Side-by-side distribution
Biotech Research
$95,370
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 36.7%
- Live roles
- 1,610
Clinical Trial
$155,425
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 24.8%
- Live roles
- 226
Highest-paying jobs
Clinical Research Associate
Principal Scientist / Associate Director, Agentic AI Research for Materials Science
Associate VP for Research Computing
Associate Principal, Patient-Centered Research
Associate Dean for Research, College of Health and Human Services
Associate Director, Health Economics & Outcomes Research, Solid Tumors
Health Economics & Outcomes Research Associate Director, Pain
Global Health Economics & Outcomes Research (HEOR) Associate Director (HYBRID)
Client Investment Research Associate
Quantitative Research Associate - Systematic Portfolio Construction
Highest-paying jobs
Clinical Trial Reimbursement (CTR) Senior Manager, HE&R
Senior Clinical Trial Manager - Oncology - U.S.
Senior Clinical Trial Manager - Metabolic
Senior Clinical Trial Manager - Oncology
Senior Clinical Trial Manager - Cardiovascular, CAR-T
Senior Clinical Trial Manager - Psychiatry
Sr Manager, Technical Operations - Clinical Trial Capabilities
Trial Master File Sr. Manager, Clinical Operations
Sr. Clinical Trial Manager, Therapeutics and Oncology
Clinical Trial Manager/Senior Clinical Trial Manager
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
The University of Texas at Austin
|
$46,577 | 40 |
| WC Worldwide Clinical Trials | $145,000 | 31 |
ICON plc
|
$124,335 | 28 |
| NU Northeastern University | $72,754 | 28 |
|
IQVIA
|
$129,350 | 26 |
USC
|
$70,699 | 24 |
| BN Brookhaven National Laboratory | $82,950 | 16 |
|
Abbott
|
$94,950 | 11 |
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| WC Worldwide Clinical Trials | $167,000 | 5 |
|
IQVIA
|
$137,400 | 4 |
St Vincent's Health Australia
|
$95,079 | 3 |
Corcept Therapeutics
|
$178,025 | 2 |
Eikon Therapeutics
|
$158,125 | 2 |
|
Moderna
|
$156,000 | 2 |
| BI Biogen | $150,750 | 2 |
|
Abbott
|
$143,500 | 2 |
Biotech Research salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| New York | $130,450 | 81 |
| San Francisco | $124,600 | 26 |
| Seattle | $124,335 | 9 |
| Chicago | $124,335 | 11 |
| Denver | $124,335 | 9 |
| London | $89,981 | 5 |
| Los Angeles | $78,750 | 36 |
| Toronto | $76,731 | 7 |
| Boston | $72,754 | 48 |
| Austin | $40,500 | 12 |
Clinical Trial salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco | $156,000 | 3 |
| Boston | $135,000 | 5 |
Biotech Research vs Clinical Trial: which pays more?
The median for Biotech Research is $95,370 per year (typically $71,375–$129,074), versus $155,425 for Clinical Trial ($119,563–$167,000). That puts Clinical Trial about 63% ahead at the median.
Both figures are computed live from active listings on JobsRadar and normalized to annualized USD, so Biotech Research and Clinical Trial are compared on equal terms regardless of the currency each role was originally posted in. Only roles that publish a salary range feed the medians; numbers refresh every few hours as new roles post and older ones close, so this comparison reflects the market right now rather than a fixed survey. Use it as a directional benchmark when weighing one path against the other.