How to hire a clinical research manager

How to hire a clinical research manager, step by step

Here's a step-by-step clinical research manager 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 manager job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new clinical research manager
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a clinical research manager do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your clinical research manager 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 manager 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?

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   Hiring the perfect clinical research manager also involves considering the ideal background you'd like them to have. Depending on what industry or field they have experience in, they'll bring different skills to the job. It's also important to consider what levels of seniority and education the job requires and what kind of salary such a candidate would likely demand.

   This list shows salaries for various types of clinical research managers.

   Type of Clinical Research Manager	Description	Hourly rate
   Clinical Research Manager	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.	$31-67
   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
   Study Coordinator	Study coordinators oversee the entire process of clinical research from its inception to its completion. The coordinators make certain that human subjects are safe and well-protected... Show more	$16-31

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Patients
   • Oversight
   • FDA
   • IRB
   • Project Management
   • Data Management
   • Research Projects
   • Patient Care
   • Data Collection
   • Oncology
   • Informed Consent
   • Principal Investigators
   • Ich
   • GCP

   Check all skills

   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.
   • Major contributor to the NDA for both Depo-Provera contraceptive as well as Caverject for erectile dysfunction.
   • Interview, select, train, and monitor all clinical sites; negotiate site and CRO budgets.

   More clinical research manager duties

3. Make a budget

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

   • Location. For example, clinical research managers' average salary in missouri is 45% less than in california.
   • Seniority. Entry-level clinical research managers earn 53% less than senior-level clinical research managers.
   • Certifications. A clinical research manager 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 manager's salary.

   Average clinical research manager salary

   $96,504yearly

   $46.40 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level clinical research manager salary

   $66,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 19, 2026

   Average clinical research manager salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$128,894	$62
   2	Massachusetts	$100,502	$48
   3	New Mexico	$97,529	$47
   4	Washington	$97,038	$47
   5	New York	$94,548	$45
   6	New Jersey	$93,755	$45
   7	Michigan	$88,275	$42
   8	Oregon	$86,526	$42
   9	Illinois	$85,677	$41
   10	District of Columbia	$84,487	$41
   11	Maryland	$81,245	$39
   12	Ohio	$80,838	$39
   13	Texas	$80,166	$39
   14	Pennsylvania	$80,030	$38
   15	Wisconsin	$79,930	$38
   16	Virginia	$79,001	$38
   17	North Carolina	$78,038	$38
   18	Indiana	$76,887	$37
   19	Utah	$75,055	$36
   20	Georgia	$73,615	$35

   Average clinical research manager salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Varian Medical Systems	$128,657	$61.85	4
   2	Genentech	$126,136	$60.64	23
   3	Amgen	$123,946	$59.59	40
   4	Novartis	$108,905	$52.36	4
   5	General Electric	$107,014	$51.45	29
   6	Urology Austin	$104,500	$50.24
   7	Abbott	$103,867	$49.94	271
   8	RTI International Metals	$103,204	$49.62
   9	Oncology Institute	$102,366	$49.21
   10	CVS Health	$100,437	$48.29	480
   11	Baystate Health	$99,133	$47.66	1
   12	Miro	$99,046	$47.62
   13	Medtronic	$98,332	$47.27	295
   14	Scripps Health	$96,878	$46.58	22
   15	Randstad North America, Inc.	$96,781	$46.53	1
   16	Stanford University	$96,182	$46.24	178
   17	Supernus Pharmaceuticals	$96,128	$46.22
   18	Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings	$96,126	$46.21	133
   19	Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center	$96,095	$46.20	24
   20	Johnson & Johnson	$95,184	$45.76	147

4. Writing a clinical research manager job description

   A clinical research manager job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. To help get you started, here's an example of a clinical research manager job description:

   Clinical research manager job description example

   Under the direction of the Sr. Project Manager, the Project Manager, manages all aspects of assigned clinical trials involving patient and normal healthy subject populations in both inpatient and outpatient settings. This position acts as the liaison between the sponsor and the research team. It assures sponsor requirements and specifications are communicated to the teams on a timely basis and that any issues raised by the teams are communicated back to the sponsor so they can be resolved in a timely and appropriate manner.
   
   Education: • Bachelors degree, or licensure in a health profession (i.e. RN, LVN), or an equivalent combination of education, training and professional experience that provides the individual with the required knowledge, skills and abilities.• Minimum of 3 years experience in clinical research, program management, clinical auditing, or QA/Regulatory Affairs and a minimum of 1 year clinical project management experience or experience handling multiple or global projects in another area of clinical research Knowledge, Skills and Abilities: · Basic computer skills with working knowledge of Microsoft Office software· Effective time management skills· Strong leadership and team-building skills· Excellent written and verbal communication skills· Ability to prioritize the elements of each unique study plan and to alter the elements on a continuous basis according to study progress· Ability to effectively handle multiple tasks and priorities in a professional manner, assuring sponsor satisfaction and staff cooperation· Effective planning skills for the accomplishment of both short and long term goals for each study.· Ability to analyze and interpret study financial statements and contractual agreements with sponsors and subcontractors· In depth knowledge of the clinical research process (i.e. Good Clinical Practices, obtaining informed consent, drug dispensation and accountability, process for handling protocol amendments, obtaining ethical reviews and providing ongoing reports to IRBs) PPD is an equal opportunity employer, M/F/D/V - embracing diversity and the responsibilities of corporate citizenship in our communities. PPD values our former military and transitioning service member's service.
   **Job:** **Project Management*
   
   **Organization:** **US BU*
   
   **Title:** *Clinical Research Manager - Office Based*
   
   **Location:** *FL-Orlando-Orlando FL*
   
   
   PPD is an affirmative action employer that values diversity as a strength fosters and environment of mutual respect. PPD provides equal employment opportunities without regard to age, race, color, pregnancy, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, veteran status or other status within any other protected group

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right clinical research manager for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with clinical research managers they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit clinical research managers who meet your education requirements.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

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

6. Interview candidates

   During your first interview to recruit clinical research managers, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match your ideal candidate profile. If you think a candidate is good enough for the next step, you can move on to 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 manager

   Once you've decided on a perfect clinical research manager candidate, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, it should include benefits and perks available to the employee. Qualified candidates may be considered for other positions, so make sure your offer is competitive. Candidates may wish to negotiate. Once you've settled on the details, formalize your 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 manager 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 manager?