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Clinical researcher vs study coordinator

The differences between clinical researchers and study 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 study coordinator. Additionally, a clinical researcher has an average salary of $55,453, which is higher than the $47,435 average annual salary of a study coordinator.

The top three skills for a clinical researcher include patients, informed consent and IRB. The most important skills for a study coordinator are patients, informed consent, and IRB.

Clinical researcher vs study coordinator overview

Clinical ResearcherStudy Coordinator
Yearly salary$55,453$47,435
Hourly rate$26.66$22.81
Growth rate6%6%
Number of jobs60,86414,929
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 58%Bachelor's Degree, 61%
Average age4444
Years of experience22

What does a clinical researcher do?

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.

What does a study coordinator do?

Study coordinators oversee the entire process of clinical research from its inception to its completion. The coordinators make certain that human subjects are safe and well-protected. They identify the eligibility of the subject through clinical record screening and medical information extracting. It is their responsibility to maintain the regulatory documents based on the requirements of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). They should develop skills and knowledge in clinical trials, study protocol, and patient care.

Clinical researcher vs study coordinator salary

Clinical researchers and study coordinators have different pay scales, as shown below.

Clinical ResearcherStudy Coordinator
Average salary$55,453$47,435
Salary rangeBetween $38,000 And $79,000Between $34,000 And $65,000
Highest paying CitySanta Rosa, CAOakland, CA
Highest paying stateCaliforniaConnecticut
Best paying companyEdwards LifesciencesBloodworks Northwest
Best paying industryPharmaceuticalHealth Care

Differences between clinical researcher and study coordinator education

There are a few differences between a clinical researcher and a study coordinator in terms of educational background:

Clinical ResearcherStudy Coordinator
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 58%Bachelor's Degree, 61%
Most common majorBiologyNursing
Most common collegeUniversity of Michigan - Ann ArborUniversity of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Clinical researcher vs study coordinator demographics

Here are the differences between clinical researchers' and study coordinators' demographics:

Clinical ResearcherStudy Coordinator
Average age4444
Gender ratioMale, 38.3% Female, 61.7%Male, 23.7% Female, 76.3%
Race ratioBlack 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, 15.5% Asian, 8.9% White, 64.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage9%9%

Differences between clinical researcher and study coordinator duties and responsibilities

Clinical researcher example responsibilities.

  • Manage site master file contents and work with sites to ensure communication requirements between site and IRB are adhere to.
  • Establish and maintain strong community partnerships to achieve HIV prevention objectives.
  • Maintain study database to in compliance with FDA regulations.
  • Perform NIH studies, coordinate interviews of clinical research trial participant's.
  • Support IRB applications and analyze collected data.
  • Interact with and assess patients to determine effectiveness of medicine.
    • Show more

Study coordinator example responsibilities.

  • Manage and analyze EKG and sleep data collect from subjects in confidential database.
  • Establish and maintain strong community partnerships to achieve HIV prevention objectives.
  • Conduct consent discussions and other study procedures per protocol and CFR and GCP guidelines.
  • Maintain strict patient confidentiality according to HIPPA regulations, GCP and ICH , 21 CFR and other regulatory documentation.
  • Maintain accurate IRB, regulatory and study documentation to insure compliance with protocol and good clinical practice guidelines.
  • Coordinate day-to-day study activities including data collection and statistical analysis, protocol development/implementation, IRB relations, and staff development.
    • Show more

Clinical researcher vs study coordinator skills

Common clinical researcher skills
  • Patients, 16%
  • Informed Consent, 12%
  • IRB, 10%
  • Clinical Trials, 8%
  • Data Collection, 8%
  • FDA, 6%
Common study coordinator skills
  • Patients, 14%
  • Informed Consent, 9%
  • IRB, 7%
  • Data Collection, 5%
  • FDA, 5%
  • Clinical Trials, 4%

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Updated January 8, 2025

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