Clinical research coordinator vs associate

The differences between clinical research coordinators and associates can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, an associate has an average salary of $69,556, which is higher than the $52,459 average annual salary of a clinical research coordinator.

The top three skills for a clinical research coordinator include patients, informed consent and IRB. The most important skills for an associate are customer service, sales floor, and patients.

Clinical research coordinator vs associate overview

	Clinical Research Coordinator	Associate
Yearly salary	$52,459	$69,556
Hourly rate	$25.22	$33.44
Growth rate	6%	-
Number of jobs	102,960	569,041
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 60%	Bachelor's Degree, 46%
Average age	44	41
Years of experience	2	-

What does a clinical research coordinator do?

A clinical research coordinator is a healthcare professional responsible for administering clinical trials of drugs or medications. Clinical research coordinators work under the supervision of clinical research managers to collect data and help inform trial participants about the study's objectives. They must ensure that these trials have met all regulations, including drug safety, government regulations, and the organization's code of ethics. Clinical research coordinators must obtain a bachelor's degree in nursing and have at least two years of healthcare experience.

What does an associate do?

Associates are typically entry-level positions for employees who are taking on their first job or organizational role. They are assigned to teams or departments that are related to their skills or educational background. They usually start with smaller tasks that may not seem as impactful but are still essential to the department. Associates are trained by more tenured team members on the ins and outs of the department and the organization. As they grow with the organization, they are given more responsibilities that directly impact the results of the department's initiatives as they work towards their goals.

Clinical research coordinator vs associate salary

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

	Clinical Research Coordinator	Associate
Average salary	$52,459	$69,556
Salary range	Between $37,000 And $72,000	Between $34,000 And $140,000
Highest paying City	Richmond, CA	Washington, DC
Highest paying state	Washington	New York
Best paying company	Genentech	Simpson Thacher & Bartlett
Best paying industry	Health Care	-

Differences between clinical research coordinator and associate education

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

	Clinical Research Coordinator	Associate
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 60%	Bachelor's Degree, 46%
Most common major	Nursing	Business
Most common college	Duke University	-

Clinical research coordinator vs associate demographics

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

	Clinical Research Coordinator	Associate
Average age	44	41
Gender ratio	Male, 20.0% Female, 80.0%	Male, 50.4% Female, 49.6%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 2.5% Unknown, 7.5% Hispanic or Latino, 14.7% Asian, 10.7% White, 64.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%	Black or African American, 10.5% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 18.3% Asian, 8.3% White, 57.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%
LGBT Percentage	9%	7%

Differences between clinical research coordinator and associate duties and responsibilities

Clinical research coordinator example responsibilities.

Assess study participants for adverse reactions or complications and manage side effects of chemotherapy and other study relate drugs.
Establish and maintain strong community partnerships to achieve HIV prevention objectives.
Direct acquisition and analysis of functional MRI research data following GCP and FDA regulations
Prepare and maintain IRB and regulatory documentation for various research projects and consent patients for clinical research.
Facilitate constant communication between principal investigators, oncology nurses, and patients to address concerns and maximize eligibility and enrollment.
Schedule patient for study procedures; initiate/coordinate drug orders, laboratory procedures and treatments for patients base on standing protocol orders.

Associate example responsibilities.

Manage the sale of smoothies at different educational institutes while interacting with hundreds of students and ensuring their happiness and satisfaction.
Manage customer resolutions associate with flight reservations.
Lead the team by exemplify reliability through punctuality and personal integrity.
Help drive sales by providing excellent customer service in gourmet cheese, wine, beer, and coffee departments.
Utilize teamwork, communication, customer service, responsibility, and organizational skills.
Work according to ISO standards.

Clinical research coordinator vs associate skills

Common clinical research coordinator skills

Patients, 11%
Informed Consent, 10%
IRB, 7%
Data Collection, 5%
Research Projects, 4%
Patient Care, 4%

Common associate skills

Customer Service, 16%
Sales Floor, 13%
Patients, 10%
Cleanliness, 8%
Windows, 4%
HR, 4%

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Clinical Research Coordinator vs Associate

Updated January 8, 2025

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