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The differences between clinical research nurses and clinical research associates 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 nurse and a clinical research associate. Additionally, a clinical research associate has an average salary of $62,966, which is higher than the $60,347 average annual salary of a clinical research nurse.
The top three skills for a clinical research nurse include patients, BLS and acute care. The most important skills for a clinical research associate are patients, informed consent, and CRA.
| Clinical Research Nurse | Clinical Research Associate | |
| Yearly salary | $60,347 | $62,966 |
| Hourly rate | $29.01 | $30.27 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 703,983 | 94,336 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 55% | Bachelor's Degree, 65% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
A clinical research nurse is responsible for conducting research studies on various health conditions, illness treatments, and healthcare methodologies, analyzing existing scientific research to make new reports. Clinical research nurses also communicate with other health professionals and health organizations for their insights and recommendations for a specific medical study, ensuring to report their findings to doctors and medical researchers for further validation and clinical trials. A clinical research nurse must have excellent knowledge of communication, both written and spoken, as well as expertise in the medical industry.
A clinical research associate is responsible for assisting medical professionals in clinical trials and conducting research studies on medications and medical procedures. Clinical research associates monitor the research materials, ensuring its safety and reliability through trial procedures, writing comprehensive reports of results, and disseminating information across the concerned parties. They also provide recommendations on improving clinical processes, reiterating protocol requirements, and maintaining strict confidentiality of the trial subjects. A clinical research associate must have extensive knowledge of the medical industry, including its disciplines and principles, to perform duties accurately under minimal supervision.
Clinical research nurses and clinical research associates have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Clinical Research Nurse | Clinical Research Associate | |
| Average salary | $60,347 | $62,966 |
| Salary range | Between $44,000 And $82,000 | Between $43,000 And $91,000 |
| Highest paying City | Sacramento, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | University of California, Berkeley | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Education | Pharmaceutical |
There are a few differences between a clinical research nurse and a clinical research associate in terms of educational background:
| Clinical Research Nurse | Clinical Research Associate | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 55% | Bachelor's Degree, 65% |
| Most common major | Nursing | Biology |
| Most common college | Duke University | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between clinical research nurses' and clinical research associates' demographics:
| Clinical Research Nurse | Clinical Research Associate | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 10.9% Female, 89.1% | Male, 28.3% Female, 71.7% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.7% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 8.7% Asian, 9.7% White, 65.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | Black or African American, 2.5% Unknown, 7.4% Hispanic or Latino, 13.7% Asian, 13.0% White, 62.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 9% |