Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between clinical study managers and research administrators 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 study manager and a research administrator. Additionally, a clinical study manager has an average salary of $78,195, which is higher than the $52,667 average annual salary of a research administrator.
The top three skills for a clinical study manager include GCP, informed consent and oversight. The most important skills for a research administrator are research administration, customer service, and principal investigators.
| Clinical Study Manager | Research Administrator | |
| Yearly salary | $78,195 | $52,667 |
| Hourly rate | $37.59 | $25.32 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 61,352 | 99,798 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 2 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 63% | Bachelor's Degree, 63% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
A clinical study manager is primarily in charge of overseeing the efforts in conducting clinical studies, ensuring everything runs smoothly and efficiently. Their responsibilities include setting objectives, organizing budgets and schedules, establishing guidelines, delegating tasks, and developing strategies to optimize operations. They must also monitor the progress of the studies, conducting corrective measures when needed. Furthermore, as a clinical study manager, it is essential to lead and coordinate the workforce to reach goals, all while implementing the company's policies and regulations, including the study's vision and mission.
A research administrator oversees the progress of research programs, ensuring efficiency and smooth workflow. Their responsibilities mostly revolve around devising strategies to optimize processes, coordinating different departments, setting goals and objectives, managing the schedule and budgets, and maintaining records of all transactions. There are also instances when a research administrator must produce progress reports, participate in gathering surveys and feedbacks, and resolve issues promptly and professionally. Furthermore, as a research administrator, it is essential to lead and encourage team members to reach goals while implementing the company's policies and regulations.
Clinical study managers and research administrators have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Clinical Study Manager | Research Administrator | |
| Average salary | $78,195 | $52,667 |
| Salary range | Between $49,000 And $122,000 | Between $41,000 And $67,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Boston, MA |
| Highest paying state | California | Massachusetts |
| Best paying company | Neuralink IT Solutions | Kronos Incorporated |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a clinical study manager and a research administrator in terms of educational background:
| Clinical Study Manager | Research Administrator | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 63% | Bachelor's Degree, 63% |
| Most common major | Biology | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between clinical study managers' and research administrators' demographics:
| Clinical Study Manager | Research Administrator | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 35.0% Female, 65.0% | Male, 30.6% Female, 69.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 2.6% Unknown, 7.6% Hispanic or Latino, 15.2% Asian, 10.8% White, 63.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% | Black or African American, 2.6% Unknown, 7.6% Hispanic or Latino, 15.5% Asian, 8.8% White, 65.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 9% |