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Clinical research specialist salary
Average clinical research specialist salary
$60,945
Average Clinical Research Specialist Salary
The average salary for a Clinical Research Specialist is approximately $60,945 annually, or about $29 per hour. Salaries can vary significantly based on factors such as geographical location, years of experience, and specific job responsibilities. For example, specialists with advanced degrees or certifications often command higher salaries due to their specialized skills.
Where Can Clinical Research Specialists Earn More?
States like California and New York typically offer some of the highest salaries for this role, with average annual compensations exceeding $70,000. In contrast, regions with lower costs of living may offer lower salaries, but they can still provide valuable opportunities for growth and development.
Salary Estimates and Trends
As the demand for clinical research specialists continues to rise, understanding the evolving salary trends can help prospective employees gauge their earning potential. This role plays a crucial part in the healthcare sector, contributing to the development of new treatments and therapies. By staying informed about salary estimates and industry standards, you can make better career choices that align with your professional aspirations.
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Where can a Clinical Research Specialist earn more?
Clinical research specialist salary estimates from across the web
Average clinical research specialist salary by state
The highest-paying states for clinical research specialists are California, New Jersey, and New York. The lowest average clinical research specialist salary states are Texas, Alabama, and Oklahoma.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for clinical research specialists
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $79,595 | $38.27 |
| 2 | New Jersey | $76,843 | $36.94 |
| 3 | New York | $75,701 | $36.39 |
| 4 | Arizona | $73,204 | $35.19 |
| 5 | Oregon | $68,891 | $33.12 |
| 6 | Florida | $69,139 | $33.24 |
| 7 | New Mexico | $70,129 | $33.72 |
| 8 | Massachusetts | $69,406 | $33.37 |
| 9 | New Hampshire | $71,965 | $34.60 |
| 10 | Vermont | $65,640 | $31.56 |
| 11 | District of Columbia | $73,748 | $35.46 |
| 12 | Minnesota | $66,471 | $31.96 |
| 13 | Illinois | $66,344 | $31.90 |
| 14 | Rhode Island | $61,379 | $29.51 |
| 15 | Delaware | $66,534 | $31.99 |
| 16 | Pennsylvania | $58,970 | $28.35 |
| 17 | Washington | $67,761 | $32.58 |
| 18 | Idaho | $65,058 | $31.28 |
| 19 | Nevada | $63,724 | $30.64 |
| 20 | Montana | $60,226 | $28.95 |
| 21 | Maine | $58,663 | $28.20 |
| 22 | Michigan | $59,499 | $28.61 |
| 23 | Georgia | $63,486 | $30.52 |
| 24 | North Carolina | $58,443 | $28.10 |
| 25 | Virginia | $63,053 | $30.31 |
| 26 | South Dakota | $56,580 | $27.20 |
| 27 | Ohio | $58,121 | $27.94 |
| 28 | Connecticut | $57,953 | $27.86 |
| 29 | Colorado | $59,108 | $28.42 |
| 30 | Hawaii | $59,295 | $28.51 |
| 31 | North Dakota | $55,500 | $26.68 |
| 32 | Maryland | $62,710 | $30.15 |
| 33 | Wyoming | $57,845 | $27.81 |
| 34 | Nebraska | $56,525 | $27.18 |
| 35 | Tennessee | $54,512 | $26.21 |
| 36 | Utah | $55,318 | $26.60 |
| 37 | Missouri | $56,908 | $27.36 |
| 38 | West Virginia | $54,992 | $26.44 |
| 39 | Mississippi | $57,232 | $27.52 |
| 40 | Alaska | $60,616 | $29.14 |
| 41 | Louisiana | $55,027 | $26.46 |
| 42 | Kansas | $54,162 | $26.04 |
| 43 | Texas | $51,394 | $24.71 |
| 44 | Arkansas | $53,237 | $25.59 |
| 45 | Kentucky | $51,631 | $24.82 |
| 46 | South Carolina | $52,116 | $25.06 |
| 47 | Oklahoma | $50,790 | $24.42 |
| 48 | Wisconsin | $50,687 | $24.37 |
| 49 | Alabama | $51,230 | $24.63 |
| 50 | Indiana | $49,175 | $23.64 |
| 51 | Iowa | $47,946 | $23.05 |
Highest paying cities for clinical research specialists
The highest-paying cities for clinical research specialists are Santa Rosa, CA, Rahway, NJ, and Uniondale, NY.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Santa Rosa, CA | $85,988 | $41.34 |
| 2 | Rahway, NJ | $77,000 | $37.02 |
| 3 | Uniondale, NY | $76,031 | $36.55 |
| 4 | Washington, DC | $73,785 | $35.47 |
| 5 | Phoenix, AZ | $73,661 | $35.41 |
| 6 | Miami, FL | $70,364 | $33.83 |
| 7 | Boston, MA | $69,418 | $33.37 |
| 8 | Seattle, WA | $68,525 | $32.94 |
| 9 | Chicago, IL | $66,582 | $32.01 |
| 10 | Minneapolis, MN | $66,409 | $31.93 |
| 11 | Atlanta, GA | $63,228 | $30.40 |
| 12 | Baltimore, MD | $62,930 | $30.25 |
| 13 | Providence, RI | $61,364 | $29.50 |
| 14 | Philadelphia, PA | $59,583 | $28.65 |
| 15 | Raleigh, NC | $59,436 | $28.57 |
| 16 | Urban Honolulu, HI | $59,246 | $28.48 |
| 17 | Aurora, CO | $59,046 | $28.39 |
| 18 | Farmington, CT | $57,918 | $27.85 |
