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The differences between research project coordinators and research leaders can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a research project coordinator, becoming a research leader takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a research leader has an average salary of $107,345, which is higher than the $48,683 average annual salary of a research project coordinator.
The top three skills for a research project coordinator include data collection, patients and project management. The most important skills for a research leader are data collection, data analysis, and market research.
| Research Project Coordinator | Research Leader | |
| Yearly salary | $48,683 | $107,345 |
| Hourly rate | $23.41 | $51.61 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 19% |
| Number of jobs | 67,800 | 77,051 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Average age | 44 | 37 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 6 |
Research Project Coordinators take on a lead role in maintaining and creating processes that support the execution of a research project. Their duties include researching governance requirements, preparing for contract bidding, manage budgeting of a project to meet a specified timeline, and present findings of a project to all stakeholders involved. The Research Project Coordinator will also support administrative tasks, including producing corporate reports, organizing committee meetings, and developing a research database to track active milestones achieved.
Research Leaders are academicians who oversee a group of researchers conducting a study. They are usually well-known researchers in their field of study or area of interest. They manage the group throughout the whole research process. They may orient them at the start of the engagement to ensure that everyone is on the same page. Research Leaders direct the group in identifying the resources needed, finding these resources, and eventually managing them. They also guide the team in conducting the research properly by providing strategic direction, sharing techniques, and helping them analyze the gathered data. With their experience in the field, Research Leaders usually provide frameworks that the team may work within.
Research project coordinators and research leaders have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Research Project Coordinator | Research Leader | |
| Average salary | $48,683 | $107,345 |
| Salary range | Between $36,000 And $65,000 | Between $64,000 And $178,000 |
| Highest paying City | Middletown, CT | Jersey City, NJ |
| Highest paying state | Connecticut | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | Dignity Health | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Professional | Pharmaceutical |
There are a few differences between a research project coordinator and a research leader in terms of educational background:
| Research Project Coordinator | Research Leader | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Most common major | Psychology | Psychology |
| Most common college | Duke University | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between research project coordinators' and research leaders' demographics:
| Research Project Coordinator | Research Leader | |
| Average age | 44 | 37 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 37.8% Female, 62.2% | Male, 56.4% Female, 43.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 2.5% Unknown, 7.4% Hispanic or Latino, 13.9% Asian, 13.3% White, 62.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% | Black or African American, 4.8% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 11.3% Asian, 14.3% White, 64.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 10% |