Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between scientists and doctors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a doctor has an average salary of $208,582, which is higher than the $97,344 average annual salary of a scientist.
The top three skills for a scientist include chemistry, data analysis and patients. The most important skills for a doctor are patients, customer service, and emergency medicine.
| Scientist | Doctor | |
| Yearly salary | $97,344 | $208,582 |
| Hourly rate | $46.80 | $100.28 |
| Growth rate | 17% | 7% |
| Number of jobs | 62,467 | 14,571 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 60% | Bachelor's Degree, 35% |
| Average age | 41 | 48 |
| Years of experience | 4 | - |
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.
A doctor is a medical expert who diagnoses and treats illnesses and injuries, often specializing in particular areas. Their responsibilities revolve around conducting initial interviews and examinations, studying a patient's medical history and laboratory results, providing consultations and care advice, prescribing medication, and referring patients to specialists when necessary. They must also coordinate and maintain an active communication line with nurses, administrators, and technicians for a smooth workflow. Moreover, a doctor must educate patients about their health conditions, helping them understand their situation better.
Scientists and doctors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Scientist | Doctor | |
| Average salary | $97,344 | $208,582 |
| Salary range | Between $67,000 And $140,000 | Between $106,000 And $408,000 |
| Highest paying City | Redwood City, CA | Green Bay, WI |
| Highest paying state | California | Ohio |
| Best paying company | Airbnb | Saint Luke's Health System |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a scientist and a doctor in terms of educational background:
| Scientist | Doctor | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 60% | Bachelor's Degree, 35% |
| Most common major | Chemistry | Medicine |
| Most common college | University of Southern California | Duke University |
Here are the differences between scientists' and doctors' demographics:
| Scientist | Doctor | |
| Average age | 41 | 48 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 56.9% Female, 43.1% | Male, 45.8% Female, 54.2% |
| Race ratio | 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% | Black or African American, 5.1% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 9.5% Asian, 18.6% White, 62.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 13% |