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The differences between study coordinators and study directors 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 study director. Additionally, a study director has an average salary of $82,066, which is higher than the $47,435 average annual salary of a study coordinator.
The top three skills for a study coordinator include patients, informed consent and IRB. The most important skills for a study director are toxicology, data collection, and study design.
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.
Technically, a study director carries out scientific responsibilities for protocol design or study plan and approval. Study directors supervise the gathering, analysis, interpretation, documentation, and reporting of data results. They handle the matriculation of students with regard to data management system development. Working with the computer systems team is part of their duties so they will be able to establish a data management system in tracking the study participants. They also support the toxicology team or group on different project teams.
Study coordinators and study directors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Study Coordinator | Study Director | |
| Average salary | $47,435 | $82,066 |
| Salary range | Between $34,000 And $65,000 | Between $56,000 And $118,000 |
| Highest paying City | Oakland, CA | Sacramento, CA |
| Highest paying state | Connecticut | California |
| Best paying company | Bloodworks Northwest | AbbVie |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a study coordinator and a study director in terms of educational background:
| Study Coordinator | Study Director | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 61% | Bachelor's Degree, 61% |
| Most common major | Nursing | Biology |
| Most common college | University of Michigan - Ann Arbor | - |
Here are the differences between study coordinators' and study directors' demographics:
| Study Coordinator | Study Director | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 23.7% Female, 76.3% | Male, 54.9% Female, 45.1% |
| 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, 2.5% Unknown, 7.5% Hispanic or Latino, 14.6% Asian, 12.0% White, 62.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 9% |