Clinical research scientist vs clinical research coordinator

The differences between clinical research scientists and clinical research coordinators 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 research coordinator. Additionally, a clinical research scientist has an average salary of $99,160, which is higher than the $52,459 average annual salary of a clinical research coordinator.

The top three skills for a clinical research scientist include clinical research, clinical trials and clinical development. The most important skills for a clinical research coordinator are patients, informed consent, and IRB.

Clinical research scientist vs clinical research coordinator overview

	Clinical Research Scientist	Clinical Research Coordinator
Yearly salary	$99,160	$52,459
Hourly rate	$47.67	$25.22
Growth rate	6%	6%
Number of jobs	128,547	102,960
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 research coordinator do?

A clinical research coordinator is a healthcare professional responsible for administering clinical trials of drugs or medications. Clinical research coordinators work under the supervision of clinical research managers to collect data and help inform trial participants about the study's objectives. They must ensure that these trials have met all regulations, including drug safety, government regulations, and the organization's code of ethics. Clinical research coordinators must obtain a bachelor's degree in nursing and have at least two years of healthcare experience.

Clinical research scientist vs clinical research coordinator salary

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

	Clinical Research Scientist	Clinical Research Coordinator
Average salary	$99,160	$52,459
Salary range	Between $63,000 And $154,000	Between $37,000 And $72,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	Richmond, CA
Highest paying state	California	Washington
Best paying company	Meta	Genentech
Best paying industry	Pharmaceutical	Health Care

Differences between clinical research scientist and clinical research coordinator education

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

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

Clinical research scientist vs clinical research coordinator demographics

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

	Clinical Research Scientist	Clinical Research Coordinator
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 35.4% Female, 64.6%	Male, 20.0% Female, 80.0%
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, 2.5% Unknown, 7.5% Hispanic or Latino, 14.7% Asian, 10.7% White, 64.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage	9%	9%

Differences between clinical research scientist and clinical research coordinator 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 research coordinator example responsibilities.

Assess study participants for adverse reactions or complications and manage side effects of chemotherapy and other study relate drugs.
Establish and maintain strong community partnerships to achieve HIV prevention objectives.
Direct acquisition and analysis of functional MRI research data following GCP and FDA regulations
Prepare and maintain IRB and regulatory documentation for various research projects and consent patients for clinical research.
Facilitate constant communication between principal investigators, oncology nurses, and patients to address concerns and maximize eligibility and enrollment.
Schedule patient for study procedures; initiate/coordinate drug orders, laboratory procedures and treatments for patients base on standing protocol orders.

Clinical research scientist vs clinical research coordinator 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 research coordinator skills

Patients, 11%
Informed Consent, 10%
IRB, 7%
Data Collection, 5%
Research Projects, 4%
Patient Care, 4%

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Clinical Research Scientist
Clinical Research Scientist vs Clinical Research Coordinator

Updated January 8, 2025

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