How much does a Clinical Research Associate make?

Updated Nov 28, 2023

Experience

Industry

Total Pay Range
$63K - $107K/yr
Base Pay
$59K - $101K/yr
Additional Pay
$3K - $6K/yr

$82K

/yr
$63K$107K
Most Likely Range

The estimated total pay for a Clinical Research Associate is $81,780 per year in the United States area, with an average salary of $77,258 per year. These numbers represent the median, which is the midpoint of the ranges from our proprietary Total Pay Estimate model and based on salaries collected from our users. The estimated additional pay is $4,522 per year. Additional pay could include cash bonus, commission, tips, and profit sharing. The "Most Likely Range" represents values that exist within the 25th and 75th percentile of all pay data available for this role.

How accurate is this most likely Total Pay range (base + additional) of $63K-$107K/yr?

Total Pay Trajectory

For Clinical Research Associate

$81,780 /yr
Clinical Research Associate
$99,909 /yr
Senior Clinical Research Associate
$87,376 /yr
Lead Clinical Research Associate
See Full Career Path

Download as data table

What is the total pay trajectory for Clinical Research Associate?

Job TitleSalary
Clinical Research Associate$81,780 /yr
Senior Clinical Research Associate$99,909 /yr
Lead Clinical Research Associate$87,376 /yr

Top Paying Companies

For a Clinical Research Associate in United States

Below is the total pay for the top 10 highest paying companies for a Clinical Research Associate in United States. Employers include Gilead Sciences, AbbVie and Penumbra.

1
Gilead Sciences
Gilead Sciences
$128,672/yr
304 open jobs
6
GSK
$116,256/yr
10
Roche
$112,783/yr
See pay for all companies for a Clinical Research Associate in United StatesView data as table

Top Paying Companies

For Clinical Research Associate in United States

1Gilead Sciences$128,672
2AbbVie$125,820
3Penumbra$124,892
4Novartis$123,601
5Eli Lilly and Company$118,088
6GSK$116,256
7Boston Scientific$115,954
8Agilent Technologies$115,665
9Hologic$115,079
10Roche$112,783
Total Pay Trajectory

For Clinical Research Associate

$81,780 /yr
Clinical Research Associate
$99,909 /yr
Senior Clinical Research Associate
$87,376 /yr
Lead Clinical Research Associate
See Full Career Path

Download as data table

What is the total pay trajectory for Clinical Research Associate?

Job TitleSalary
Clinical Research Associate$81,780 /yr
Senior Clinical Research Associate$99,909 /yr
Lead Clinical Research Associate$87,376 /yr

What are total pay estimates for a Clinical Research Associate at different companies?

or
Sort:
Company
Jobs
Total Pay Range
Parexel
4
Clinical Research AssociateSee 1,703 salaries from all locations

$101,488

 / yr
Medpace
3.3
Clinical Research AssociateSee 267 salaries from all locations

$87,579

 / yr
IQVIA
4
Clinical Research AssociateSee 217 salaries from all locations

$92,262

 / yr
ICON
3.7
Clinical Research AssociateSee 200 salaries from all locations

$85,731

 / yr
Labcorp
3.6
Clinical Research AssociateSee 153 salaries from all locations

$71,503

 / yr
PPD
3.9
Clinical Research AssociateSee 94 salaries from all locations

$87,184

 / yr
Syneos Health
3.8
Clinical Research AssociateSee 93 salaries from all locations

$89,417

 / yr

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Northwestern University
4.1
Clinical Research AssociateSee 80 salaries from all locations

$69,698

 / yr
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
4
Clinical Research AssociateSee 73 salaries from all locations

$70,719

 / yr
IQVIA
4
Clinical Research Associate ISee 68 salaries from all locations

$80,363

 / yr
Aerotek
3.4
Clinical Research AssociateSee 52 salaries from all locations

$68,454

 / yr
Massachusetts General Hospital
4
Clinical Research AssociateSee 50 salaries from all locations

