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The differences between physicists and requirements engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become a physicist, becoming a requirements engineer takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a physicist has an average salary of $110,869, which is higher than the $87,170 average annual salary of a requirements engineer.
The top three skills for a physicist include patients, radiology and oncology. The most important skills for a requirements engineer are java, software development, and powerpoint.
| Physicist | Requirements Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $110,869 | $87,170 |
| Hourly rate | $53.30 | $41.91 |
| Growth rate | 8% | 21% |
| Number of jobs | 803 | 166,444 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 53% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Average age | 48 | 39 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 4 |
Physicists explain the effect of structures, phenomena, and forces on the natural world. Physicists determine and explore the primary principles governing the behavior and structure of matter. They study energy generation and transfer as well as the interaction between matter and energy. Their job involves the development of theories on the properties of matter, time, space, and energy. The position requires extensive research for technical papers and reports contributing to the industry. Physicians teach and lecture students on the laws associated with physics.
Requirements engineers are responsible for the analysis, documentation, coordination, and management of requirements regarding new software projects. They identify and understand the customer's project-specific demands and document them in a clear and binding way. Their duties and responsibilities also include preparing well-written and detailed documentation of the project and ensuring the project is designed and built within the legal parameters.
Physicists and requirements engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Physicist | Requirements Engineer | |
| Average salary | $110,869 | $87,170 |
| Salary range | Between $68,000 And $180,000 | Between $62,000 And $120,000 |
| Highest paying City | Rochester, NY | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Connecticut | California |
| Best paying company | Sanford Health | The Citadel |
| Best paying industry | - | Technology |
There are a few differences between a physicist and a requirements engineer in terms of educational background:
| Physicist | Requirements Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 53% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Most common major | Physics | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Harvard University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between physicists' and requirements engineers' demographics:
| Physicist | Requirements Engineer | |
| Average age | 48 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 83.9% Female, 16.1% | Male, 64.5% Female, 35.5% |
| 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, 4.6% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 8.3% Asian, 29.8% White, 52.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 24% | 8% |