Clinical Research Coordinators: Job Description
Plan, direct, or coordinate clinical research projects. Direct the activities of workers engaged in clinical research projects to ensure compliance with protocols and overall clinical objectives. May evaluate and analyze clinical data.
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What Tasks Do Clinical Research Coordinators Take On?
The core tasks performed by clinical research coordinators cover:
- Schedule subjects for appointments, procedures, or inpatient stays as required by study protocols.
- Perform specific protocol procedures such as interviewing subjects, taking vital signs, and performing electrocardiograms.
- Assess eligibility of potential subjects through methods such as screening interviews, reviews of medical records, or discussions with physicians and nurses.
- Prepare study-related documentation, such as protocol worksheets, procedural manuals, adverse event reports, institutional review board documents, or progress reports.
- Inform patients or caregivers about study aspects and outcomes to be expected.
- Record adverse event and side effect data and confer with investigators regarding the reporting of events to oversight agencies.
- Monitor study activities to ensure compliance with protocols and with all relevant local, federal, and state regulatory and institutional polices.
- Oversee subject enrollment to ensure that informed consent is properly obtained and documented.
Skills and Knowledge
Successful clinical research coordinators draw on a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Top Skills
These are the skills most important for this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Top Knowledge Areas
Types of Clinical Research Coordinators Jobs
People in this occupation may also be known by titles such as:
- Clinical Coordinator
- Clinical Data Coordinator
- Clinical Manager
- Clinical Program Coordinator
- Clinical Program Manager
- Clinical Project Manager
- Clinical Research Administrator
- Clinical Research Coordinator
How Many Clinical Research Coordinators Are There?
There are about 491,897 clinical research coordinators working in the United States today. This occupation is expected to grow by +10.4% over the projection horizon.
How Much Do Clinical Research Coordinators Make?
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $110,931 |
| Hourly median | $53.33 |
| 10th percentile | $76,600 |
| 25th percentile | $93,765 |
| 75th percentile | $128,096 |
| 90th percentile | $145,261 |
Wages vary widely based on experience, location, and industry.
Clinical Research Coordinators Salary by State
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| Massachusetts | $218,800 |
| California | $204,100 |
| New Jersey | $202,310 |
| Connecticut | $179,170 |
| Washington | $178,270 |
| North Carolina | $167,430 |
| District of Columbia | $164,650 |
| Maryland | $162,610 |
| Illinois | $158,690 |
| Kansas | $158,100 |
| Missouri | $143,730 |
| Colorado | $143,150 |
| South Carolina | $143,150 |
| Rhode Island | $141,380 |
| Tennessee | $140,430 |
| Virginia | $139,220 |
| Oregon | $136,840 |
| Pennsylvania | $136,700 |
| New Hampshire | $136,200 |
| Ohio | $135,990 |
| Maine | $135,900 |
| Michigan | $135,180 |
| Arkansas | $134,430 |
| West Virginia | $134,410 |
| North Dakota | $133,540 |
| Kentucky | $131,780 |
| Minnesota | $131,410 |
| New York | $131,180 |
| Texas | $130,140 |
| Alaska | $128,480 |
| Alabama | $127,210 |
| Arizona | $126,320 |
| Wisconsin | $125,050 |
| Idaho | $120,640 |
| South Dakota | $120,310 |
| New Mexico | $118,600 |
| Utah | $117,190 |
| Montana | $117,140 |
| Georgia | $116,560 |
| Puerto Rico | $115,270 |
| Mississippi | $113,730 |
| Nebraska | $113,730 |
| Guam | $111,270 |
| Wyoming | $109,600 |
| Hawaii | $106,580 |
| Nevada | $103,500 |
| Iowa | $102,880 |
| Oklahoma | $100,990 |
| Florida | $100,640 |
| Indiana | $88,610 |
Top-Paying U.S. Regions
Compensation for clinical research coordinators vary by region. The following regions pay the most:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| New England | $204,301 | 10.9% | 3.20 |
| Far Western US | $188,481 | 20.3% | 1.26 |
| Middle Atlantic | $161,559 | 27.6% | 2.36 |
| Great Lakes | $135,087 | 8.2% | 0.63 |
| Southeast | $134,493 | 16.7% | 1.18 |
| Plains States | $134,244 | 3.4% | 0.62 |
| Southwest | $128,246 | 9.0% | 0.77 |
| Rocky Mountains | $127,754 | 3.7% | 0.92 |
Top Metro Areas
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | CA | $222,840 | 5,160 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | CA | $221,480 | 1,100 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | MA | $219,380 | 7,670 |
| Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR | AR | $211,880 | 100 |
| Worcester, MA | MA | $211,400 | 340 |
| Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT | CT | $210,890 | 140 |
| Kennewick-Richland, WA | WA | $209,260 | 110 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | WA | $208,230 | 2,260 |
Top Industries Employing Clinical Research Coordinators
The largest employers of clinical research coordinators are concentrated in the following sectors:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 49,690 | $180,800 |
| Manufacturing | 8,090 | $176,600 |
| Health Care and Social Assistance | 6,670 | $101,730 |
| Educational Services | 5,200 | $84,360 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | 4,340 | $178,300 |
| Wholesale Trade | 3,930 | $207,590 |
| Other Services (except Public Administration) | 1,200 | $120,890 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 900 | $139,840 |
Below are examples of industries where clinical research coordinators work:
Tools and Technology
- Analytical or scientific software: IBM SPSS Statistics (hot technology)
- Data base user interface and query software: Microsoft Access (hot technology)
- Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Office suite software: Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
- Electronic mail software: Microsoft Outlook (hot technology)
- Presentation software: Microsoft PowerPoint (hot technology)
- Project management software: Microsoft Project (hot technology)
- Word processing software: Microsoft Word (hot technology)
- Object or component oriented development software: Python (hot technology)
- Object or component oriented development software: R (hot technology)
- Analytical or scientific software: SAS (hot technology)
- Analytical or scientific software: The MathWorks MATLAB (hot technology)
Work Environment
The on-the-job environment of clinical research coordinators tends to involve the following characteristics:
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
- Contact With Others
- Importance of Being Exact or Accurate
- Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team
How to Become Clinical Research Coordinators
Entry-level clinical research coordinators positions require a bachelor’s degree as the typical entry-level education. This career aligns with Considerable Preparation Needed (Job Zone 4), reflecting the level of preparation typically expected.
Related Careers
Similar Occupations
- Medical and Health Services Managers (Primary-Long)
- Natural Sciences Managers (Primary-Long)
- Health Informatics Specialists (Primary-Short)
- Biostatisticians (Primary-Long)
- Data Scientists (Supplemental)
- Clinical Data Managers (Primary-Short)
- Bioengineers and Biomedical Engineers (Supplemental)
- Epidemiologists (Supplemental)
Top Programs to Study For This Career
Future clinical research coordinators commonly pursue programs in:
Biological and Biomedical Sciences
57 programs across 15 majors
- General Biology
- Biochemistry & Biophysics
- Neurobiology & Neurosciences
- Cell Biology & Anatomical Sciences
- Ecology & Systematics Biology
- Other Biological Sciences
- Microbiology Science & Immunology
- Biotechnology
- Zoology
- Biomathematics & Bioinformatics
- Botany/Plant Biology
- Pharmacology & Toxicology
- Genetics
- Physiology & Pathology Sciences
- Molecular Medicine
Physical Sciences
44 programs across 9 majors
- Chemistry
- Physics
- Geological & Earth Sciences
- General Physical Sciences
- Astronomy & Astrophysics
- Atmospheric Sciences
- Other Physical Science
- Physics and Astronomy
- Materials Sciences
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies
22 programs across 20 majors
- Biological & Physical Science
- Data Science
- Nutrition Science
- Sustainability Science
- Cognitive Science
- Natural Sciences
- Computational Science
- Human Biology
- Mathematics & Computer Science
- Geography and Environmental Studies
- Science, Technology & Society
- Marine Science
- Biopsychology
- Mathematical Economics
- Climate Science
- Environmental Geosciences
- Anthrozoology
- Earth Systems Science
- Geobiology
- Mathematics and Atmospheric/Oceanic Science
Mathematics and Statistics
17 programs across 5 majors
Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services
3 programs across 1 majors
Engineering
2 programs across 2 majors
References
Statistics shown above are sourced from the following authoritative sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
- BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
- O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.
SOC code: 11-9121.01 (Natural Sciences Managers).
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