Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between research coordinators 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 coordinator and a clinical trial coordinator. Additionally, a clinical trial coordinator has an average salary of $50,720, which is higher than the $48,974 average annual salary of a research coordinator.
The top three skills for a research coordinator include patients, informed consent and data collection. The most important skills for a clinical trial coordinator are clinical trials, patients, and informed consent.
| Research Coordinator | Clinical Trial Coordinator | |
| Yearly salary | $48,974 | $50,720 |
| Hourly rate | $23.55 | $24.38 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 65,406 | 64,859 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 62% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
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.
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 coordinators and clinical trial coordinators have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Research Coordinator | Clinical Trial Coordinator | |
| Average salary | $48,974 | $50,720 |
| Salary range | Between $35,000 And $68,000 | Between $35,000 And $72,000 |
| Highest paying City | Bothell, WA | Berkeley, CA |
| Highest paying state | Connecticut | California |
| Best paying company | BNP Paribas | Mohawk Valley Health System |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a research coordinator and a clinical trial coordinator in terms of educational background:
| Research Coordinator | Clinical Trial Coordinator | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 62% |
| Most common major | Psychology | Nursing |
| Most common college | Duke University | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between research coordinators' and clinical trial coordinators' demographics:
| Research Coordinator | Clinical Trial Coordinator | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 29.1% Female, 70.9% | Male, 23.9% Female, 76.1% |
| Race ratio | 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% | 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% |