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Clinical research associate vs medical science liaison

The differences between clinical research associates and medical science liaisons can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a clinical research associate, becoming a medical science liaison takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a medical science liaison has an average salary of $145,718, which is higher than the $62,966 average annual salary of a clinical research associate.

The top three skills for a clinical research associate include patients, informed consent and CRA. The most important skills for a medical science liaison are patients, medical affairs, and MSL.

Clinical research associate vs medical science liaison overview

Clinical Research AssociateMedical Science Liaison
Yearly salary$62,966$145,718
Hourly rate$30.27$70.06
Growth rate6%17%
Number of jobs94,33657,208
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 65%Bachelor's Degree, 52%
Average age4441
Years of experience24

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.

What does a medical science liaison do?

A medical science liaison (MSL) is a scientific professional who facilitates a working relationship between healthcare companies and leading physicians, researchers, and clinicians. Also referred to as key opinion leaders (KOL), medical science liaisons represent their company to the decision-makers in the medical community as well as to investors and government regulatory agencies. They analyze clinical trends and monitor the scientific literature for new developments in the medical community. Medical science liaisons also prepare medical samples and data to investigate the causes of chronic diseases, pathogens, and toxicity.

Clinical research associate vs medical science liaison salary

Clinical research associates and medical science liaisons have different pay scales, as shown below.

Clinical Research AssociateMedical Science Liaison
Average salary$62,966$145,718
Salary rangeBetween $43,000 And $91,000Between $59,000 And $359,000
Highest paying CitySan Francisco, CAJackson, TN
Highest paying stateCaliforniaTennessee
Best paying companyMetaSaint Luke's Health System
Best paying industryPharmaceuticalManufacturing

Differences between clinical research associate and medical science liaison education

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

Clinical Research AssociateMedical Science Liaison
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 65%Bachelor's Degree, 52%
Most common majorBiologyNursing
Most common collegeUniversity of PennsylvaniaUniversity of Southern California

Clinical research associate vs medical science liaison demographics

Here are the differences between clinical research associates' and medical science liaisons' demographics:

Clinical Research AssociateMedical Science Liaison
Average age4441
Gender ratioMale, 28.3% Female, 71.7%Male, 41.6% Female, 58.4%
Race ratioBlack 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, 6.3% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 9.5% Asian, 23.4% White, 56.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1%
LGBT Percentage9%8%

Differences between clinical research associate and medical science liaison duties and responsibilities

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.
  • Show more

Medical science liaison example responsibilities.

  • Supervise and analyze medical necessity review of manage care appeals.
  • Develop and manage KOLs resulting in presentations to regional, national and international meetings.
  • Utilize extensive knowledge of medical terminology, ICD-9, HCPCS and CPT coding along with analysis and processing of Medicare claims.
  • Provide pre-launch field support for a novel diabetes compound.
  • Provide drug information to medical professionals and sales force within FDA guidelines.
  • Join Clementine as a trainee BMS and successfully complete training and registration.
  • Show more

Clinical research associate vs medical science liaison skills

Common clinical research associate skills
  • Patients, 9%
  • Informed Consent, 7%
  • CRA, 6%
  • Clinical Trials, 6%
  • Clinical Trial Management, 5%
  • Oncology, 4%
Common medical science liaison skills
  • Patients, 11%
  • Medical Affairs, 9%
  • MSL, 7%
  • Medical Science, 6%
  • Pharmaceutical Industry, 5%
  • Internal Stakeholders, 4%

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