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The differences between contract research scientists and clinical researchers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a contract research scientist, becoming a clinical researcher takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a contract research scientist has an average salary of $90,721, which is higher than the $55,453 average annual salary of a clinical researcher.
The top three skills for a contract research scientist include analytical techniques, R and HPLC. The most important skills for a clinical researcher are patients, informed consent, and IRB.
| Contract Research Scientist | Clinical Researcher | |
| Yearly salary | $90,721 | $55,453 |
| Hourly rate | $43.62 | $26.66 |
| Growth rate | 17% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 93,124 | 60,864 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 76% | Bachelor's Degree, 58% |
| Average age | 41 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 2 |
Contract research scientists and clinical researchers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Contract Research Scientist | Clinical Researcher | |
| Average salary | $90,721 | $55,453 |
| Salary range | Between $61,000 And $132,000 | Between $38,000 And $79,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | Santa Rosa, CA |
| Highest paying state | - | California |
| Best paying company | - | Edwards Lifesciences |
| Best paying industry | - | Pharmaceutical |
There are a few differences between a contract research scientist and a clinical researcher in terms of educational background:
| Contract Research Scientist | Clinical Researcher | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 76% | Bachelor's Degree, 58% |
| Most common major | Biology | Biology |
| Most common college | University of Southern California | University of Michigan - Ann Arbor |
Here are the differences between contract research scientists' and clinical researchers' demographics:
| Contract Research Scientist | Clinical Researcher | |
| Average age | 41 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 47.2% Female, 52.8% | Male, 38.3% Female, 61.7% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 6.2% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 9.4% Asian, 26.5% White, 53.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% | 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% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 9% |