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Clinical Research Coordinators

Typical education: Bachelor's degreeLower pressure

What they do

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.

Kinds of work

  • Investigative: Science, research, figuring out how things work and solving complex problems.
  • Conventional: Organizing information, following clear procedures and working with data and details.
  • Enterprising: Leading, persuading, selling and starting new projects or businesses.

Lower pressure: How much pressure workers in this job report: deadlines, conflict, dealing with upset people, the cost of mistakes, responsibility for others' safety, competition and long hours. It varies a lot from one employer to the next. Source: U.S. Department of Labor worker surveys.

Pay, tasks and more

Salary

United States $167,220 Median per year · $80.39/hr Most earn $79,710–$316,850

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025.

What you might do

  • Collaborate with investigators to prepare presentations or reports of clinical study procedures, results, and conclusions.
  • Develop advertising and other informational materials to be used in subject recruitment.
  • Monitor study activities to ensure compliance with protocols and with all relevant local, federal, and state regulatory and institutional polices.
  • Direct the requisition, collection, labeling, storage, or shipment of specimens.
  • Review proposed study protocols to evaluate factors such as sample collection processes, data management plans, or potential subject risks.
  • Review scientific literature, participate in continuing education activities, or attend conferences and seminars to maintain current knowledge of clinical studies affairs and issues.

Job outlook

United States
8% more jobs by 2035, much faster than average · about 9,200 openings a year

Openings include new jobs and jobs left by workers who retire or change careers. Projections: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. "Bright Outlook": U.S. Department of Labor.

Where they work

  • Research and development in the physical, engineering, and life sciences38.4%
  • Federal government, excluding postal service11.5%
  • Colleges, universities, and professional schools6.7%
  • Pharmaceutical and medicine manufacturing4.9%
  • State government, excluding education and hospitals4.7%

Share of all workers in this career. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Employment Matrix.

Experience before this job: 1 to 2 years

Career path

How people usually get into this career, from school to their first job and beyond.

Typical education: Bachelor's degreeExperience before this job: 1 to 2 years

Clinical Research Coordinator is not usually a straight-out-of-school job. Most people finish a bachelor's degree and then spend about 1 to 2 years in a related research role before moving into this one, so expect roughly 5 to 6 years from high school.

  1. High school diploma with strong science and math

    4 years

    Build a solid base in biology, chemistry, math, and writing, which you will need for a college science or health major.

  2. Bachelor's degree in a science, health, or social science field

    4 years

    A bachelor's degree is the typical education for this career. Courses in research methods, statistics, and biology help you understand study protocols and clinical data.

  3. Clinical Research Assistant

    1-2 years

    You support clinical trials by helping with patient visits, record keeping, and study paperwork, which builds the hands-on experience employers look for.

  4. Clinical Research Coordinator

    Career stage

    You plan and coordinate clinical research studies, make sure they follow protocols and regulations, and help review and analyze the data collected.

Where it can lead

  1. Clinical Data Manager

    2-4 years of experience first

    You shift from running study activities to overseeing how trial data is collected, cleaned, and checked for accuracy, which usually requires strong data and database skills.

  2. Medical and Health Services Manager

    4-6 years of experience first

    You move into leadership, overseeing budgets, staff, and departments, which usually means showing solid experience in coordination and project management.

What you can do now

Ideas for high school and college students.

In high school

  • Take biology, chemistry, and statisticsThese classes build the science and number skills you will use in a college health or research major.
  • Join a science or health career clubClubs like science club or HOSA (Future Health Professionals) let you learn about health careers and work on team projects.
  • Enter a science fairDesigning a study, collecting data, and presenting results mirrors the work of a clinical research coordinator.
  • Volunteer at a hospital, clinic, or nursing homeVolunteering shows you how patient care and medical settings work and gives you experience talking with patients and staff.
  • Get a starter job that builds reliabilityA part-time job teaches responsibility, record keeping, and communication, all of which matter in research coordination.

In college

  • Choose a major in biology, public health, nursing, or a related fieldThese majors give you the science background and research exposure that clinical research roles expect.
  • Take a research methods or statistics courseUnderstanding how studies are designed and how data is analyzed helps you follow protocols and handle study data.
  • Work in a campus research labWorking as a research assistant in a professor's lab teaches you lab procedures, data recording, and how studies are run.
  • Seek a clinical research internship or volunteer roleHands-on experience in a hospital research office or clinical trial site is one of the most useful things you can add to your resume.
  • Earn a training certificate in clinical researchMany training programs offer courses in good clinical practice and human subjects protection, which show employers you understand the rules of clinical trials.

Tips for getting started

  • Look for part-time or volunteer work in a hospital research department, university lab, or medical clinic while you are in school. Hands-on research experience is often what gets people hired into their first research role.
  • Get comfortable with spreadsheets and basic statistics software, since coordinators often track study data and help analyze results.
  • Learn about good clinical practice (GCP) and research ethics. Many schools and training programs offer short courses on these, and knowing the basics makes you a stronger candidate.

Related jobs that often lead here

Related jobs a step up

Education, experience and related careers: U.S. Department of Labor. The step-by-step path, where it can lead and what you can do now were written by AI as typical examples; many people take other ways.

College majors that lead here

  • Business Administration, Management and Operations Bachelor's degree: typical pay 1 year after finishing $51,563 a year · typical debt $22,250
  • Biology, General Bachelor's degree: typical pay 1 year after finishing $37,360 a year · typical debt $21,500
  • History Bachelor's degree: typical pay 1 year after finishing $37,830 a year · typical debt $20,117
  • Mathematics Bachelor's degree: typical pay 1 year after finishing $53,660 a year · typical debt $19,250
  • Chemistry Bachelor's degree: typical pay 1 year after finishing $48,530 a year · typical debt $19,800
  • Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology Bachelor's degree: typical pay 1 year after finishing $43,572 a year · typical debt $20,250

Majors: U.S. Department of Education and BLS (CIP–SOC crosswalk). Earnings and debt: College Scorecard, typical across U.S. colleges.

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