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Clinical Research Coordinator

Types of Degrees Clinical Research Coordinator Majors Are Earning

People majoring in Clinical Research Coordinator have the option of earning degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	8
Associate’s Degree	34
Bachelor’s Degree	8
Master’s Degree	293

What Clinical Research Coordinator Majors Need to Know

Programs in Clinical Research Coordinator build a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Clinical Research Coordinator graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

According to O*NET, a major in Clinical Research Coordinator emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• English Language — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Administration and Management — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Law and Government — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

The skill set emphasized by a Clinical Research Coordinator program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.

Abilities

Innate abilities most relevant to Clinical Research Coordinator careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Oral Expression — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Problem Sensitivity — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Clinical Research Coordinator graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.5 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.5 / 7
Getting Information	4.5 / 7
Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards	4.4 / 7
Working with Computers	4.3 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.3 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.2 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.1 / 7
Analyzing Data or Information	4.1 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	4.1 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Clinical Research Coordinator professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	✓
Microsoft Project	Project management software	—
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	✓
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft Access	Data base user interface and query software	—
Microsoft SharePoint	Document management software	—
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Microsoft Visio	Process mapping and design software	—
Microsoft Windows	Operating system software	—
SAP software	Enterprise resource planning ERP software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Clinical Research Coordinator graduates include:

• Testing Director
• Research Director
• Extension Work Director
• Registrar
• Compliance Director
• Craft Center Director
• Armored Transport Service Manager
• Area Development Manager
• Contracts Director
• Call Center Supervisor
• Operations Coordinator
• Project Coordinator
• Pool Manager
• Transmission Superintendent
• Property Utilization Officer

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Clinical Research Coordinator graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Bachelor’s degree	50.3%
Master’s degree	16.9%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	8.7%
Doctoral degree	5.8%
High school diploma or equivalent	5.5%
Postsecondary certificate	4.7%
Some college courses	3.2%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	1.9%
Post-doctoral training	1.9%
First professional degree	0.8%
Post-master’s certificate	0.3%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Clinical Research Coordinator?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 77.5% of Clinical Research Coordinator degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	269	77.5%
Men	78	22.5%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Clinical Research Coordinator graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	111	32.0%
Asian	46	13.3%
Hispanic or Latino	28	8.1%
Black or African American	42	12.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native	1	0.3%
Two or More Races	11	3.2%
Race Unknown	17	4.9%
International Students	91	26.2%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Clinical Research Coordinator Graduates Earn?

College Scorecard reports median earnings of Clinical Research Coordinator graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. These numbers tend to grow steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$36,041
4 years	$36,054
5 years	$40,847

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $40,847 — roughly 13% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online Clinical Research Coordinator Programs

Fully online options is reported by IPEDS for Clinical Research Coordinator. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Bachelor’s	1	0
Master’s	4	1

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in Clinical Research Coordinator Worth It?

Strictly by the federal earnings tracker, Clinical Research Coordinator graduates earn a median of $36,054 four years after completion — about 5% below the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000). On earnings alone, this program does not show an income premium over the baseline; non-financial outcomes (career interests, certification requirements, advancement potential) are typically the stronger argument for fields in this range.

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	CIP Code
Health and Medical Administrative Services	51.07
Disease Registry Data Management	51.0721
Health and Medical Administrative Services, Other	51.0799
Health Information/Medical Records Administration/Administrator	51.0706
Health Information/Medical Records Technology/Technician	51.0707
Health Unit Coordinator/Ward Clerk	51.0703
Health Unit Manager/Ward Supervisor	51.0704
Health/Health Care Administration/Management	51.0701
Health/Medical Claims Examiner	51.0715
Healthcare Information Privacy Assurance and Security	51.0723
Healthcare Innovation	51.0722
Hospital and Health Care Facilities Administration/Management	51.0702

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.