How to hire a clinical research coordinator

How to hire a clinical research coordinator, step by step

Here's a step-by-step clinical research coordinator hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a clinical research coordinator job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new clinical research coordinator
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a clinical research coordinator do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your clinical research coordinator job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find a clinical research coordinator for hire on a part-time basis or as a contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   A clinical research coordinator's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, clinical research coordinators from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   The following list breaks down different types of clinical research coordinators and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Clinical Research Coordinator	Description	Hourly rate
   Clinical Research Coordinator	Natural sciences managers supervise the work of scientists, including chemists, physicists, and biologists. They direct activities related to research and development, and coordinate activities such as testing, quality control, and production.	$17-34
   Study Director	Technically, a study director carries out scientific responsibilities for protocol design or study plan and approval. Study directors supervise the gathering, analysis, interpretation, documentation, and reporting of data results... Show more	$26-56
   Research Nurse	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... Show more	$18-35

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Patients
   • Informed Consent
   • IRB
   • Data Collection
   • Research Projects
   • Patient Care
   • GCP
   • Research Data
   • FDA
   • Institutional Review
   • Phlebotomy
   • Data Entry
   • Data Management
   • CRC

   Check all skills

   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.

   More clinical research coordinator duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your clinical research coordinator job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A clinical research coordinator salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, clinical research coordinators' average salary in south carolina is 37% less than in washington.
   • Seniority. Entry-level clinical research coordinators earn 49% less than senior-level clinical research coordinators.
   • Certifications. A clinical research coordinator with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in a clinical research coordinator's salary.

   Average clinical research coordinator salary

   $52,459yearly

   $25.22 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level clinical research coordinator salary

   $37,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 28, 2025

   Average clinical research coordinator salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$65,639	$32
   2	Washington	$65,463	$31
   3	Connecticut	$64,755	$31
   4	New Jersey	$63,211	$30
   5	New York	$59,987	$29
   6	Kansas	$55,687	$27
   7	Massachusetts	$54,861	$26
   8	Illinois	$54,714	$26
   9	Arizona	$54,046	$26
   10	Oregon	$53,370	$26
   11	Virginia	$53,110	$26
   12	Michigan	$53,007	$25
   13	Maryland	$52,710	$25
   14	North Carolina	$52,504	$25
   15	Georgia	$52,446	$25
   16	District of Columbia	$52,278	$25
   17	Pennsylvania	$51,239	$25
   18	Utah	$50,791	$24
   19	Florida	$48,481	$23
   20	Ohio	$48,379	$23

   Average clinical research coordinator salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Genentech	$89,474	$43.02	15
   2	National Institute of Aerospace	$72,434	$34.82
   3	Health Advocates	$64,754	$31.13	16
   4	Virginia Eye Institute	$64,254	$30.89
   5	Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children	$62,470	$30.03
   6	Erlanger Health System	$62,465	$30.03	11
   7	Veritas Health Services Inc	$62,450	$30.02
   8	University of Illinois Springfield	$61,392	$29.52	12
   9	RadNet	$61,099	$29.37	2
   10	Parexel International	$61,071	$29.36	282
   11	Mercy Health	$60,884	$29.27	22
   12	Geisinger Medical Center	$60,692	$29.18	40
   13	Dignity Health	$60,609	$29.14	140
   14	Baptist Health Care	$60,353	$29.02	4
   15	Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago	$60,323	$29.00	74
   16	Blessing Hospital Emergency Room	$60,141	$28.91	3
   17	Stanford Health Care	$60,052	$28.87	56
   18	Children's Hospital Los Angeles	$59,517	$28.61	17
   19	Texas Back Institute	$59,404	$28.56
   20	Stanford University	$59,404	$28.56	183

4. Writing a clinical research coordinator job description

   A good clinical research coordinator job description should include a few things:

   • Summary of the role
   • List of responsibilities
   • Required skills and experience

   Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of a clinical research coordinator job description:

