Clinical associate vs senior clinical research associate

The differences between clinical associates and senior clinical research associates 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 senior clinical research associate. Additionally, a senior clinical research associate has an average salary of $95,878, which is higher than the $91,027 average annual salary of a clinical associate.

The top three skills for a clinical associate include patients, rehabilitation and home health. The most important skills for a senior clinical research associate are patients, informed consent, and oncology.

Clinical associate vs senior clinical research associate overview

	Clinical Associate	Senior Clinical Research Associate
Yearly salary	$91,027	$95,878
Hourly rate	$43.76	$46.10
Growth rate	6%	6%
Number of jobs	56,977	94,045
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 52%	Bachelor's Degree, 66%
Average age	44	44
Years of experience	2	2

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 senior clinical research associate do?

A Senior Clinical Research Associate performs and coordinates all aspects of the clinical monitoring and site management process. They design, implement, and monitor clinical trials.

Clinical associate vs senior clinical research associate salary

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

	Clinical Associate	Senior Clinical Research Associate
Average salary	$91,027	$95,878
Salary range	Between $39,000 And $208,000	Between $64,000 And $142,000
Highest paying City	Baltimore, MD	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	Connecticut	Washington
Best paying company	University of Iowa Center for Advancement	Acorda Therapeutics
Best paying industry	-	Pharmaceutical

Differences between clinical associate and senior clinical research associate education

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

	Clinical Associate	Senior Clinical Research Associate
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 52%	Bachelor's Degree, 66%
Most common major	Nursing	Biology
Most common college	Duke University	Duke University

Clinical associate vs senior clinical research associate demographics

Here are the differences between clinical associates' and senior clinical research associates' demographics:

	Clinical Associate	Senior Clinical Research Associate
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 28.0% Female, 72.0%	Male, 28.2% Female, 71.8%
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, 2.6% Unknown, 7.6% Hispanic or Latino, 15.0% Asian, 11.6% White, 62.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage	9%	9%

Differences between clinical associate and senior clinical research associate 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

Senior clinical research associate example responsibilities.

Manage a consultant to review scientific support and create dossiers on each product that make health claims in the EU.
Interact with FDA and other regulatory authorities to manage and facilitate approval of regulatory submissions.
Monitor U.S. sites in accordance with ICH and GCP guidelines.
Maintain investigators and subjects files, review investigators files for compliance with GCP and FDA regulations, review drug utilization records.
Verify informed consent procedures and protocol requirements base on applicable regulatory requirements to ensure protection of study patients.
Provide site management for both therapeutic and supportive care oncology protocols that are complex and require knowledge in advance therapeutic areas.

Clinical associate vs senior clinical research associate skills

Common clinical associate skills

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

Common senior clinical research associate skills

Patients, 11%
Informed Consent, 6%
Oncology, 5%
CRA, 5%
Site Management, 5%
Field Training, 4%

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Clinical Associate
Clinical Associate vs Senior Clinical Research Associate

Updated January 8, 2025

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