Clinical data associate vs data management associate

The differences between clinical data associates and data management associates can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a clinical data associate and a data management associate. Additionally, a data management associate has an average salary of $119,281, which is higher than the $101,829 average annual salary of a clinical data associate.

The top three skills for a clinical data associate include data review, data management and FDA. The most important skills for a data management associate are data management, data quality, and data analysis.

Clinical data associate vs data management associate overview

	Clinical Data Associate	Data Management Associate
Yearly salary	$101,829	$119,281
Hourly rate	$48.96	$57.35
Growth rate	31%	31%
Number of jobs	119,026	130,991
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 72%	Bachelor's Degree, 63%
Average age	37	37
Years of experience	4	4

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 data management associate do?

A data management associate is responsible for maintaining and updating databases, spreadsheets, documents, and other data storage systems while adhering to company standards and protocols. Their daily tasks usually include gathering and organizing data, conducting reviews to identify errors or inconsistencies, taking corrective measures, and producing regular reports, presenting them to managers. They may also participate in troubleshooting issues, planning data migration procedures, and enforcing data security protocols. Moreover, a data management associate must be proactive at dealing with issues to maintain an optimal workflow.

Clinical data associate vs data management associate salary

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

	Clinical Data Associate	Data Management Associate
Average salary	$101,829	$119,281
Salary range	Between $68,000 And $150,000	Between $79,000 And $178,000
Highest paying City	South San Francisco, CA	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	Maryland	Maryland
Best paying company	Santander Private Banking International	Latham & Watkins
Best paying industry	Health Care	Media

Differences between clinical data associate and data management associate education

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

	Clinical Data Associate	Data Management Associate
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 72%	Bachelor's Degree, 63%
Most common major	Biology	Business
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Clinical data associate vs data management associate demographics

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

	Clinical Data Associate	Data Management Associate
Average age	37	37
Gender ratio	Male, 27.2% Female, 72.8%	Male, 36.4% Female, 63.6%
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, 5.1% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 7.6% Asian, 22.7% White, 59.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%
LGBT Percentage	9%	9%

Differences between clinical data associate and data management 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.

Data management associate example responsibilities.

Manage clinical trials by gathering data, monitoring adverse events, screening patients for eligibility and scheduling patients per protocol.
Prepare and completely review QA, OBQI, CQI studies.
Educate in SAS programming to enable better dataset delivery.
Maintain ETL conversion jobs, data models, schema changes and data feeds.
Develop QA test plans and direct QA group to test all aspects of RxInsite.
Perform serious adverse event and external data reconciliation, such as ECG and lab data.

Clinical data associate vs data management 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 data management associate skills

Data Management, 24%
Data Quality, 13%
Data Analysis, 10%
PowerPoint, 7%
Data Collection, 5%
Data Entry, 4%

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Clinical Data Associate vs Data Management Associate

Updated January 8, 2025

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