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The differences between clinical trials specialists and research nurses 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 trials specialist and a research nurse. Additionally, a clinical trials specialist has an average salary of $74,910, which is higher than the $53,463 average annual salary of a research nurse.
The top three skills for a clinical trials specialist include patients, clinical research and clinical trials. The most important skills for a research nurse are patients, informed consent, and data collection.
| Clinical Trials Specialist | Research Nurse | |
| Yearly salary | $74,910 | $53,463 |
| Hourly rate | $36.01 | $25.70 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 57,458 | 46,665 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 56% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
A Clinical Trials specialist assist in the daily activities involved in clinical trials. This includes gathering facts, information, and observed data and helps analyze and interpret results. Clinic trials are essential in developing new medicines and vaccines needed for the safeguard of human health. Alongside this primary responsibility, it is also the clinical trial specialist's task to organize data, monitor laboratory equipment, and ensure all specimens needed for the trials are according to instructions.
A research nurse specializes in conducting studies and scientific research for healthcare and medical development. They may work for medical facilities, private clinics, learning institutions, and government agencies. It is their duty to design research strategies and procedures, gather and analyze samples through various scientific methods, coordinate with other experts, and develop treatment and healthcare plans to optimize patient services and outcomes. Moreover, a research nurse typically works with a team of researchers, which requires an active communication line while adhering to the organization's policies and regulations.
Clinical trials specialists and research nurses have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Clinical Trials Specialist | Research Nurse | |
| Average salary | $74,910 | $53,463 |
| Salary range | Between $46,000 And $120,000 | Between $38,000 And $74,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | California | New York |
| Best paying company | Exelixis | Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings |
| Best paying industry | Pharmaceutical | Pharmaceutical |
There are a few differences between a clinical trials specialist and a research nurse in terms of educational background:
| Clinical Trials Specialist | Research Nurse | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 56% |
| Most common major | Biology | Nursing |
| Most common college | University of Michigan - Ann Arbor | Duke University |
Here are the differences between clinical trials specialists' and research nurses' demographics:
| Clinical Trials Specialist | Research Nurse | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 27.0% Female, 73.0% | Male, 9.2% Female, 90.8% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 2.6% Unknown, 7.6% Hispanic or Latino, 15.2% Asian, 11.2% White, 62.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% | Black or African American, 2.6% Unknown, 7.6% Hispanic or Latino, 15.3% Asian, 8.4% White, 65.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 9% |