| 19 | Columbus, OH | $57,737 | $27.76 |
| 20 | Saint Louis, MO | $56,992 | $27.40 |
Clinical research specialist salary details
A clinical research specialist's salary ranges from $42,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $87,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a clinical research specialist's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $87,000 | $7,250 | $42 |
| 75th Percentile | $73,000 | $6,083 | $35 |
| Average | $60,945 | $5,079 | $29 |
| 25th Percentile | $50,000 | $4,167 | $24 |
| 10th Percentile | $42,000 | $3,500 | $20 |
Highest paying clinical research specialist jobs
The highest paying types of clinical research specialists are clinical project manager, clinical research manager, and senior clinical research associate.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Study Coordinator | $47,435 | $3,953 | $22.81 | 14,929 |
| Clinical Coordinator | $57,665 | $4,805 | $27.72 | 74,962 |
| Research Nurse | $53,463 | $4,455 | $25.70 | 46,665 |
| Research Project Coordinator | $48,683 | $4,057 | $23.41 | 67,800 |
| Research Coordinator | $48,974 | $4,081 | $23.55 | 65,406 |
| Clinical Project Manager | $100,510 | $8,376 | $48.32 | 153,837 |
Top companies hiring clinical research specialists now:
Which companies pay clinical research specialists the most?
Clinical research specialist salaries at Edwards Lifesciences and Masimo are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average clinical research specialist salary at companies like Medtronic and Merck are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Edwards Lifesciences | $111,257 | $53.49 |
| 2 | Masimo | $102,727 | $49.39 |
| 3 | Medtronic | $97,448 | $46.85 |
| 4 | Merck | $89,201 | $42.89 |
| 5 | Stanford University | $76,761 | $36.90 |
| 6 | American Medical Association | $75,148 | $36.13 |
| 7 | Stanford Health Care | $74,904 | $36.01 |
| 8 | AtriCure | $74,718 | $35.92 |
| 9 | Integrated Resources | $70,219 | $33.76 |
| 10 | Children's Hospital New Orleans | $69,709 | $33.51 |
| 11 | Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical | $69,198 | $33.27 |
| 12 | University of Washington | $69,137 | $33.24 |
| 13 | University of Maryland, Baltimore | $68,544 | $32.95 |
| 14 | University of Southern California | $68,446 | $32.91 |
| 15 | Caris Life Sciences | $67,086 | $32.25 |
| 16 | Children's Hospital Colorado | $67,075 | $32.25 |
| 17 | Fred Hutch | $67,041 | $32.23 |
| 18 | Dignity Health | $66,681 | $32.06 |
| 19 | Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center | $65,279 | $31.38 |
| 20 | NYU Lutheran Medical Center | $65,018 | $31.26 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Clinical research specialist salary trends
The average clinical research specialist salary has risen by $10,237 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average clinical research specialist earned $50,708 annually, but today, they earn $60,945 a year. That works out to a 15% change in pay for clinical research specialists over the last decade.
Compare clinical research specialist salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average clinical research specialist salary over time
Compare clinical research specialist salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Clinical research specialist salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $60,900 | $29.30 | +6.4% |
| 2024 | $57,000 | $27.42 | +4.1% |
| 2023 | $54,700 | $26.31 | +3.9% |
| 2022 | $52,600 | $25.27 | -0.7% |
| 2021 | $53,000 | $25.46 | -0.3% |
Recently added clinical research specialist salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cedars-Sinai | Clinical Research Data Specialist I-Per Diem-Heart Institute | Los Angeles, CA | 06/30/2025 | $48,815 |
| Duke University | Clinical Research Specialist, SR | Durham, NC | 06/29/2025 | $42,470 |
| Trinity Health | Clinical Research Specialist- | Albany, NY | 06/28/2025 | $69,080 |
| Dignity Health | Clinical Research Specialist | Phoenix, AZ | 06/27/2025 | $47,897 |
| Washington University In St. Louis | Clinical Research Specialist OT-Neurology | Ione, WA | 06/26/2025 | $63,400 |
| The University of Chicago | Clinical Research Specialist | Chicago, IL | 06/20/2025 | $50,171 |
| Washington University In St. Louis | Clinical Research Specialist (Prn/Physical Therapist)-Program In Physical Therapy | Forest Park, GA | 06/18/2025 | $67,890 |
| Medtronic | Senior Clinical Research Specialist | Minneapolis, MN | 06/17/2025 | $105,600 |
| Washington University In St. Louis | Clinical Research Specialist (Prn/Physical Therapist)-Program In Physical Therapy | Saint Louis, MO | 06/16/2025 | $67,890 |
| Analog Devices, Inc. | Clinical Research Specialist | Wilmington, MA | 06/14/2025 | $108,800 |
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