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The differences between quality control microbiologists and scientists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a quality control microbiologist, becoming a scientist takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a scientist has an average salary of $97,344, which is higher than the $55,202 average annual salary of a quality control microbiologist.
The top three skills for a quality control microbiologist include environmental monitoring, GMP and lab equipment. The most important skills for a scientist are chemistry, data analysis, and patients.
| Quality Control Microbiologist | Scientist | |
| Yearly salary | $55,202 | $97,344 |
| Hourly rate | $26.54 | $46.80 |
| Growth rate | 9% | 17% |
| Number of jobs | 82,081 | 62,467 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 81% | Bachelor's Degree, 60% |
| Average age | 40 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 4 |
A quality control microbiologist is responsible for conducting quality check procedures on laboratory investigations and studies, ensuring that the outputs adhere to the strict standards and internal regulations. Quality control microbiologists analyze raw materials and components, inspect the efficiency of laboratory tools and equipment, and validate data. A quality control microbiologists evaluate documentation for high-quality deliverables. They also monitor the adequacy of inventory for laboratory operations and maintain the cleanliness and orderliness of the workplace to avoid potential hazards and prevent delays.
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.
Quality control microbiologists and scientists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Quality Control Microbiologist | Scientist | |
| Average salary | $55,202 | $97,344 |
| Salary range | Between $38,000 And $79,000 | Between $67,000 And $140,000 |
| Highest paying City | South San Francisco, CA | Redwood City, CA |
| Highest paying state | Virginia | California |
| Best paying company | Battelle | Airbnb |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Technology |
There are a few differences between a quality control microbiologist and a scientist in terms of educational background:
| Quality Control Microbiologist | Scientist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 81% | Bachelor's Degree, 60% |
| Most common major | Biology | Chemistry |
| Most common college | Harvard University | University of Southern California |
Here are the differences between quality control microbiologists' and scientists' demographics:
| Quality Control Microbiologist | Scientist | |
| Average age | 40 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 42.5% Female, 57.5% | Male, 56.9% Female, 43.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 2.9% Unknown, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino, 8.2% Asian, 14.7% White, 68.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% | 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 | 10% | 8% |