Clinical research associate vs research nurse

The differences between clinical research associates and research nurses 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 research nurse. Additionally, a clinical research associate has an average salary of $62,966, which is higher than the $53,463 average annual salary of a research nurse.

The top three skills for a clinical research associate include patients, informed consent and CRA. The most important skills for a research nurse are patients, informed consent, and data collection.

Clinical research associate vs research nurse overview

	Clinical Research Associate	Research Nurse
Yearly salary	$62,966	$53,463
Hourly rate	$30.27	$25.70
Growth rate	6%	6%
Number of jobs	94,336	46,665
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 65%	Bachelor's Degree, 56%
Average age	44	44
Years of experience	2	2

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 research nurse do?

A research nurse specializes in conducting studies and scientific research for healthcare and medical development. They may work for medical facilities, private clinics, learning institutions, and government agencies. It is their duty to design research strategies and procedures, gather and analyze samples through various scientific methods, coordinate with other experts, and develop treatment and healthcare plans to optimize patient services and outcomes. Moreover, a research nurse typically works with a team of researchers, which requires an active communication line while adhering to the organization's policies and regulations.

Clinical research associate vs research nurse salary

Clinical research associates and research nurses have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Clinical Research Associate	Research Nurse
Average salary	$62,966	$53,463
Salary range	Between $43,000 And $91,000	Between $38,000 And $74,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	New York, NY
Highest paying state	California	New York
Best paying company	Meta	Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings
Best paying industry	Pharmaceutical	Pharmaceutical

Differences between clinical research associate and research nurse education

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

	Clinical Research Associate	Research Nurse
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 65%	Bachelor's Degree, 56%
Most common major	Biology	Nursing
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	Duke University

Clinical research associate vs research nurse demographics

Here are the differences between clinical research associates' and research nurses' demographics:

	Clinical Research Associate	Research Nurse
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 28.3% Female, 71.7%	Male, 9.2% Female, 90.8%
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, 15.3% Asian, 8.4% White, 65.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage	9%	9%

Differences between clinical research associate and research nurse 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.

Research nurse example responsibilities.

Collect, manage and analyze preliminary data using SPSS statistical software.
Adhere to local and country specific GCP and ICH guidelines.
Ensure coordinator and investigator compliance with GCP and ICH guidelines.
Assure compliance with good clinical practice (GCP) guidelines and FDA regulations.
Ensure appropriate source documentation, drug accountability and study compliance according to GCP and CFR.
Oversee study protocol implementation to ensure compliance with FDA and other regulatory bodies' rules and regulations.

Clinical research associate vs research nurse skills

Common clinical research associate skills

Patients, 9%
Informed Consent, 7%
CRA, 6%
Clinical Trials, 6%
Clinical Trial Management, 5%
Oncology, 4%

Common research nurse skills

Patients, 18%
Informed Consent, 11%
Data Collection, 5%
IRB, 5%
Oncology, 4%
Research Projects, 4%

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Clinical Research Associate
Clinical Research Associate vs Research Nurse

Updated January 8, 2025

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