Study coordinator vs research assistant

The differences between study coordinators and research assistants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a study coordinator and a research assistant. Additionally, a study coordinator has an average salary of $47,435, which is higher than the $42,896 average annual salary of a research assistant.

The top three skills for a study coordinator include patients, informed consent and IRB. The most important skills for a research assistant are patients, lab equipment, and data collection.

Study coordinator vs research assistant overview

	Study Coordinator	Research Assistant
Yearly salary	$47,435	$42,896
Hourly rate	$22.81	$20.62
Growth rate	6%	19%
Number of jobs	14,929	51,080
Job satisfaction	-	5
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 61%	Bachelor's Degree, 74%
Average age	44	38
Years of experience	2	2

What does a study coordinator do?

Study coordinators oversee the entire process of clinical research from its inception to its completion. The coordinators make certain that human subjects are safe and well-protected. They identify the eligibility of the subject through clinical record screening and medical information extracting. It is their responsibility to maintain the regulatory documents based on the requirements of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). They should develop skills and knowledge in clinical trials, study protocol, and patient care.

What does a research assistant do?

Research assistants give support to researchers or other professionals who need assistance as they conduct experiments, studies, or other research projects. Research assistants help in conducting experiments, surveys, or interviews under the supervision of the primary researcher. They also work on research activities such as literature reviews, collect data, assist in interpreting results, prepare designs or visuals for the presentation of the results, and even ensure that all the tools and documentation related to the study are properly organized. They also assist in fact-checking the output and ensure that the data presented are accurate. Research assistants usually possess an academic background that is related to the main research topic.

Study coordinator vs research assistant salary

Study coordinators and research assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Study Coordinator	Research Assistant
Average salary	$47,435	$42,896
Salary range	Between $34,000 And $65,000	Between $28,000 And $64,000
Highest paying City	Oakland, CA	New Brunswick, NJ
Highest paying state	Connecticut	New Jersey
Best paying company	Bloodworks Northwest	JPMorgan Chase & Co.
Best paying industry	Health Care	Health Care

Differences between study coordinator and research assistant education

There are a few differences between a study coordinator and a research assistant in terms of educational background:

	Study Coordinator	Research Assistant
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 61%	Bachelor's Degree, 74%
Most common major	Nursing	Psychology
Most common college	University of Michigan - Ann Arbor	Harvard University

Study coordinator vs research assistant demographics

Here are the differences between study coordinators' and research assistants' demographics:

	Study Coordinator	Research Assistant
Average age	44	38
Gender ratio	Male, 23.7% Female, 76.3%	Male, 46.3% Female, 53.7%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 2.6% Unknown, 7.6% Hispanic or Latino, 15.5% Asian, 8.9% White, 64.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%	Black or African American, 8.6% Unknown, 6.0% Hispanic or Latino, 15.4% Asian, 16.9% White, 52.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0%
LGBT Percentage	9%	8%

Differences between study coordinator and research assistant duties and responsibilities

Study coordinator example responsibilities.

Manage and analyze EKG and sleep data collect from subjects in confidential database.
Establish and maintain strong community partnerships to achieve HIV prevention objectives.
Conduct consent discussions and other study procedures per protocol and CFR and GCP guidelines.
Maintain strict patient confidentiality according to HIPPA regulations, GCP and ICH , 21 CFR and other regulatory documentation.
Maintain accurate IRB, regulatory and study documentation to insure compliance with protocol and good clinical practice guidelines.
Coordinate day-to-day study activities including data collection and statistical analysis, protocol development/implementation, IRB relations, and staff development.

Research assistant example responsibilities.

Update twitter profile and manage social media campaign.
Manage social media publications to spread awareness and notifications on Facebook.
Evaluate patients' study eligibility via medical history, obtain informed consent, enroll patients, and achieve enrollment quotas.
Learned many laboratory techniques, assays, and protocols; western blot, real-time PCR, tick collection, DNA extraction.
Analyze the effects of estrogen on various tissues using molecular biology techniques such as RT-PCR, RNA and DNA extractions.
Gain familiarity with research terminology, development procedures, data collection and management, and IRB considerations.

Study coordinator vs research assistant skills

Common study coordinator skills

Patients, 14%
Informed Consent, 9%
IRB, 7%
Data Collection, 5%
FDA, 5%
Clinical Trials, 4%

Common research assistant skills

Patients, 9%
Lab Equipment, 9%
Data Collection, 8%
Laboratory Equipment, 5%
Research Projects, 5%
Data Analysis, 5%

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Study Coordinator vs Research Assistant

Updated January 8, 2025

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