Clinical research scientist vs clinical project manager

The differences between clinical research scientists and clinical project managers 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 scientist and a clinical project manager. Additionally, a clinical project manager has an average salary of $100,510, which is higher than the $99,160 average annual salary of a clinical research scientist.

The top three skills for a clinical research scientist include clinical research, clinical trials and clinical development. The most important skills for a clinical project manager are manage cross, patients, and clinical research.

Clinical research scientist vs clinical project manager overview

	Clinical Research Scientist	Clinical Project Manager
Yearly salary	$99,160	$100,510
Hourly rate	$47.67	$48.32
Growth rate	6%	6%
Number of jobs	128,547	153,837
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 59%	Bachelor's Degree, 60%
Average age	44	44
Years of experience	2	2

What does a clinical research scientist do?

A clinical research scientist is responsible for assisting physicians in conducting laboratory research and examinations to identify diseases and establish treatment plans. They also inspect medical tools and equipment to prevent hazards and operational delays. A clinical research scientist must have excellent communication skills and extensive knowledge of the medical industry to provide the highest quality care services for the patients.

What does a clinical project manager do?

A clinical project manager specializes in developing and organizing clinical trials. Their responsibilities revolve around planning and coordinating with all necessary personnel and experts, scheduling meetings, and preparing necessary documentation, ensuring compliance with all laws and regulations. Moreover, a clinical project manager must devise strategies and train all staff, develop protocols and guidelines, coordinate with vendors and suppliers, evaluate staff and verify documentation, and assist in all activities to ensure that every process aligns with the project's agenda. Should there be any issues or concerns, a clinical project manager must conduct corrective measures right away.

Clinical research scientist vs clinical project manager salary

Clinical research scientists and clinical project managers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Clinical Research Scientist	Clinical Project Manager
Average salary	$99,160	$100,510
Salary range	Between $63,000 And $154,000	Between $74,000 And $136,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	South San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	California	California
Best paying company	Meta	Intuitive Surgical
Best paying industry	Pharmaceutical	Pharmaceutical

Differences between clinical research scientist and clinical project manager education

There are a few differences between a clinical research scientist and a clinical project manager in terms of educational background:

	Clinical Research Scientist	Clinical Project Manager
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 59%	Bachelor's Degree, 60%
Most common major	Biology	Nursing
Most common college	University of Michigan - Ann Arbor	University of Pennsylvania

Clinical research scientist vs clinical project manager demographics

Here are the differences between clinical research scientists' and clinical project managers' demographics:

	Clinical Research Scientist	Clinical Project Manager
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 35.4% Female, 64.6%	Male, 32.5% Female, 67.5%
Race ratio	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%	Black or African American, 2.6% Unknown, 7.6% Hispanic or Latino, 15.0% Asian, 10.8% White, 63.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage	9%	9%

Differences between clinical research scientist and clinical project manager duties and responsibilities

Clinical research scientist example responsibilities.

Supervise and manage planning, implementation, conduct and reporting of assign early phase international clinical studies in oncology.
Facilitate IRB approval, when require.
Compile and submit reports to U.S. FDA.
Provide draft responses to FDA questions to senior management.
Resolve IRB issues and implement IRB mandate changes in the protocol with amendments.
Recruit investigators perform pre-study visits, negotiate budgets, initiate and monitor studies and verify data for accuracy and completeness.

Clinical project manager example responsibilities.

Develop, manage, motivate and ensure professional development of project staff (13 CRAs).
Manage domestic and international oncology clinical study sites.
Manage multiple pharmaceutical studies ensuring compliance with FDA guidelines.
Manage the operational aspects and execution of clinical studies focusing on oncology.
Supervise rotating team of CRA's contract with the CRO, educating on therapeutic area, and ensuring ICH GCP compliance.
Ensure GCP / ICH regulatory compliance on studies, preventing study deviations and provide swift resolutions to possible violations.

Clinical research scientist vs clinical project manager skills

Common clinical research scientist skills

Clinical Research, 11%
Clinical Trials, 7%
Clinical Development, 6%
Data Management, 5%
Oncology, 5%
Clinical Data, 5%

Common clinical project manager skills

Manage Cross, 12%
Patients, 9%
Clinical Research, 8%
Project Management, 7%
Clinical Trials, 5%
Oversight, 5%

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Clinical Research Scientist
Clinical Research Scientist vs Clinical Project Manager

Updated January 8, 2025

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