 | Between $52,000 And $132,000 |
| Highest paying City | Rochester, NY | Boston, MA |
| Highest paying state | Connecticut | Connecticut |
| Best paying company | Sanford Health | Meta |
| Best paying industry | - | Technology |
There are a few differences between a physicist and an optical scientist in terms of educational background:
| Physicist | Optical Scientist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 53% | Bachelor's Degree, 43% |
| Most common major | Physics | Physics |
| Most common college | Harvard University | Harvard University |
Here are the differences between physicists' and optical scientists' demographics:
| Physicist | Optical Scientist | |
| Average age | 48 | 48 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 83.9% Female, 16.1% | Male, 90.7% Female, 9.3% |
| 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, 1.9% Unknown, 3.4% Hispanic or Latino, 7.4% Asian, 12.8% White, 73.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 24% | 24% |