How To Become A Clinical Associate: What It Is and Career Path

What is a clinical associate and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Clinical associates assess patients, make diagnoses, prescribe treatment, and perform minor surgeries under the supervision of a physician. They are an important new mid-level category of healthcare providers in the new healthcare model. They work in district hospitals where they strengthen healthcare services in the district and address the shortage of doctors at the level of district hospitals and community health centers.

Clinical associates can find sufficient supervision during their community services and before going into their specialist training fields of choice. They are part of teams in different district hospitals such as emergency units, outpatient departments, medical-surgical, and maternity units. The qualifications for a career as a clinical associate typically include a bachelor's degree in a relevant scientific field along with experience in the healthcare industry. Some employers may also require certain licenses and training as a registered nurse or other medical professions.

The average hourly salary for this position is $60.92, although they may be required to work flexible hours. The annual average salary is approximately $126,707. Moreover, the career is expected to grow 6% In the following years and produce various job opportunities across the United States.

ScoreClinical AssociateUS Average

Salary

7.1

Avg. Salary $91,027

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

5.6

Growth rate 6%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

5.1

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.51%

Asian 8.57%

Black or African American 2.57%

Hispanic or Latino 15.13%

Unknown 7.58%

White 65.64%

Gender

female 72.02%

male 27.98%

Age - 43.5

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 43.5

Stress level

5.6

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity level

8.5

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance

6.3

Work life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a clinical associate

Explore clinical associate education requirements

Most common clinical associate degrees

Bachelor's

51.8 %

Associate

14.9 %

Master's

12.4 %

Start to develop specific clinical associate skills

Skills	Percentages
Patients	29.55%
Rehabilitation	6.03%
Home Health	5.51%
Vital Signs	5.39%
CPR	3.93%

Complete relevant clinical associate training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New clinical associates learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a clinical associate based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real clinical associate resumes.

Gain additional clinical associate certifications

Clinical associate certifications can show employers you have a baseline of knowledge expected for the position. Certifications can also make you a more competitive candidate. Even if employers don't require a specific clinical associate certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.

The most common certifications for clinical associates include Certified Clinical Research Professional (CCRP) and Certified Phlebotomy Technician (CPT).

More About Certifications

Research clinical associate duties and responsibilities

Perform EKG's, placement of cardiac leads and telemetry unit (critical care only).
Manage patient caseload with emphasis in occupational rehabilitation
Assist nurses and doctors with procedures, EKG monitoring, clinical duties, clerical duties.
Assist with project plan management, FDA submission paperwork, and tracking of contingency plans / appropriate triggers.

Prepare your clinical associate resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your clinical associate resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a clinical associate resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable clinical associate resume templates

Build a professional clinical associate resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your clinical associate resume.