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The differences between clinical research associates and project managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a project manager has an average salary of $91,578, 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 project manager are project management, project scope, and customer service.
| Clinical Research Associate | Project Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $62,966 | $91,578 |
| Hourly rate | $30.27 | $44.03 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 94,336 | 167,116 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4.17 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Average age | 44 | 47 |
| Years of experience | 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.
Project managers oversee a specific project related to the organization's business. They manage the whole project from inception to evaluation. They initiate planning with involved departments, follow-through on the plans, ensure smooth execution of the plans, and evaluate the project for further improvements should these be needed. In line with this, project managers also ensure that the project is cost-efficient and well within the budget. They also manage the different work teams involved in the project and ensure that things are running smoothly on this aspect as well.
Clinical research associates and project managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Clinical Research Associate | Project Manager | |
| Average salary | $62,966 | $91,578 |
| Salary range | Between $43,000 And $91,000 | Between $64,000 And $129,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Meta | The Citadel |
| Best paying industry | Pharmaceutical | Technology |
There are a few differences between a clinical research associate and a project manager in terms of educational background:
| Clinical Research Associate | Project Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Most common major | Biology | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between clinical research associates' and project managers' demographics:
| Clinical Research Associate | Project Manager | |
| Average age | 44 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 28.3% Female, 71.7% | Male, 68.9% Female, 31.1% |
| 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, 7.7% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 12.9% Asian, 9.0% White, 65.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 10% |