$73,264

 / yr
Abbott
3.8
Clinical Research AssociateSee 46 salaries from all locations

$97,037

 / yr
Medpace
3.3
Clinical Research Associate ISee 40 salaries from all locations

$78,437

 / yr
The Veritas Healthcare Solutions
3.4
Clinical Research AssociateSee 36 salaries from all locations

$74,280

 / yr
University of South Florida
4.1
Clinical Research AssociateSee 36 salaries from all locations

$66,246

 / yr
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
4.6
Clinical Research AssociateSee 32 salaries from all locations

$63,077

 / yr
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
4.1
Clinical Research AssociateSee 30 salaries from all locations

$36

 / hr
ICON
3.7
Clinical Research Associate ISee 28 salaries from all locations

$76,559

 / yr
City of Hope
3.8
Clinical Research AssociateSee 22 salaries from all locations

$72,916

 / yr
Download as data table

Clinical Research Associate Salaries

Job TitleSalary
Parexel Clinical Research Associate salaries - 1,703 salaries reported$101,488/yr
Medpace Clinical Research Associate salaries - 267 salaries reported$87,579/yr
IQVIA Clinical Research Associate salaries - 217 salaries reported$92,262/yr
ICON Clinical Research Associate salaries - 200 salaries reported$85,731/yr
Labcorp Clinical Research Associate salaries - 153 salaries reported$71,503/yr
PPD Clinical Research Associate salaries - 94 salaries reported$87,184/yr
Syneos Health Clinical Research Associate salaries - 93 salaries reported$89,417/yr
Northwestern University Clinical Research Associate salaries - 80 salaries reported$69,698/yr
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center Clinical Research Associate salaries - 73 salaries reported$70,719/yr
IQVIA Clinical Research Associate I salaries - 68 salaries reported$80,363/yr
Aerotek Clinical Research Associate salaries - 52 salaries reported$68,454/yr
Massachusetts General Hospital Clinical Research Associate salaries - 50 salaries reported$73,264/yr
Abbott Clinical Research Associate salaries - 46 salaries reported$97,037/yr
Medpace Clinical Research Associate I salaries - 40 salaries reported$78,437/yr
The Veritas Healthcare Solutions Clinical Research Associate salaries - 36 salaries reported$74,280/yr
University of South Florida Clinical Research Associate salaries - 36 salaries reported$66,246/yr
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital Clinical Research Associate salaries - 32 salaries reported$63,077/yr
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center Clinical Research Associate salaries - 30 salaries reported$36/hr
ICON Clinical Research Associate I salaries - 28 salaries reported$76,559/yr
City of Hope Clinical Research Associate salaries - 22 salaries reported$72,916/yr
Viewing 1 - 20 of 1,120

Top Paying Industries

For a Clinical Research Associate in United States

The top 5 paying industries for a Clinical Research Associate in United States are Manufacturing with a median total pay of $112,321, Pharmaceutical & Biotechnology with a median total pay of $92,470, Financial Services with a median total pay of $84,393, Information Technology with a median total pay of $80,153, and Management & Consulting with a median total pay of $75,606.

IndustryTotal PayTotal Pay Insight
  • ManufacturingManufacturing$112,321

    31% Higher than other industries

  • Pharmaceutical & BiotechnologyPharmaceutical & Biotechnology$92,470

    16% Higher than other industries

  • Financial ServicesFinancial Services$84,393

    8% Higher than other industries

  • Information TechnologyInformation Technology$80,153

    3% Higher than other industries

  • Management & ConsultingManagement & Consulting$75,606

    2% Lower than other industries

Manufacturing

Top paying companies in Manufacturing for Clinical Research Associate are Penumbra, Boston Scientific, and Hologic.

PenumbraPenumbra$124,892/yr
HologicHologic$115,079/yr

Glassdoor Economist Pay Overview

What is the pay outlook for Research & Science?

