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The differences between clinical research assistants and clinical trial coordinators 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 research assistant and a clinical trial coordinator. Additionally, a clinical trial coordinator has an average salary of $50,720, which is higher than the $39,837 average annual salary of a clinical research assistant.
The top three skills for a clinical research assistant include patients, informed consent and data collection. The most important skills for a clinical trial coordinator are clinical trials, patients, and informed consent.
| Clinical Research Assistant | Clinical Trial Coordinator | |
| Yearly salary | $39,837 | $50,720 |
| Hourly rate | $19.15 | $24.38 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 97,380 | 64,859 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 62% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
Clinical research assistants are responsible for assisting with scientific studies and monitoring clinical trials. Other duties and responsibilities include ensuring compliance with clinical trial procedures and protocols, finding research subjects, and collecting and analyzing data. In addition, they are responsible for overseeing clinical site activities and preparing documentation, presentation, and correspondence on findings. They are also expected to prepare informed consent for clinical trials and conduct audits on research trials. The skills and qualifications required for this role include a bachelor's degree in psychology, science or related field, previous work experience, and excellent communication skills.
A clinical trial coordinator is responsible for assisting in medical trials and clinical research studies. Clinical trial coordinators support the whole operational process of medical research from its conceptualization until the final outputs. They manage the adequacy of tools and equipment, ensuring the cleanliness and orderliness of the facilities to prevent potential hazards and delays in laboratory testing. A clinical trial coordinator must have excellent communication and organizational skills, especially in writing progress reports and securing the acquired laboratory samples.
Clinical research assistants and clinical trial coordinators have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Clinical Research Assistant | Clinical Trial Coordinator | |
| Average salary | $39,837 | $50,720 |
| Salary range | Between $29,000 And $54,000 | Between $35,000 And $72,000 |
| Highest paying City | Farmington, CT | Berkeley, CA |
| Highest paying state | Connecticut | California |
| Best paying company | St. Jude Children's Research Hospital | Mohawk Valley Health System |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a clinical research assistant and a clinical trial coordinator in terms of educational background:
| Clinical Research Assistant | Clinical Trial Coordinator | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 62% |
| Most common major | Biology | Nursing |
| Most common college | University of Michigan - Ann Arbor | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between clinical research assistants' and clinical trial coordinators' demographics:
| Clinical Research Assistant | Clinical Trial Coordinator | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 26.8% Female, 73.2% | Male, 23.9% Female, 76.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 2.4% Unknown, 7.4% Hispanic or Latino, 13.6% Asian, 12.9% White, 63.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% | Black or African American, 2.6% Unknown, 7.6% Hispanic or Latino, 15.2% Asian, 10.5% White, 63.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 9% |