Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between clinical research managers and clinical researchers 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 manager and a clinical researcher. Additionally, a clinical research manager has an average salary of $96,504, which is higher than the $55,453 average annual salary of a clinical researcher.
The top three skills for a clinical research manager include patients, oversight and FDA. The most important skills for a clinical researcher are patients, informed consent, and IRB.
| Clinical Research Manager | Clinical Researcher | |
| Yearly salary | $96,504 | $55,453 |
| Hourly rate | $46.40 | $26.66 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 100,000 | 60,864 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 55% | Bachelor's Degree, 58% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
A clinical research manager is responsible for leading a clinical research team in conducting clinical trials for medical purposes. Clinical research managers conduct scientific investigations, following critical methods and procedures within the budget goals and discussed timeframe. They monitor the adequacy of laboratory tools and equipment, request purchase orders, and ensure the authenticity of the materials for the accuracy of findings. A clinical research manager also enforces strict safety standards and protocols during clinical trials to avoid potential hazards and chemical contamination.
A clinical researcher is primarily in charge of conducting research trials for medicine and health care development. Their responsibilities mainly revolve around conducting extensive research and analysis by gathering samples, performing experiments, working with research participants, and collaborating with other researchers and scientists. Moreover, as a clinical researcher, it is essential to maintain records of all experiments, summarize findings into reports and presentations, and monitor every progress, all while adhering to the research's deadlines, budgets, goals, and policies.
Clinical research managers and clinical researchers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Clinical Research Manager | Clinical Researcher | |
| Average salary | $96,504 | $55,453 |
| Salary range | Between $66,000 And $140,000 | Between $38,000 And $79,000 |
| Highest paying City | South San Francisco, CA | Santa Rosa, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Varian Medical Systems | Edwards Lifesciences |
| Best paying industry | Pharmaceutical | Pharmaceutical |
There are a few differences between a clinical research manager and a clinical researcher in terms of educational background:
| Clinical Research Manager | Clinical Researcher | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 55% | Bachelor's Degree, 58% |
| Most common major | Nursing | Biology |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Michigan - Ann Arbor |
Here are the differences between clinical research managers' and clinical researchers' demographics:
| Clinical Research Manager | Clinical Researcher | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 21.5% Female, 78.5% | Male, 38.3% Female, 61.7% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 2.6% Unknown, 7.6% Hispanic or Latino, 15.0% Asian, 9.3% White, 65.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% | Black or African American, 2.5% Unknown, 7.4% Hispanic or Latino, 14.0% Asian, 13.5% White, 62.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 9% |