Clinical research director vs clinical director

The differences between clinical research directors and clinical directors 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 director, becoming a clinical director takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a clinical research director has an average salary of $100,744, which is higher than the $96,497 average annual salary of a clinical director.

The top three skills for a clinical research director include patients, clinical trials and oversight. The most important skills for a clinical director are patients, patient care, and physical therapy.

Clinical research director vs clinical director overview

	Clinical Research Director	Clinical Director
Yearly salary	$100,744	$96,497
Hourly rate	$48.43	$46.39
Growth rate	6%	28%
Number of jobs	98,335	83,232
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 55%	Bachelor's Degree, 43%
Average age	44	47
Years of experience	2	6

What does a clinical research director do?

Clinical research directors are responsible for providing leadership in a clinical research setting. These directors oversee the development and evaluation of drugs and the program designs to prevent and treat contagious diseases as a part of their main responsibility. They gather information on progress reports and create new strategies to present them to higher management. This job requires them to have strong communication and leadership skills to thrive in their role and confidence in themselves to perform their duties without worry.

What does a clinical director do?

A clinical director is a managing professional who manages the work of healthcare providers to ensure quality patient care is achieved. Clinical directors are responsible for organizational tasks such as adjusting staff schedules, explaining insurance benefits to the patients, and managing financial reports. They can work either in small clinics with a smaller workforce or larger hospitals with multiple departments. Clinical directors may also assist in the hiring process of healthcare providers and should establish a positive work environment.

Clinical research director vs clinical director salary

Clinical research directors and clinical directors have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Clinical Research Director	Clinical Director
Average salary	$100,744	$96,497
Salary range	Between $66,000 And $153,000	Between $63,000 And $145,000
Highest paying City	Foster City, CA	New York, NY
Highest paying state	California	Rhode Island
Best paying company	Amgen	Sutro Biopharma
Best paying industry	Pharmaceutical	Health Care

Differences between clinical research director and clinical director education

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

	Clinical Research Director	Clinical Director
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 55%	Bachelor's Degree, 43%
Most common major	Nursing	Nursing
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Clinical research director vs clinical director demographics

Here are the differences between clinical research directors' and clinical directors' demographics:

	Clinical Research Director	Clinical Director
Average age	44	47
Gender ratio	Male, 41.3% Female, 58.7%	Male, 35.2% Female, 64.8%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 2.6% Unknown, 7.6% Hispanic or Latino, 15.7% Asian, 9.2% White, 64.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%	Black or African American, 11.6% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 14.6% Asian, 8.1% White, 60.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	9%	12%

Differences between clinical research director and clinical director duties and responsibilities

Clinical research director example responsibilities.

Coordinate and manage appropriate training for research staff (GCP, ICH, CLIA, protocol training, etc .).
Manage all regulatory documentation and correspondence require by sponsor and IRB.
Manage all planning and execution of oncology clinical trials, domestic and international, including decision impact and companion diagnostic trials.
Interpret and apply ICH/ GCP guidelines and deliver staff training via NIH, CITI, FDA and sponsor provide materials.
Select potential patients for participation in clinical trials.
Provide oversight for the oncology clinical research program.

Clinical director example responsibilities.

Develop distinctive ambulatory strategies to achieve and sustain competitive healthcare advantage.
Manage and assist with data collection and input for MDS.
Manage quality of documentation through education and electronic review of clinical processes utilizing HCHB EMR.
Manage front office, marketing, and communication -demonstrated/supervise exercises for patients -Developed instructional packets for home exercise programs
Manage projects and ambulatory system initiatives, and collaborate with system leadership teams to ensure EMR alignment with all regulatory requirements.
Experience in GCP, FDA audits, and regulatory guidance review and implementation.

Clinical research director vs clinical director skills

Common clinical research director skills

Patients, 21%
Clinical Trials, 12%
Oversight, 7%
FDA, 6%
GCP, 6%
Clinical Development, 6%

Common clinical director skills

Patients, 18%
Patient Care, 11%
Physical Therapy, 5%
Social Work, 4%
Rehabilitation, 4%
Clinical Services, 3%

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Clinical Research Director
Clinical Research Director vs Clinical Director

Updated January 8, 2025

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