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The differences between research administrators and clinical trial 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 research administrator and a clinical trial coordinator. Additionally, a research administrator has an average salary of $52,667, which is higher than the $50,720 average annual salary of a clinical trial coordinator.
The top three skills for a research administrator include research administration, customer service and principal investigators. The most important skills for a clinical trial coordinator are clinical trials, patients, and informed consent.
| Research Administrator | Clinical Trial Coordinator | |
| Yearly salary | $52,667 | $50,720 |
| Hourly rate | $25.32 | $24.38 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 99,798 | 64,859 |
| Job satisfaction | 2 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 63% | Bachelor's Degree, 62% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
A research administrator oversees the progress of research programs, ensuring efficiency and smooth workflow. Their responsibilities mostly revolve around devising strategies to optimize processes, coordinating different departments, setting goals and objectives, managing the schedule and budgets, and maintaining records of all transactions. There are also instances when a research administrator must produce progress reports, participate in gathering surveys and feedbacks, and resolve issues promptly and professionally. Furthermore, as a research administrator, it is essential to lead and encourage team members to reach goals while implementing the company's policies and regulations.
A clinical trial coordinator is responsible for assisting in medical trials and clinical research studies. Clinical trial coordinators support the whole operational process of medical research from its conceptualization until the final outputs. They manage the adequacy of tools and equipment, ensuring the cleanliness and orderliness of the facilities to prevent potential hazards and delays in laboratory testing. A clinical trial coordinator must have excellent communication and organizational skills, especially in writing progress reports and securing the acquired laboratory samples.
Research administrators and clinical trial coordinators have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Research Administrator | Clinical Trial Coordinator | |
| Average salary | $52,667 | $50,720 |
| Salary range | Between $41,000 And $67,000 | Between $35,000 And $72,000 |
| Highest paying City | Boston, MA | Berkeley, CA |
| Highest paying state | Massachusetts | California |
| Best paying company | Kronos Incorporated | Mohawk Valley Health System |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a research administrator and a clinical trial coordinator in terms of educational background:
| Research Administrator | Clinical Trial Coordinator | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 63% | Bachelor's Degree, 62% |
| Most common major | Business | Nursing |
| Most common college | Stanford University | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between research administrators' and clinical trial coordinators' demographics:
| Research Administrator | Clinical Trial Coordinator | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 30.6% Female, 69.4% | Male, 23.9% Female, 76.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 2.6% Unknown, 7.6% Hispanic or Latino, 15.5% Asian, 8.8% White, 65.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% | Black or African American, 2.6% Unknown, 7.6% Hispanic or Latino, 15.2% Asian, 10.5% White, 63.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 9% |