Research associate vs clinical research associate

The differences between research associates 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 a research associate and a clinical research associate. Additionally, a clinical research associate has an average salary of $62,966, which is higher than the $60,166 average annual salary of a research associate.

The top three skills for a research associate include patients, research projects and data analysis. The most important skills for a clinical research associate are patients, informed consent, and CRA.

Research associate vs clinical research associate overview

	Research Associate	Clinical Research Associate
Yearly salary	$60,166	$62,966
Hourly rate	$28.93	$30.27
Growth rate	17%	6%
Number of jobs	63,884	94,336
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 63%	Bachelor's Degree, 65%
Average age	38	44
Years of experience	2	2

What does a research associate do?

A research associate is responsible for assisting the research team, organizing and interpreting findings, and verifying information before presenting the study to the board. Research associates duties also include gathering and comparing data from multiple sources, analyzing the current industry trends, creating draft outlines for reports, collecting individual contacts for interview purposes, and helping with the development of research procedures. A research associate must have excellent time-management skills and ability to multi-task, especially on meeting strict deadlines and conducting studies.

What does a clinical research associate do?

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.

Research associate vs clinical research associate salary

Research associates and clinical research associates have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Research Associate	Clinical Research Associate
Average salary	$60,166	$62,966
Salary range	Between $41,000 And $87,000	Between $43,000 And $91,000
Highest paying City	Worcester, MA	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	Massachusetts	California
Best paying company	The Citadel	Meta
Best paying industry	Finance	Pharmaceutical

Differences between research associate and clinical research associate education

There are a few differences between a research associate and a clinical research associate in terms of educational background:

	Research Associate	Clinical Research Associate
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 63%	Bachelor's Degree, 65%
Most common major	Biology	Biology
Most common college	Harvard University	University of Pennsylvania

Research associate vs clinical research associate demographics

Here are the differences between research associates' and clinical research associates' demographics:

	Research Associate	Clinical Research Associate
Average age	38	44
Gender ratio	Male, 50.8% Female, 49.2%	Male, 28.3% Female, 71.7%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 8.5% Unknown, 6.0% Hispanic or Latino, 15.2% Asian, 16.6% White, 52.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0%	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	8%	9%

Differences between research associate and clinical research associate duties and responsibilities

Research associate example responsibilities.

Study utilize online survey tools and data are managed and analyze using SPSS.
Manage databases, analyze data in STATA, and summarize relevant findings for partners.
Lead diverse research teams in the development of PCR and reverse transcriptase PCR assays for various food-borne pathogens.
Process, analyze and upload HTS data that lead to the discovery of new structural classes of small molecules.
Manage outsource projects, and interact with vendors for API sourcing, and device components base on project needs.
Manage all aspects of HPLC method development and analysis through interpretation of data ensuring accuracy of results.

Clinical research associate example responsibilities.

Manage, schedule and train up to 15 CRAs.
Recruit patients, attain patient inform consent form, educate subjects on compliance, and ensure patient safety per ICH guidelines.
Manage site TMF to ensure communication requirements adherence
Manage CRO and regional monitor to complete close out activities, including device accountability management.
Manage regional academic and community base oncology practices as the primary contact for all communications and support.
Manage the monitoring CRO and the data clean-up efforts for a 510k submission and interim/annual study reports by effectively collaborating cross-functionally.

Research associate vs clinical research associate skills

Common research associate skills

Patients, 6%
Research Projects, 6%
Data Analysis, 6%
Data Collection, 5%
Cell Culture, 5%
Chemistry, 4%

Common clinical research associate skills

Patients, 9%
Informed Consent, 7%
CRA, 6%
Clinical Trials, 6%
Clinical Trial Management, 5%
Oncology, 4%

Research Associate vs. similar jobs

Research Associate related careers

Research Associate related jobs

Research Associate jobs by location

Zippia Careers
Life, Physical, and Social Science Industry
Research Associate
Research Associate vs Clinical Research Associate

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse life, physical, and social science jobs