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The differences between institutional research coordinators and clinical research associates can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both an institutional research coordinator and a clinical research associate. Additionally, a clinical research associate has an average salary of $62,966, which is higher than the $46,117 average annual salary of an institutional research coordinator.
The top three skills for an institutional research coordinator include data entry, powerpoint and IRB. The most important skills for a clinical research associate are patients, informed consent, and CRA.
| Institutional Research Coordinator | Clinical Research Associate | |
| Yearly salary | $46,117 | $62,966 |
| Hourly rate | $22.17 | $30.27 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 56,973 | 94,336 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 61% | Bachelor's Degree, 65% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
An institutional research coordinator is typically responsible for maintaining, monitoring, and assessing instructional databases to support and evaluate an institutional research, long term-planning, and decision making ideas of a researcher or a team. They help with other divisions' or departments' research-related activities, collect and interpret data, and provide technical support for teachers, researchers, and other coordinators. Also, they must monitor documents and research materials to ensure that they are used correctly.
A clinical research associate is responsible for assisting medical professionals in clinical trials and conducting research studies on medications and medical procedures. Clinical research associates monitor the research materials, ensuring its safety and reliability through trial procedures, writing comprehensive reports of results, and disseminating information across the concerned parties. They also provide recommendations on improving clinical processes, reiterating protocol requirements, and maintaining strict confidentiality of the trial subjects. A clinical research associate must have extensive knowledge of the medical industry, including its disciplines and principles, to perform duties accurately under minimal supervision.
Institutional research coordinators and clinical research associates have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Institutional Research Coordinator | Clinical Research Associate | |
| Average salary | $46,117 | $62,966 |
| Salary range | Between $33,000 And $63,000 | Between $43,000 And $91,000 |
| Highest paying City | Seattle, WA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | California |
| Best paying company | Dean Health Plan | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Real Estate | Pharmaceutical |
There are a few differences between an institutional research coordinator and a clinical research associate in terms of educational background:
| Institutional Research Coordinator | Clinical Research Associate | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 61% | Bachelor's Degree, 65% |
| Most common major | Business | Biology |
| Most common college | Stanford University | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between institutional research coordinators' and clinical research associates' demographics:
| Institutional Research Coordinator | Clinical Research Associate | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 39.9% Female, 60.1% | Male, 28.3% Female, 71.7% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 2.5% Unknown, 7.5% Hispanic or Latino, 14.5% Asian, 12.2% White, 62.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% | Black or African American, 2.5% Unknown, 7.4% Hispanic or Latino, 13.7% Asian, 13.0% White, 62.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 9% |