How to hire a clinical data associate

How to hire a clinical data associate, step by step

Here's a step-by-step clinical data associate hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a clinical data associate job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new clinical data associate
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a clinical data associate do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The clinical data associate hiring process starts by determining what type of worker you actually need. Certain roles might require a full-time employee, whereas part-time workers or contractors can do others.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

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   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them a clinical data associate to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire a clinical data associate that fits the bill.

   The following list breaks down different types of clinical data associates and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Clinical Data Associate	Description	Hourly rate
   Clinical Data Associate	Statisticians use statistical methods to collect and analyze data and to help solve real-world problems in business, engineering, healthcare, or other fields.	$32-72
   Clinical Data Management Manager	Clinical data management managers perform database development tests to support the clinical studies assigned to them. These managers must have collaboration and communication skills to work smoothly with other internal departments and fellow managers... Show more	$43-82
   Clinical Data Manager	A clinical data manager is primarily responsible for recording and managing the data and results from various clinical trials and projects. Their duties revolve around establishing and maintaining a database, coordinating with team members and other departments to gather relevant information, developing different strategies for data management, mentoring less experienced colleagues, and monitoring the workforce's progress to ensure the accuracy of every data... Show more	$32-66

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Data Review
   • Data Management
   • FDA
   • SAS
   • Clinical Trial Data
   • Data Quality
   • Data Collection
   • UAT
   • CRO
   • Data Validation
   • Edit Checks
   • Electronic Data Capture
   • QC
   • Completion Guidelines

   Check all skills

   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.

   More clinical data associate duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your clinical data associate job description helps attract top candidates to the position. A clinical data associate salary can be affected by several factors, such as geography, experience, seniority, certifications, and the prestige of the hiring company.

   For example, the average salary for a clinical data associate in Iowa may be lower than in Maryland, and an entry-level clinical data associate usually earns less than a senior-level clinical data associate. Additionally, a clinical data associate with certifications may command a higher salary, and working for a well-known company or start-up may also impact an employee's pay.

   Average clinical data associate salary

   $101,829yearly

   $48.96 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level clinical data associate salary

   $68,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 17, 2025

   Average clinical data associate salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$135,668	$65
   2	Maryland	$120,678	$58
   3	Washington	$117,705	$57
   4	Nevada	$107,543	$52
   5	Massachusetts	$105,622	$51
   6	New Jersey	$105,160	$51
   7	Georgia	$102,797	$49
   8	North Dakota	$101,504	$49
   9	Illinois	$97,673	$47
   10	New York	$96,834	$47
   11	Indiana	$95,257	$46
   12	North Carolina	$93,206	$45
   13	New Hampshire	$92,602	$45
   14	Montana	$92,579	$45
   15	Delaware	$92,509	$44
   16	Ohio	$92,337	$44
   17	Pennsylvania	$92,092	$44
   18	Connecticut	$88,636	$43
   19	Kentucky	$88,464	$43
   20	West Virginia	$88,400	$43

   Average clinical data associate salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Santander Private Banking International	$133,592	$64.23	4
   2	JPMorgan Chase & Co.	$120,147	$57.76	173
   3	AbbVie	$116,174	$55.85	57
   4	Bristol-Myers Squibb	$115,390	$55.48	17
   5	Integrated Resources	$112,399	$54.04	181
   6	West Coast Consulting	$110,541	$53.14
   7	Zymeworks	$110,214	$52.99
   8	Randstad North America, Inc.	$108,696	$52.26	17
   9	Gilead Sciences	$106,558	$51.23	12
   10	Centene	$104,481	$50.23	19
   11	Dow Jones	$102,812	$49.43	1
   12	Supernus Pharmaceuticals	$99,669	$47.92
   13	Seagen	$96,952	$46.61
   14	Paylocity	$96,294	$46.30	1
   15	The Fountain Group	$96,002	$46.15
   16	App Orchid	$94,216	$45.30
   17	United International Holdings Inc	$93,698	$45.05
   18	Statistics & Data	$93,169	$44.79
   19	Boston Biomedical	$92,995	$44.71
   20	Tech Data	$92,036	$44.25

4. Writing a clinical data associate job description

   A good clinical data associate job description should include a few things:

   • Summary of the role
   • List of responsibilities
   • Required skills and experience

   Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of a clinical data associate job description:

   Clinical data associate job description example

   Kelly Science and Clinical FSP is currently seeking a Clinical Data Associate for a long-term engagement with one of our Global Pharmaceutical clients. This person will join our Kelly FSP (Functional Service Provider) division, a managed solution provider and business unit of Kelly Services, Inc. This role is full-time and is offering full benefit options. As a Kelly FSP employee you may be eligible for Medical, Dental, Vision, 401K and a variety of other benefits to choose from. You may also be eligible for paid time off, including holiday, vacation, and sick/personal time.
   **Clinical Data Associate**
   
   **OVERALL RESPONSIBILITIES:**
   
   The Clinical Data Associate will be responsible for all aspects of clinical data management associated with data cleaning and quality review processes for assigned projects. S/he ensures clinical trial data collected meet the highest standards of data integrity, while meeting timelines and budgets.
   
