Side-by-side distribution
Clinical Research
$68,650
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 36.3%
- Live roles
- 1,099
Clinical Trial
$155,900
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 20%
- Live roles
- 275
Highest-paying jobs
Senior Clinical Research Associate - Oncology (US)
Associate Medical Director, Clinical Research
Associate Medical Director, Clinical Research
Clinical AI Researcher
Client Relationship Associate Director, Connected Devices PM (Clinical Research)
Associate Clinical Research Director
Clinical Research Clinician, Associate Director
Associate Principal Scientist, Clinical Research
Clinical Research Associate - Sponsor Dedicated
Clinical Research Associate 2, IQVIA
Highest-paying jobs
Associate Clinical Trials Director
Senior Clinical Trial Manager (Oncology, Sponsor Dedicated)
(Senior) Clinical Trial Manager (II), IQVIA Biotech
Clinical Trial Manager (Sponsor Dedicated)
Senior Clinical Trial Manager - Cardiovascular, CAR-T (US)
Senior Clinical Trial Manager - Metabolic - U.S.
Senior Clinical Trial Manager - Oncology
Manager or Sr. Manager, Clinical Trial Feasibility Lead
Senior Clinical Trial Manager
Senior Clinical Trial Manager (Contract)
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
University of Pennsylvania
|
$50,366 | 48 |
|
IQVIA
|
$121,275 | 46 |
Washington University in St. Louis
|
$68,250 | 44 |
| WC Worldwide Clinical Trials | $145,000 | 35 |
| MG Mass General Brigham | $52,010 | 31 |
ICON plc
|
$124,335 | 24 |
| FO Fortrea | $110,000 | 11 |
University of Kansas Medical Center
|
$76,000 | 11 |
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
|
IQVIA
|
$155,050 | 7 |
| WC Worldwide Clinical Trials | $167,000 | 3 |
Novartis
|
$88,711 | 3 |
|
Centessa Pharmaceuticals, LLC
|
$197,600 | 2 |
Corcept Therapeutics
|
$178,025 | 2 |
Nurix
|
$175,407 | 2 |
|
Kymera Therapeutics
|
$172,500 | 2 |
Adicet Bio
|
$156,000 | 2 |
Clinical Research salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco | $132,650 | 6 |
| New York | $124,335 | 5 |
| Los Angeles | $124,335 | 4 |
| Denver | $113,544 | 6 |
| Seattle | $102,753 | 3 |
| Chicago | $65,770 | 16 |
| Austin | $53,454 | 5 |
| Boston | $52,010 | 33 |
Clinical Trial salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| Boston | $150,600 | 5 |
Clinical Research vs Clinical Trial: which pays more?
The median for Clinical Research is $68,650 per year (typically $58,711–$110,875), versus $155,900 for Clinical Trial ($131,250–$167,000). That puts Clinical Trial about 127% ahead at the median.
Both figures are computed live from active listings on JobsRadar and normalized to annualized USD, so Clinical 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.