Clinical associate vs clinical externship

The differences between clinical associates and clinical externships can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a clinical associate, becoming a clinical externship takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a clinical associate has an average salary of $91,027, which is higher than the $35,831 average annual salary of a clinical externship.

The top three skills for a clinical associate include patients, rehabilitation and home health. The most important skills for a clinical externship are patients, mental health, and patient care.

Clinical associate vs clinical externship overview

	Clinical Associate	Clinical Externship
Yearly salary	$91,027	$35,831
Hourly rate	$43.76	$17.23
Growth rate	6%	9%
Number of jobs	56,977	63,061
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 52%	Bachelor's Degree, 63%
Average age	44	45
Years of experience	2	4

What does a clinical associate do?

A clinical associate is responsible for supporting the operations of a medical facility by performing administrative and clerical duties as needed to provide high-quality care services for the patients and assisting health care professionals in performing medical procedures. Clinical associates monitor the conditions of the patients, administer medication, collect laboratory samples, and conduct initial medical assessments such as checking temperature and vital signs. A clinical associate must have excellent communication and organizational skills, especially on addressing different patients' needs and reporting the patients' progress to the physicians.

What does a clinical externship do?

A clinical externship is a short medical student program directly mentored by professionals within their chosen career path in healthcare. Clinical externs work in various settings such as hospitals, a doctor's office, or clinics and work directly with patients to apply the knowledge and skills they acquired in the classroom. They will be graded and must pass the program to be able to graduate from medical school. Externs must request a letter of recommendation from their site supervisor when applying for jobs.

Clinical associate vs clinical externship salary

Clinical associates and clinical externships have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Clinical Associate	Clinical Externship
Average salary	$91,027	$35,831
Salary range	Between $39,000 And $208,000	Between $25,000 And $51,000
Highest paying City	Baltimore, MD	Alameda, CA
Highest paying state	Connecticut	California
Best paying company	University of Iowa Center for Advancement	Genentech
Best paying industry	-	Education

Differences between clinical associate and clinical externship education

There are a few differences between a clinical associate and a clinical externship in terms of educational background:

	Clinical Associate	Clinical Externship
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 52%	Bachelor's Degree, 63%
Most common major	Nursing	Psychology
Most common college	Duke University	California State University - Long Beach

Clinical associate vs clinical externship demographics

Here are the differences between clinical associates' and clinical externships' demographics:

	Clinical Associate	Clinical Externship
Average age	44	45
Gender ratio	Male, 28.0% Female, 72.0%	Male, 25.8% Female, 74.2%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 2.6% Unknown, 7.6% Hispanic or Latino, 15.1% Asian, 8.6% White, 65.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%	Black or African American, 7.9% Unknown, 6.2% Hispanic or Latino, 7.9% Asian, 3.1% White, 74.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%
LGBT Percentage	9%	15%

Differences between clinical associate and clinical externship duties and responsibilities

Clinical associate example 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.
Experience with communication with professional staff regarding pertinent observations concerning conditions of patients.
Participate in disease diagnosis and treatment in the department of internal medicine and pediatrics

Clinical externship example responsibilities.

Set up and manage new medical transcription department.
Manage large scale TMF inventory/file cleanup projects in preparation for FDA and EMA inspections.
Manage difficult or emotional patient situations, with compassion and professionalism.
Participate in multiple studies managing CTM activities for various therapeutic areas simultaneously including oncology, urology, transplant, and immunology.
Monitor EKG's, assess blood pressure, palpate heart rates, safely progress patients in exercise.
Perform manual data entry in CTMS, TMF, CRF imaging and various departmental databases.

Clinical associate vs clinical externship skills

Common clinical associate skills

Patients, 30%
Rehabilitation, 6%
Home Health, 6%
Vital Signs, 5%
CPR, 4%
Excellent Interpersonal, 4%

Common clinical externship skills

Patients, 32%
Mental Health, 7%
Patient Care, 5%
Crisis Intervention, 4%
Vital Signs, 4%
Substance Abuse, 4%

Clinical Associate vs. similar jobs

Clinical Associate related careers

Clinical Associate related jobs

What similar roles do

Zippia Careers
Executive Management Industry
Clinical Associate
Clinical Associate vs Clinical Externship

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse executive management jobs