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The differences between clinical research associates 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 associate and a clinical trial coordinator. Additionally, a clinical research associate has an average salary of $62,966, which is higher than the $50,720 average annual salary of a clinical trial coordinator.
The top three skills for a clinical research associate include patients, informed consent and CRA. The most important skills for a clinical trial coordinator are clinical trials, patients, and informed consent.
| Clinical Research Associate | Clinical Trial Coordinator | |
| Yearly salary | $62,966 | $50,720 |
| Hourly rate | $30.27 | $24.38 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 94,336 | 64,859 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 62% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
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.
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 associates and clinical trial coordinators have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Clinical Research Associate | Clinical Trial Coordinator | |
| Average salary | $62,966 | $50,720 |
| Salary range | Between $43,000 And $91,000 | Between $35,000 And $72,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Berkeley, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Meta | Mohawk Valley Health System |
| Best paying industry | Pharmaceutical | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a clinical research associate and a clinical trial coordinator in terms of educational background:
| Clinical Research Associate | Clinical Trial Coordinator | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 62% |
| Most common major | Biology | Nursing |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between clinical research associates' and clinical trial coordinators' demographics:
| Clinical Research Associate | Clinical Trial Coordinator | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 28.3% Female, 71.7% | Male, 23.9% Female, 76.1% |
| Race ratio | 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% | 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% |