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The differences between clinical researchers 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 researcher and a research coordinator. Additionally, a clinical researcher has an average salary of $55,453, which is higher than the $48,974 average annual salary of a research coordinator.
The top three skills for a clinical researcher include patients, informed consent and IRB. The most important skills for a research coordinator are patients, informed consent, and data collection.
| Clinical Researcher | Research Coordinator | |
| Yearly salary | $55,453 | $48,974 |
| Hourly rate | $26.66 | $23.55 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 60,864 | 65,406 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 58% | Bachelor's Degree, 65% |
| 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 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 researchers and research coordinators have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Clinical Researcher | Research Coordinator | |
| Average salary | $55,453 | $48,974 |
| Salary range | Between $38,000 And $79,000 | Between $35,000 And $68,000 |
| Highest paying City | Santa Rosa, CA | Bothell, WA |
| Highest paying state | California | Connecticut |
| Best paying company | Edwards Lifesciences | BNP Paribas |
| Best paying industry | Pharmaceutical | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a clinical researcher and a research coordinator in terms of educational background:
| Clinical Researcher | Research Coordinator | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 58% | Bachelor's Degree, 65% |
| Most common major | Biology | Psychology |
| Most common college | University of Michigan - Ann Arbor | Duke University |
Here are the differences between clinical researchers' and research coordinators' demographics:
| Clinical Researcher | Research Coordinator | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 38.3% Female, 61.7% | 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% |