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The differences between medical research assistants and clinical researchers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 6-12 months to become a medical research assistant, becoming a clinical researcher takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a clinical researcher has an average salary of $55,453, which is higher than the $40,303 average annual salary of a medical research assistant.
The top three skills for a medical research assistant include patients, patient care and DR. The most important skills for a clinical researcher are patients, informed consent, and IRB.
| Medical Research Assistant | Clinical Researcher | |
| Yearly salary | $40,303 | $55,453 |
| Hourly rate | $19.38 | $26.66 |
| Growth rate | 16% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 125,533 | 60,864 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 35% | Bachelor's Degree, 58% |
| Average age | 37 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 2 |
A medical research assistant is primarily in charge of performing support tasks in a laboratory or similar environment. Their responsibilities include gathering and organizing samples, preparing the laboratories and other facilities, compiling and managing data, updating databases, and conducting examinations and analysis, all while adhering to the laboratory's policies and regulations. They may also liaise with clients, answering inquiries as necessary. Furthermore, it is vital to maintain an active line with researchers, coordinating with them every step of the way to ensure an efficient workflow.
A clinical researcher is primarily in charge of conducting research trials for medicine and health care development. Their responsibilities mainly revolve around conducting extensive research and analysis by gathering samples, performing experiments, working with research participants, and collaborating with other researchers and scientists. Moreover, as a clinical researcher, it is essential to maintain records of all experiments, summarize findings into reports and presentations, and monitor every progress, all while adhering to the research's deadlines, budgets, goals, and policies.
Medical research assistants and clinical researchers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Medical Research Assistant | Clinical Researcher | |
| Average salary | $40,303 | $55,453 |
| Salary range | Between $25,000 And $64,000 | Between $38,000 And $79,000 |
| Highest paying City | Worcester, MA | Santa Rosa, CA |
| Highest paying state | Massachusetts | California |
| Best paying company | Norton Rose Fulbright | Edwards Lifesciences |
| Best paying industry | Education | Pharmaceutical |
There are a few differences between a medical research assistant and a clinical researcher in terms of educational background:
| Medical Research Assistant | Clinical Researcher | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 35% | Bachelor's Degree, 58% |
| Most common major | Medical Assisting Services | Biology |
| Most common college | - | University of Michigan - Ann Arbor |
Here are the differences between medical research assistants' and clinical researchers' demographics:
| Medical Research Assistant | Clinical Researcher | |
| Average age | 37 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 19.0% Female, 81.0% | Male, 38.3% Female, 61.7% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.1% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 24.3% Asian, 9.7% White, 50.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% | 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 | 6% | 9% |