Clinical research scientist vs clinical trial manager

The differences between clinical research scientists and clinical trial 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 trial manager. Additionally, a clinical research scientist has an average salary of $99,160, which is higher than the $93,644 average annual salary of a clinical trial manager.

The top three skills for a clinical research scientist include clinical research, clinical trials and clinical development. The most important skills for a clinical trial manager are patients, clinical trial management, and clinical operations.

Clinical research scientist vs clinical trial manager overview

	Clinical Research Scientist	Clinical Trial Manager
Yearly salary	$99,160	$93,644
Hourly rate	$47.67	$45.02
Growth rate	6%	6%
Number of jobs	128,547	60,284
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 trial manager do?

A clinical trial manager is primarily responsible for organizing and supervising clinical trials, ensuring to meet all goals while maintaining smooth operations. They are also responsible for collaborating with managers to set targets, hiring staff and participants for studies, and arranging the event. This planning includes its location and schedule. A clinical trial manager must also maintain documentation of all processes, liaise with scientists and key personnel, acquire necessary legal paperwork and certifications, and gather data accurately. Furthermore, as a manager, it is essential to implement the company's policies and regulations at all times.

Clinical research scientist vs clinical trial manager salary

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

	Clinical Research Scientist	Clinical Trial Manager
Average salary	$99,160	$93,644
Salary range	Between $63,000 And $154,000	Between $61,000 And $142,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	San Rafael, CA
Highest paying state	California	California
Best paying company	Meta	Editas Medicine
Best paying industry	Pharmaceutical	Pharmaceutical

Differences between clinical research scientist and clinical trial manager education

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

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

Clinical research scientist vs clinical trial manager demographics

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

	Clinical Research Scientist	Clinical Trial Manager
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 35.4% Female, 64.6%	Male, 29.4% Female, 70.6%
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, 7.5% Hispanic or Latino, 14.9% Asian, 11.1% White, 63.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage	9%	9%

Differences between clinical research scientist and clinical trial 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 trial manager example responsibilities.

Manage SAEs and assure they are properly record and report.
Manage CRO vendors and ensure timely execution of study milestones.
Manage assign independent consultants and employee CRAs regarding project-relate issues.
Lead study data management activities for oncology trials in preparation for study close-out.
Ensure study adherence to all regulatory matters and sponsor requirements according to FDA regulations, GCP and ICH guidelines.
Create document templates require by FDA and ICH regulations for site distribution.

Clinical research scientist vs clinical trial 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 trial manager skills

Patients, 8%
Clinical Trial Management, 7%
Clinical Operations, 6%
Clinical Research, 6%
Oversight, 6%
Project Management, 5%

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Clinical Research Scientist
Clinical Research Scientist vs Clinical Trial Manager

Updated January 8, 2025

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