Side-by-side distribution
Clinical Research
$115,000
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 23.4%
- Live roles
- 111
Formulation Scientist
$99,840
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 50%
- Live roles
- 8
Highest-paying jobs
Senior Clinical Research Associate
Senior Clinical Research Associate (CRA) - Texas or Arizona
Senior Clinical Research Associate
Clinical Research Coordinator
Clinical Research Associate II
Clinical Research Associate II / Sr. CRA, Eastern or Central US
Clinical Research Associate II / Sr. CRA (Pain Management), Central US
Clinical Researcher
Senior Clinical Research Associate/Clinical Research Associate II - FSP
Senior Clinical Research Associate/Clinical Research Associate II - FSP
Highest-paying jobs
Manager/Principal Scientist Research & Development - Polymer Formulation Devices
Senior Associate Scientist (Contract), Formulation Development
Confections Formulation Scientist
Associate Scientist I (Contract), Formulation Development
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
Care Access
|
$75,000 | 10 |
|
Corcept Therapeutics
|
$150,175 | 2 |
|
Rho Inc
|
$115,000 | 2 |
|
MapLight Therapeutics
|
$152,500 | 1 |
|
Axle
|
$150,000 | 1 |
|
Ceribell, Inc
|
$133,500 | 1 |
|
Egenesisbio
|
$132,000 | 1 |
Epicrispr Biotechnologies
|
$118,000 | 1 |
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
|
Vaxcyte
|
$99,840 | 2 |
|
Cresilon, Inc.
|
$155,000 | 1 |
|
Curaleaf
|
$82,500 | 1 |
Clinical Research vs Formulation Scientist: which pays more?
The median for Clinical Research is $115,000 per year (typically $92,500–$135,338), versus $99,840 for Formulation Scientist ($83,025–$126,110). That puts Clinical Research about 15% ahead at the median.
Both figures are computed live from active listings on JobsRadar and normalized to annualized USD, so Clinical Research and Formulation Scientist 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.