How To Become A Clinical Research Manager: What It Is and Career Path

What is a clinical research manager and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

5 min read

A clinical research manager oversees the planning, implementation, and completion of clinical trials. They manage teams, ensure ethical and regulatory guidelines, and monitor data collection and analysis. They may develop protocols, budget proposals, and reports. Additionally, they may lead meetings, provide training, and supervise staff. Clinical research managers have knowledge of clinical research regulations and project management skills. Successful clinical research managers need strong attention to detail and critical thinking skills.

ScoreClinical Research ManagerUS Average

Salary

7.5

Avg. Salary $96,504

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

5.6

Growth rate 6%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

5.1

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.51%

Asian 9.27%

Black or African American 2.56%

Hispanic or Latino 14.98%

Unknown 7.56%

White 65.12%

Gender

female 78.48%

male 21.52%

Age - 43.5

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 43.5

Stress level

5.6

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity level

8.5

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance

6.3

Work life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

What are the pros and cons of being a clinical research manager?

Pros

High salary potential
Opportunities for career advancement within the field
Challenge and variety in daily tasks
Potential for travel and networking opportunities
Satisfaction of making a difference in improving patient outcomes

Cons

High level of responsibility and accountability
Long hours and demanding workload
Significant pressure to meet project timelines and budgets
Work can be stressful and fast-paced
Limited ability to control study design or the overall direction of the project

Key steps to become a clinical research manager

Explore clinical research manager education requirements

Most common clinical research manager degrees

Bachelor's

55.2 %

Master's

23.0 %

Associate

9.0 %

Start to develop specific clinical research manager skills

Skills	Percentages
Patients	8.91%
Oversight	7.71%
FDA	5.15%
IRB	5.01%
Project Management	4.51%

Complete relevant clinical research manager training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New clinical research managers learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a clinical research manager based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real clinical research manager resumes.

Research clinical research manager duties and responsibilities

Launch and manage a regional CRA monitoring group that grow to 100 plus staff in two years.
Manage all planning and execution of oncology clinical trials, domestic and international, including decision impact and companion diagnostic trials.
Prepare applications to have studies approve by hospital's institutional review board (IRB) and help present study to IRB.
Develop an open access communication method for patients to discuss their questions and/or concerns with the principal investigators.

Prepare your clinical research manager resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your clinical research manager resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a clinical research manager resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable clinical research manager resume templates

Build a professional clinical research manager resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your clinical research manager resume.