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The differences between clinical researchers 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 researcher and a clinical trial manager. Additionally, a clinical trial manager has an average salary of $93,644, 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 trial manager are patients, clinical trial management, and clinical operations.
| Clinical Researcher | Clinical Trial Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $55,453 | $93,644 |
| Hourly rate | $26.66 | $45.02 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 60,864 | 60,284 |
| 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 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 researchers and clinical trial managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Clinical Researcher | Clinical Trial Manager | |
| Average salary | $55,453 | $93,644 |
| Salary range | Between $38,000 And $79,000 | Between $61,000 And $142,000 |
| Highest paying City | Santa Rosa, CA | San Rafael, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Edwards Lifesciences | Editas Medicine |
| Best paying industry | Pharmaceutical | Pharmaceutical |
There are a few differences between a clinical researcher and a clinical trial manager in terms of educational background:
| Clinical Researcher | Clinical Trial Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 58% | Bachelor's Degree, 60% |
| Most common major | Biology | Biology |
| Most common college | University of Michigan - Ann Arbor | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between clinical researchers' and clinical trial managers' demographics:
| Clinical Researcher | Clinical Trial Manager | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 38.3% Female, 61.7% | 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% |