   **POSITION DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES:**
   
   Reporting to the Director this individual will;
   
   + Support CRF design, review and validation of clinical database;
   
   + Ability to perform all aspects of user acceptance testing associated with clinical study databases including but not limited to review of test scripts, facilitation of test script approvals and execution of test scenarios defined within the test scripts with minimal supervision;
   
   + Have the ability to support a number of complex trials with minimal supervision;
   
   + Be responsible for creation of data management plans and other data management documentation;
   
   + Monitor progress and conduct of their respective projects, including all data cleaning and QC activities to ensure all remain on target to project timelines;
   
   + Be responsible for coordinating, facilitating and participating in all data management activities from initiation of protocol through database lock with minimal oversight, partnering as appropriate with Clinical Operations, Franchise and other BSDM functions for their respective projects;
   
   + Be responsible for participating in ongoing data review throughout the conduct of the study, oversee the correction of errors and discrepancies management for the life of a project;
   
   + Proactively identify and address issues that may impact the quality of the data, deliverables or timelines;
   
   + Be responsible for handling and overseeing of non-CRF data, including lab data and image handling;
   
   + Be responsible for coordinating with Medical Affairs organization to facilitate data coding and safety reviews as needed;
   
   + Manage process improvement, data standards and efficiency gaining initiatives within data management working with data management leadership as needed;
   
   + Be responsible for ensuring all clinical data management documentation is stored and archived in a timely and compliant manner;
   
   + Know and follow all laws and policies that apply to the job, and maintain the highest levels of professionalism, ethics and compliance at all times;
   
   + Diligently participate in compliance program-related activities
   
   + Performs other related duties as required.
   
   **Functional and Technical Competencies** **:**
   
   + Therapeutic area knowledge in at least one of orthopedics, gynecology, cardiovascular, or general surgery.
   
   + Proficient in computer technology used in an office environment (Microsoft Word, Excel, etc).
   
   + Strong verbal and written communication skills.
   
   + Knowledge of GCP and regulatory requirements regarding clinical data management documentation and software.
   
   + Experience with Electronic Data Capture (EDC), Medidata RAVE preferred. Knowledge of medical terminology and use of coding dictionaries (MedDRA, WHO Drug).
   
   **EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS:**
   
   + A Bachelor's degree (or equivalent) in the biological sciences, Computer Science or related discipline, with 3 years of clinical data management experience in Medical Device or Pharmaceuticals. Experience of supporting trials with minimal supervision.
   
   **Top 3 Most Critical "Must Have" Job Requirements are** : Tech expertise, Communication skills, Understanding of industry trends and hands on DM experience.
   
   **Must Haves:** SAS Programming understanding, electrophysiology
   
   **You should know:** Your safety matters! Vaccination against COVID-19 may be a requirement for this job in compliance with current client and governmental policies. A Kelly recruiter will confirm and share more details with you during the interview process.
   
   **Why Kelly** ** ** **Science & Clinical?**
   
   Kelly Science & Clinical is your connection to premier scientific and clinical companies looking to hire industry experts just like you. Our team creates expert talent solutions to solve the world's most critical challenges. Every day, we match science professionals with dream jobs that fit their skills, interests, and career goals-it's the way we think job searching should be. Nearly 100 percent of our science recruiters have a professional background and education in science, so we know a thing or two about the science market and how to get your expertise noticed.
   
   **About Kelly** ** **
   
   At Kelly, we're always thinking about what's next and advising job seekers on new ways of working to reach their full potential. In fact, we're a leading advocate for temporary/nontraditional workstyles, because we believe they allow flexibility and tremendous growth opportunities that enable a better way to work and live (plus, did we mention we provide a ton of benefits ?). Connecting great people with great companies is what we do best, and our employment opportunities span a wide variety of workstyles, skill levels, and industries around the world.
   
   Kelly Services is proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action employer. We welcome, value, and embrace diversity at all levels and are committed to building a team that is inclusive of a variety of backgrounds, communities, perspectives, and abilities. At Kelly, we believe that the more inclusive we are, the better services we can provide. Requests for accommodation related to our application process can be directed to Kelly's Human Resource Knowledge Center.
   Kelly complies with the requirements of California's state and local Fair Chance laws. A conviction does not automatically bar individuals from employment.

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5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right clinical data associate for your business:

   • Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your clinical data associate job on Zippia to find and recruit clinical data associate candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   During your first interview to recruit clinical data associates, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match your ideal candidate profile. If you think a candidate is good enough for the next step, you can move on to the technical interview.

   While interviews are great, you will only sometimes learn enough from a conversation with a clinical data associate applicant. In those cases, having candidates complete a test project can go a long way in figuring out who's the most likely to succeed in the role. If you aren't a technical person and don't know how to design an appropriate test, you can ask someone else on the team to create it or take a look at these websites to get a few ideas:

   • TestDome
   • CodeSignal
   • Testlify
   • BarRaiser
   • Coderbyte

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new clinical data associate

   Once you've selected the best clinical data associate candidate for the job, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, this letter should include details about the benefits and perks you offer the candidate. Ensuring that your offer is competitive is essential, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and you should be open to discussion. After you reach an agreement, the final step is formalizing the agreement with a contract.

   It's equally important to follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   To prepare for the new clinical data associate first day, you should share an onboarding schedule with them that covers their first period on the job. You should also quickly complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Finally, Human Resources must ensure a new employee file is created for internal record keeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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