Clinical data associate vs clinical research associate

The differences between clinical data associates and clinical research associates can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a clinical data associate, becoming a clinical research associate takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a clinical data associate has an average salary of $101,829, which is higher than the $62,966 average annual salary of a clinical research associate.

The top three skills for a clinical data associate include data review, data management and FDA. The most important skills for a clinical research associate are patients, informed consent, and CRA.

Clinical data associate vs clinical research associate overview

	Clinical Data Associate	Clinical Research Associate
Yearly salary	$101,829	$62,966
Hourly rate	$48.96	$30.27
Growth rate	31%	6%
Number of jobs	119,026	94,336
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 72%	Bachelor's Degree, 65%
Average age	37	44
Years of experience	4	2

What does a clinical data associate do?

A clinical data associate is responsible for documenting and recording data from clinical research programs for various purposes, such as validation and future studies. Their responsibilities revolve around understanding the needs of every program, coordinating with different teams to gather accurate data, utilizing special tools and software, and preparing and processing data according to protocols and standards. Moreover, a clinical data associate typically works in a team setting, which requires an active communication line for a smooth and efficient workflow.

What does a clinical research associate do?

A clinical research associate is responsible for assisting medical professionals in clinical trials and conducting research studies on medications and medical procedures. Clinical research associates monitor the research materials, ensuring its safety and reliability through trial procedures, writing comprehensive reports of results, and disseminating information across the concerned parties. They also provide recommendations on improving clinical processes, reiterating protocol requirements, and maintaining strict confidentiality of the trial subjects. A clinical research associate must have extensive knowledge of the medical industry, including its disciplines and principles, to perform duties accurately under minimal supervision.

Clinical data associate vs clinical research associate salary

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

	Clinical Data Associate	Clinical Research Associate
Average salary	$101,829	$62,966
Salary range	Between $68,000 And $150,000	Between $43,000 And $91,000
Highest paying City	South San Francisco, CA	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	Maryland	California
Best paying company	Santander Private Banking International	Meta
Best paying industry	Health Care	Pharmaceutical

Differences between clinical data associate and clinical research associate education

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

	Clinical Data Associate	Clinical Research Associate
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 72%	Bachelor's Degree, 65%
Most common major	Biology	Biology
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Clinical data associate vs clinical research associate demographics

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

	Clinical Data Associate	Clinical Research Associate
Average age	37	44
Gender ratio	Male, 27.2% Female, 72.8%	Male, 28.3% Female, 71.7%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 5.1% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 7.6% Asian, 22.7% White, 59.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%	Black or African American, 2.5% Unknown, 7.4% Hispanic or Latino, 13.7% Asian, 13.0% White, 62.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage	9%	9%

Differences between clinical data associate and clinical research associate duties and responsibilities

Clinical data associate example responsibilities.

Administer the execution of QC evaluation for data enter into the CTMS that lead to senior management exceeding client deliverable expectations.
Perform database audits as required to ensure FDA compliance.
Review SAS edits and data listings to produce data queries for clinical sites.
Ensure rapid identification of database errors by writing SAS code to validate clinical data.
Work with the internal study team and/or CRO on assign studies to identify data issues and proactively address data issues.
Monitor and troubleshoot system performance.

Clinical research associate example responsibilities.

Manage, schedule and train up to 15 CRAs.
Recruit patients, attain patient inform consent form, educate subjects on compliance, and ensure patient safety per ICH guidelines.
Manage site TMF to ensure communication requirements adherence
Manage CRO and regional monitor to complete close out activities, including device accountability management.
Manage regional academic and community base oncology practices as the primary contact for all communications and support.
Manage the monitoring CRO and the data clean-up efforts for a 510k submission and interim/annual study reports by effectively collaborating cross-functionally.

Clinical data associate vs clinical research associate skills

Common clinical data associate skills

Data Review, 8%
Data Management, 7%
FDA, 7%
SAS, 6%
Clinical Trial Data, 6%
Data Quality, 5%

Common clinical research associate skills

Patients, 9%
Informed Consent, 7%
CRA, 6%
Clinical Trials, 6%
Clinical Trial Management, 5%
Oncology, 4%

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Clinical Data Associate vs Clinical Research Associate

Updated January 8, 2025

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