Clinical research scientist vs research coordinator

The differences between clinical research scientists and 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 research coordinator. Additionally, a clinical research scientist has an average salary of $99,160, which is higher than the $48,974 average annual salary of a 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 research coordinator are patients, informed consent, and data collection.

Clinical research scientist vs research coordinator overview

	Clinical Research Scientist	Research Coordinator
Yearly salary	$99,160	$48,974
Hourly rate	$47.67	$23.55
Growth rate	6%	6%
Number of jobs	128,547	65,406
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 59%	Bachelor's Degree, 65%
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 research coordinator do?

A research coordinator is responsible for assisting the development of research data from clinical trials and laboratory investigations under the supervision of a lead researcher or a research supervisor. In some cases, research coordinators conduct field investigations and analyze existing research materials upon understanding the scope and limitations of the study. They enter their findings and useful resources on the research database for reference to the research team. A research coordinator must have excellent communication skills, both written and oral, especially on gathering data and coordinating with other researchers for the progress and updates of the study.

Clinical research scientist vs research coordinator salary

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

	Clinical Research Scientist	Research Coordinator
Average salary	$99,160	$48,974
Salary range	Between $63,000 And $154,000	Between $35,000 And $68,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	Bothell, WA
Highest paying state	California	Connecticut
Best paying company	Meta	BNP Paribas
Best paying industry	Pharmaceutical	Health Care

Differences between clinical research scientist and research coordinator education

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

	Clinical Research Scientist	Research Coordinator
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 59%	Bachelor's Degree, 65%
Most common major	Biology	Psychology
Most common college	University of Michigan - Ann Arbor	Duke University

Clinical research scientist vs research coordinator demographics

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

	Clinical Research Scientist	Research Coordinator
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 35.4% Female, 64.6%	Male, 29.1% Female, 70.9%
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, 15.1% Asian, 10.2% White, 64.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage	9%	9%

Differences between clinical research scientist and 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.

Research coordinator example responsibilities.

Manage participant's records ensuring confidentiality as well as NIH specifications.
Manage all IRB submissions, sponsor communications, participate in monitoring visits, drug reconciliation and dispensing.
Recruit, screen, conduct psychometric examinations and collect data for pharmaceutical clinical trials in patients diagnose with Alzheimer's disease.
Maintain confidential information and appropriate ethical professionalism with highly sensitive personal health information; take part in IRB human subjects training.
Assist in preparation of grants, NIH progress reports, presentations, and manuscripts.
Ensure and maintain confidentiality, privacy and compliance of patient rights in accordance with HIPAA regulations and NVCI policies.

Clinical research scientist vs 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 research coordinator skills

Patients, 11%
Informed Consent, 8%
Data Collection, 8%
IRB, 7%
Research Projects, 6%
Patient Care, 4%

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Clinical Research Scientist
Clinical Research Scientist vs Research Coordinator

Updated January 8, 2025

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