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The differences between clinical associates and clinical researchers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a clinical associate and a clinical researcher. Additionally, a clinical associate has an average salary of $91,027, which is higher than the $55,453 average annual salary of a clinical researcher.
The top three skills for a clinical associate include patients, rehabilitation and home health. The most important skills for a clinical researcher are patients, informed consent, and IRB.
| Clinical Associate | Clinical Researcher | |
| Yearly salary | $91,027 | $55,453 |
| Hourly rate | $43.76 | $26.66 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 56,977 | 60,864 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 52% | Bachelor's Degree, 58% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
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.
A clinical researcher is primarily in charge of conducting research trials for medicine and health care development. Their responsibilities mainly revolve around conducting extensive research and analysis by gathering samples, performing experiments, working with research participants, and collaborating with other researchers and scientists. Moreover, as a clinical researcher, it is essential to maintain records of all experiments, summarize findings into reports and presentations, and monitor every progress, all while adhering to the research's deadlines, budgets, goals, and policies.
Clinical associates and clinical researchers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Clinical Associate | Clinical Researcher | |
| Average salary | $91,027 | $55,453 |
| Salary range | Between $39,000 And $208,000 | Between $38,000 And $79,000 |
| Highest paying City | Baltimore, MD | Santa Rosa, CA |
| Highest paying state | Connecticut | California |
| Best paying company | University of Iowa Center for Advancement | Edwards Lifesciences |
| Best paying industry | - | Pharmaceutical |
There are a few differences between a clinical associate and a clinical researcher in terms of educational background:
| Clinical Associate | Clinical Researcher | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 52% | Bachelor's Degree, 58% |
| Most common major | Nursing | Biology |
| Most common college | Duke University | University of Michigan - Ann Arbor |
Here are the differences between clinical associates' and clinical researchers' demographics:
| Clinical Associate | Clinical Researcher | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 28.0% Female, 72.0% | Male, 38.3% Female, 61.7% |
| 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, 2.5% Unknown, 7.4% Hispanic or Latino, 14.0% Asian, 13.5% White, 62.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 9% |