Side-by-side distribution
Clinical Research
$68,853
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 37.6%
- Live roles
- 1,105
Pharmaceutical Sales
$87,500
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 47.3%
- Live roles
- 167
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
Associate Principal Scientist, Clinical Research
Clinical Research Associate Manager (Remote)
Senior Clinical Research Associate - Cardiovascular (Bilingual-English/Spanish) (Remote)
Clinical Research Associate - Sponsor Dedicated
Highest-paying jobs
Sales Development Representative - Medical Equipment
Respiratory Pharmaceutical Sales Representative - Bel-Air, MD
Pharmaceutical Sales Representative - NY/NY
Respiratory Pharmaceutical Sales Representative – Dayton, OH (North)
Respiratory Pharmaceutical Sales Representative – Beckley, West Virginia
Pharmaceutical Sales Representative - Edison, NJ
Pharmaceutical Sales Representative - NY/NY
Respiratory Pharmaceutical Sales Representative – Cincinnati, OH (West)
Pharmaceutical Field Sales Representative
Pharmaceutical Sales Representative - GI - St. Louis, MO
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
University of Pennsylvania
|
$50,366 | 48 |
Washington University in St. Louis
|
$68,250 | 45 |
|
IQVIA
|
$126,950 | 41 |
| WC Worldwide Clinical Trials | $145,000 | 37 |
| MG Mass General Brigham | $52,010 | 31 |
ICON plc
|
$124,335 | 29 |
| FO Fortrea | $110,000 | 15 |
University of Chicago
|
$67,500 | 11 |
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
|
Inizio Engage
|
$80,000 | 47 |
Amplity Health
|
$87,500 | 8 |
|
GSK
|
$156,000 | 7 |
| ME Medline | $122,500 | 6 |
Danaher
|
$95,000 | 2 |
CHG Healthcare
|
$60,000 | 2 |
Cardinal Health
|
$49,920 | 2 |
|
Huzzle
|
$563,495 | 1 |
Clinical Research salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco | $132,650 | 6 |
| New York | $124,335 | 8 |
| Los Angeles | $124,335 | 4 |
| Denver | $113,544 | 6 |
| Seattle | $102,753 | 3 |
| Chicago | $67,500 | 19 |
| Boston | $52,010 | 31 |
| Austin | $48,000 | 5 |
Pharmaceutical Sales salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles | $80,000 | 3 |
| Chicago | $80,000 | 3 |
Clinical Research vs Pharmaceutical Sales: which pays more?
The median for Clinical Research is $68,853 per year (typically $59,701–$110,000), versus $87,500 for Pharmaceutical Sales ($75,500–$130,000). That puts Pharmaceutical Sales about 27% ahead at the median.
Both figures are computed live from active listings on JobsRadar and normalized to annualized USD, so Clinical Research and Pharmaceutical Sales 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.