Research and science jobs offer pay well above the national average. Increased demand for STEM workers is increasing salaries in research and science. Jobs in these fields, however, often require higher education at the graduate level and/or specialized training. While domain-specific expertise gives workers in these fields access to very specialized jobs, there are also many employers who hire STEM workers for their general data and technology skills.

Recent Salaries Shared

For clinical research associate

Salary Share
Anonymously share your pay to help the community

Job Title

Location

Total Pay

Base Pay | Additional Pay

Total Years of Experience

Years at Recent Employer

Submitted

Date or Time

Clinical Research Coordinator

United States of America

 | <1 year

$50,000

/yr

Submitted Yesterday

<1 year
Yesterday
Clinical Research Associate

United States of America

 | 1-3 years

$70,000

/yr

Submitted Yesterday

1-3 years
Yesterday
Clinical Research Coordinator

United States of America

 | 15+ years

$65,000

/yr

Submitted Yesterday

15+ years
Yesterday
Clinical Research Coordinator

United States of America

 | 1-3 years

$65,000

/yr

Submitted Yesterday

1-3 years
Yesterday
Clinical Research Coordinator

United States of America

 | 1-3 years

$51,000

/yr

Submitted Yesterday

1-3 years
Yesterday
Clinical Research Associate

United States of America

 | 1-3 years

$5,000

/mo

Submitted Yesterday

1-3 years
Yesterday
Clinical Research Nurse

United States of America

 | 15+ years

$78

/hr

Submitted Yesterday

15+ years
Yesterday
Clinical Research Aide

United States of America

 | 1-3 years

$54,000

/yr

Submitted Yesterday

1-3 years
Yesterday
Research Nurse

United States of America

 | 1-3 years

$70,000

/yr

Submitted Yesterday

1-3 years
Yesterday

Clinical Research Associate pay FAQ

The average salary for a Clinical Research Associate is $81,780 per year in United States. Salaries estimates are based on 5406 salaries submitted anonymously to Glassdoor by a Clinical Research Associate employees in United States.

The highest salary for a Clinical Research Associate in United States is $107,150 per year.

The lowest salary for a Clinical Research Associate in United States is $62,594 per year.

If you are thinking of becoming a Clinical Research Associate or planning the next step in your career, find details about the role, the career path and salary trajectory of a Clinical Research Associate.

Working as a clinical research associate (CRA) allows one to perform intellectually stimulating and impactful work with frequent travel. Pay is high, sometimes reaching into the six-figure range. Clinical research associates who have experience overseeing largescale and successful trials are typically in the most demand. CRA who work for large pharmaceutical companies typically receive the highest pay.

Powered by Glassdoor Economic Research

Approximately 69% of all clinical research associates are satisfied with the amount of money they make per year, according to anonymous reviews from employees. On-the-job training or higher education provides greater opportunities and higher-tier salaries.

Top pay for clinical research associates varies depending on the industry, with some of the top earners in hospitals and medical laboratories. Salaries range from $49,222.79 and $136,359.52 depending on the amount of education, training, and experience and where you are in your clinical research associate career path. Most top earners have years of relevant experience.

Clinical research associate careers vary greatly due to the number of clinical trials offered. You can specialize your studies on a single subject or search for a position that offers work in a wide variety of research areas. Most positions require a bachelor's degree in medical technology or a related science field. Technicians need at least an Associate's degree in lab science or a related field. Depending on where you live, your state may require licensure, including a general certification in lab technology. In school, you should focus your extracurricular studies on lab sciences and math, including chemistry and biology.

Know the typical salary outlook for the position you're applying for before you get to the interview stage. Salaries can vary greatly depending on where you live in the country and even within your own state. Assess your skills and experience and explain to your potential employer how these attributes make you an excellent candidate for the clinical research associate position. Clinical research technologists should be fluent in research software programs, including ePRO, eCOA, or Telemedicine. Provide concrete examples of how your level of education and experience make you beneficial to the job you're applying for.

Additional Resources

Clinical Research Associate Job Description Template

Salaries

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