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Clinical Research Coordinator

A program that prepares individuals for careers as clinical research administrators or clinical research coordinators where they work under the supervision of a Principal Investigator to organize, coordinate and administer clinical research trials. Includes instruction in pharmacology, medical terminology, foundations of clinical research, project management, ethics, research design and data management, and legal and regulatory compliance . Examples: [Clinical Research Trial Coordination], [Clinical Trials Research], [Clinical Trials Management]

Types of Degrees Clinical Research Coordinator Majors Are Earning

People majoring in Clinical Research Coordinator may pursue 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

Studies 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

Skills built 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

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 Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft Project	Project management software	—
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	✓
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail 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
• Project Manager
• Mining Manager
• Music Publisher
• Field Director
• Director of Research
• Billing Manager
• Publisher
• Travel Agency Manager
• Director of Professional Services
• Supervisor, Road, Administrator

What Can You Do With a Clinical Research Coordinator Degree?

Graduates with a degree in Clinical Research Coordinator commonly enter the following occupations:

Occupation	Job Growth	Median Salary	25th–75th Pctile
Managers, All Other	6.2%	$95,684	$77,247–$114,122
Compliance Managers	13.0%	$117,178	$91,300–$143,056
Loss Prevention Managers	2.2%	$165,723	$139,422–$192,024
Regulatory Affairs Managers	9.9%	$77,828	$64,276–$91,380
Wind Energy Operations Managers	5.2%	$122,567	$104,050–$141,084
Brownfield Redevelopment Specialists and Site Managers	-1.9%	$99,321	$80,201–$118,441
Wind Energy Development Managers	10.1%	$169,952	$133,693–$206,210

^{Job-growth = projected employment change for the parent occupation. Source: ONET / BLS Employment Projections.*}

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?

Federal data tracks median earnings of Clinical Research Coordinator graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Wages typically rise 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 are documented 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?

Looking purely at 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	Annual Degrees Awarded
Health and Medical Administrative Services	90,166
Health/Health Care Administration/Management	28,347
Medical Insurance Specialist/Medical Biller	11,963
Health Information/Medical Records Technology/Technician	11,828
Medical Insurance Coding Specialist/Coder	10,171
Medical Administrative/Executive Assistant and Medical Secretary	7,771
Hospital and Health Care Facilities Administration/Management	3,494
Health and Medical Administrative Services, Other	3,168
Medical Office Management/Administration	2,900
Health Information/Medical Records Administration/Administrator	2,781
Medical/Health Management and Clinical Assistant/Specialist	1,195
Medical Reception/Receptionist	844

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.