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The differences between research associates and research 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 associate and a research coordinator. Additionally, a research associate has an average salary of $60,166, which is higher than the $48,974 average annual salary of a research coordinator.
The top three skills for a research associate include patients, research projects and data analysis. The most important skills for a research coordinator are patients, informed consent, and data collection.
| Research Associate | Research Coordinator | |
| Yearly salary | $60,166 | $48,974 |
| Hourly rate | $28.93 | $23.55 |
| Growth rate | 17% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 63,884 | 65,406 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 63% | Bachelor's Degree, 65% |
| Average age | 38 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
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.
A research coordinator is responsible for assisting the development of research data from clinical trials and laboratory investigations under the supervision of a lead researcher or a research supervisor. In some cases, research coordinators conduct field investigations and analyze existing research materials upon understanding the scope and limitations of the study. They enter their findings and useful resources on the research database for reference to the research team. A research coordinator must have excellent communication skills, both written and oral, especially on gathering data and coordinating with other researchers for the progress and updates of the study.
Research associates and research coordinators have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Research Associate | Research Coordinator | |
| Average salary | $60,166 | $48,974 |
| Salary range | Between $41,000 And $87,000 | Between $35,000 And $68,000 |
| Highest paying City | Worcester, MA | Bothell, WA |
| Highest paying state | Massachusetts | Connecticut |
| Best paying company | The Citadel | BNP Paribas |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a research associate and a research coordinator in terms of educational background:
| Research Associate | Research Coordinator | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 63% | Bachelor's Degree, 65% |
| Most common major | Biology | Psychology |
| Most common college | Harvard University | Duke University |
Here are the differences between research associates' and research coordinators' demographics:
| Research Associate | Research Coordinator | |
| Average age | 38 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 50.8% Female, 49.2% | Male, 29.1% Female, 70.9% |
| 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, 2.6% Unknown, 7.6% Hispanic or Latino, 15.1% Asian, 10.2% White, 64.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 9% |