   Clinical research coordinator job description example

   (40%) Study Set-up - Performs all aspects of the set up process to include the development and approval of study specific documents, study schedules and clinical procedure planning
   
   (30%) Coordination - Coordinates the running of critical events, i.e. check in, PK days, check out by resolving/escalating issues identified by both staff and study participants. Monitors and maintains participant safety, dignity and compliance, including coordination of appropriate medical consultation/treatment as appropriate. Provides updates regarding study participants wellbeing to the investigators and Project Manager including adverse event updates
   
   (20%) Study Meetings -Facilitates/attends and contributes to all key Study Planning meetings, i.e. Clinical Start Up Meeting, Clinical Planning Meeting, Site Initiation Meeting
   
   (10%) Protocol Review - Reviews protocols, provides consolidated comments from the clinical site on the draft study protocol to the Project Manager or Medical Writer, taking into account the logistics, safety (staff and study participants), and site's capabilities. May distributes final protocols and amendments to the site
   
   Study Planning - Proactively works with the site to ensure that the laboraratory, equipment and all operational requirements are fulfilled and that the study is adequately resourced. Working closely with the Operations and Pharmacy to ensure dosing runs efficiently and that all documentation is completed accurately within a timely manner
   
   Complaints - handles participant complaints efficiently and effectively in order to maintain customer satisfaction.
   
   Clients - Is aware of client expectations for trial conduct and works to meet or exceed them. Facilitates client visits, and attends client calls with the assistance of the Project Manager and/or site management where appropriate. Participates in Client and process Audits by covering study conduct questions.
   Training - Deliver/facilitate study specific training Learns and develops Clinical skills to perform study tasks and performs procedures as necessary Participant eligibility - verifies eligibility for Panel Selection and at Pre dose by determing whether protocol criterion has been met. Communicates with investigators and PM regarding study participant eligibility Oversees maintenance of study master file ensuring that site related documents are available for uploading to the eTMF Create/manage study specific shipping calendar ensuring biological samples are shipped as directed by the client in a timely manner Data Monitoring - Facilitate/coordinate monitoring visits and coordinate site resolution of any comments/queries raised Quality - Ensures all protocol deviations and or unscheduled events are properly documented and communicated. Works with site management to maintain timely completion of issues raised from CQI's and client audits , implementing new processes where necessary Works with Recruitment/Screening to define a recruiting plan ensuring that the study is recruited on schedule, updating Project Manager on a regular basis Consult with pharmacy staff to ensure awareness of receipt inventory, accountability and disposal of clinical trial materials Assist with on time source document completion and query process Authorizes study participant stipend payments as required Performs other related duties as assigned Qualifications: Typically a minimum 3-4 years' experience in a research environment Knowledge of protocol designs, study objectives and study procedures Knowledge of drug development process, ICH guidelines and GCP Previous customer service experience desirable Previous experience of coordinating people or processes desirable. University/college degree desirable (life science, pharmacy or related subject preferred) or certification in a related allied health profession from an appropriately accredited institution (e.g. nursing certification, medical or laboratory technology). In lieu of a degree, typically 3 years' experience in a related field will be considered Labcorp is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer: As an EOE/AA employer, the organization will not discriminate in its employment practices due to an applicant's race, age, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability or veteran status. For more information about how we collect and store your personal data, please see our Privacy Statement .

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right clinical research coordinator for your business:

   • Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your clinical research coordinator job on Zippia to find and recruit clinical research coordinator candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting clinical research coordinators requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.

   You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new clinical research coordinator

   Once you've selected the best clinical research coordinator candidate for the job, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, this letter should include details about the benefits and perks you offer the candidate. Ensuring that your offer is competitive is essential, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and you should be open to discussion. After you reach an agreement, the final step is formalizing the agreement with a contract.

   It's also important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.

   To prepare for the new clinical research coordinator first day, you should share an onboarding schedule with them that covers their first period on the job. You should also quickly complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Finally, Human Resources must ensure a new employee file is created for internal record keeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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How much does it cost to hire a clinical research coordinator?