How to hire a clinical research nurse

How to hire a clinical research nurse, step by step

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

What does a clinical research nurse do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your clinical research nurse 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 nurse 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?

   Yes

   No

   A clinical research nurse's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, clinical research nurses from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   Here's a comparison of clinical research nurse salaries for various roles:

   Type of Clinical Research Nurse	Description	Hourly rate
   Clinical Research Nurse	Registered nurses (RNs) provide and coordinate patient care, educate patients and the public about various health conditions, and provide advice and emotional support to patients and their family members.	$21-39
   Nurse	Nurses are medical professionals assigned to a specific department in the hospital and provide their trusted department services. Nurses are in charge of taking patients' medical histories, getting vital signs, preparing patients for checkups or procedures, explaining upcoming practices, answering any questions, and communicating any concerns to the assigned doctor... Show more	$18-41
   Nurse Clinician	A nurse clinician is a health expert who provides care and assistance to patients in hospitals, clinics, or similar establishments. Among their responsibilities include preparing equipment and documents, administering medication, monitoring the patient's condition, maintaining charts, and regularly reporting to physicians... Show more	$23-42

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Patients
   • BLS
   • Acute Care
   • Acls
   • Surgery
   • Quality Care
   • Critical Care
   • Patient Outcomes
   • Oncology
   • Infection Control
   • Compassion
   • Patient Education
   • Rehabilitation
   • ICU

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Maintain accountability and compassion while providing care, administering medications, performing procedures and managing emergencies.
   • Demonstrate clinical competency and compassion in providing care, using technology, administering medications, performing procedures and managing emergencies
   • Command of CPR team until a doctor arrives; defibrillate and assess patients' condition.
   • Administer pain medication through intravenous, oral or subcutaneous injection to recovering patients in the immediate post-operative period of surgery.
   • Provide complete nursing care for patient populations undergoing procedures relate to abdominal surgery, multiple trauma, oncology, and peritoneal dialysis
   • Provide skil nursing care for patients spanning the pediatric medical spectrum including hematology, immunology, oncology, neurology and endocrinology.

   More clinical research nurse duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your clinical research nurse job description helps attract top candidates to the position. A clinical research nurse salary can be affected by several factors, such as geography, experience, seniority, certifications, and the prestige of the hiring company.

   For example, the average salary for a clinical research nurse in Utah may be lower than in California, and an entry-level clinical research nurse usually earns less than a senior-level clinical research nurse. Additionally, a clinical research nurse with certifications may command a higher salary, and working for a well-known company or start-up may also impact an employee's pay.

   Average clinical research nurse salary

   $60,347yearly

   $29.01 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level clinical research nurse salary

   $44,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 27, 2026

   Average clinical research nurse salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$99,037	$48
   2	Washington	$81,147	$39
   3	District of Columbia	$76,259	$37
   4	Oregon	$74,658	$36
   5	New York	$73,290	$35
   6	Connecticut	$72,258	$35
   7	Massachusetts	$69,197	$33
   8	Maryland	$68,200	$33
   9	Maine	$65,282	$31
   10	Michigan	$63,332	$30
   11	Arizona	$62,409	$30
   12	Texas	$61,766	$30
   13	Wisconsin	$61,054	$29
   14	Florida	$60,999	$29
   15	Pennsylvania	$60,675	$29
   16	Colorado	$60,167	$29
   17	North Carolina	$58,764	$28
   18	Illinois	$57,876	$28
   19	Missouri	$56,693	$27
   20	Georgia	$56,096	$27

   Average clinical research nurse salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	University of California-Berkeley	$96,358	$46.33	1
   2	AbbVie	$82,252	$39.54	66
   3	University of California	$75,280	$36.19	396
   4	Teva Pharmaceuticals	$75,196	$36.15	7
   5	New London Hospital	$74,569	$35.85	39
   6	Sutter Health	$74,455	$35.80	375
   7	Georgetown University	$74,218	$35.68	18
   8	Health First	$74,003	$35.58	94
   9	EmblemHealth	$73,359	$35.27
   10	Children's Hospital Colorado	$73,097	$35.14	49
   11	The Rockefeller University	$73,027	$35.11	4
   12	Legacy Health	$73,018	$35.10	65
   13	University Hospitals	$73,015	$35.10	66
   14	Yale University	$72,201	$34.71	32
   15	Hospice of The Valley	$71,496	$34.37	18
   16	WakeMed	$71,382	$34.32	9
   17	Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center	$70,757	$34.02	25
   18	Peoples Health	$70,281	$33.79	25
   19	Columbia University in the City of New York	$69,835	$33.57	76
   20	Children's Hospital Los Angeles	$69,443	$33.39	58

4. Writing a clinical research nurse job description

   A clinical research nurse 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 nurse job description:

   Clinical research nurse job description example

   
   Take your place among the best in health care as part of our elite team at The University of Kansas Health System, the region's premier academic medical center. We invite you to join us as we lead the way, setting new standards for advanced and compassionate patient care.
   
   The University of Kansas Health System in Kansas City, Kansas is a world-class academic medical center and destination for complex care and diagnosis. We offer more options for patients with serious conditions because of our expertise and leadership in medical research and education. Our physicians are researchers and educators expanding the boundaries of medical knowledge. Their major breakthroughs lead to the life-changing treatments and technologies of the future.
   
   When you need the most advanced care, you'll find our hospital is recognized by U.S. News & World Report as a healthcare leader. Once again, The University of Kansas Hospital was nationally ranked as the best hospital in Kansas City and in Kansas. No other hospital has ever held these honors. We also ranked among the nation's best in 8 specialties, the most of any hospital in the region.
   
   The best place for cancer treatment is the best place for oncology nurses. The University of Kansas Cancer Center is the region's only NCI-designated Cancer Center and one of only 71 in the nation. NCI designation means our patients have greater access to clinical trials using the newest drugs and therapies closer to home. We treat the most complex cases with the most advanced approaches. We offer the hope we may one day cure cancer.
   
   The University of Kansas Hospital is the first hospital in Kansas to attain the highly coveted Magnet designation from the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC). Our Department of Nursing began working toward this goal in 2002 and received the designation on December 20, 2006. Less than four percent of all hospitals nationwide have earned this distinction since the ANCC developed the Magnet Recognition Program in 1990. In 2022, the ANCC announced that the health system's Kansas City Division had received Magnet designation for the fourth consecutive time.
   
   The American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) announced today that The University of Kansas Health System's Kansas City Division has received Magnet designation for the fourth consecutive time since 2006.
   
   Magnet recognition is the gold standard for nursing excellence and moves the Kansas City Division into an elite group of healthcare organizations.
   According to the ANCC:
   
   - 570 hospitals (9%) out of 6,090 nationwide are Magnet-designated facilities.
   - Less than 2% of U.S. hospitals (140) have earned designation four times or more.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find clinical research nurses for your business, try out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important talent pools for any company is its current employees.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and your current work to ask if they know any clinical research nurses they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level clinical research nurses with the right educational background.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter have more than 3.5 billion users, and they're a great place for company branding and reaching potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

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

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit clinical research nurses, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up interviews.

   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 nurse

   Once you have selected a candidate for the clinical research nurse position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize the agreement with a contract.

   It's equally important to follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   To prepare for the new employee's start date, you can create an onboarding schedule and complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9 forms, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Human Resources should also ensure that a new employee file is created.

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 nurse?