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The differences between clinical researchers 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 researcher and a clinical project manager. Additionally, a clinical project manager has an average salary of $100,510, which is higher than the $55,453 average annual salary of a clinical researcher.
The top three skills for a clinical researcher include patients, informed consent and IRB. The most important skills for a clinical project manager are manage cross, patients, and clinical research.
| Clinical Researcher | Clinical Project Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $55,453 | $100,510 |
| Hourly rate | $26.66 | $48.32 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 60,864 | 153,837 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 58% | Bachelor's Degree, 60% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
A clinical researcher is primarily in charge of conducting research trials for medicine and health care development. Their responsibilities mainly revolve around conducting extensive research and analysis by gathering samples, performing experiments, working with research participants, and collaborating with other researchers and scientists. Moreover, as a clinical researcher, it is essential to maintain records of all experiments, summarize findings into reports and presentations, and monitor every progress, all while adhering to the research's deadlines, budgets, goals, and policies.
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 researchers and clinical project managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Clinical Researcher | Clinical Project Manager | |
| Average salary | $55,453 | $100,510 |
| Salary range | Between $38,000 And $79,000 | Between $74,000 And $136,000 |
| Highest paying City | Santa Rosa, CA | South San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Edwards Lifesciences | Intuitive Surgical |
| Best paying industry | Pharmaceutical | Pharmaceutical |
There are a few differences between a clinical researcher and a clinical project manager in terms of educational background:
| Clinical Researcher | Clinical Project Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 58% | Bachelor's Degree, 60% |
| Most common major | Biology | Nursing |
| Most common college | University of Michigan - Ann Arbor | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between clinical researchers' and clinical project managers' demographics:
| Clinical Researcher | Clinical Project Manager | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 38.3% Female, 61.7% | 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% |