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The differences between clinical trials specialists and research project 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 trials specialist and a research project coordinator. Additionally, a clinical trials specialist has an average salary of $74,910, which is higher than the $48,683 average annual salary of a research project coordinator.
The top three skills for a clinical trials specialist include patients, clinical research and clinical trials. The most important skills for a research project coordinator are data collection, patients, and project management.
| Clinical Trials Specialist | Research Project Coordinator | |
| Yearly salary | $74,910 | $48,683 |
| Hourly rate | $36.01 | $23.41 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 57,458 | 67,800 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| 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.
Research Project Coordinators take on a lead role in maintaining and creating processes that support the execution of a research project. Their duties include researching governance requirements, preparing for contract bidding, manage budgeting of a project to meet a specified timeline, and present findings of a project to all stakeholders involved. The Research Project Coordinator will also support administrative tasks, including producing corporate reports, organizing committee meetings, and developing a research database to track active milestones achieved.
Clinical trials specialists and research project coordinators have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Clinical Trials Specialist | Research Project Coordinator | |
| Average salary | $74,910 | $48,683 |
| Salary range | Between $46,000 And $120,000 | Between $36,000 And $65,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Middletown, CT |
| Highest paying state | California | Connecticut |
| Best paying company | Exelixis | Dignity Health |
| Best paying industry | Pharmaceutical | Professional |
There are a few differences between a clinical trials specialist and a research project coordinator in terms of educational background:
| Clinical Trials Specialist | Research Project Coordinator | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Most common major | Biology | Psychology |
| Most common college | University of Michigan - Ann Arbor | Duke University |
Here are the differences between clinical trials specialists' and research project coordinators' demographics:
| Clinical Trials Specialist | Research Project Coordinator | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 27.0% Female, 73.0% | Male, 37.8% Female, 62.2% |
| 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, 2.5% Unknown, 7.4% Hispanic or Latino, 13.9% Asian, 13.3% White, 62.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 9% |