Side-by-side distribution
Clinical Research
$68,650
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 37.5%
- Live roles
- 1,104
Pharmacovigilance
$123,300
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 11.8%
- Live roles
- 51
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
Associate Director, Drug Safety
Drug Safety Associate III
Drug Safety Associate II
Senior Specialist I, Patient Safety & Pharmacovigilance (Clinical Trial Safety Operations)
Associate Specialist Drug Safety
Specialist I, Patient Safety and Pharmacovigilance Operations
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 |
|---|---|---|
|
Exelixis
|
$142,000 | 2 |
|
Corcept Therapeutics
|
$98,375 | 2 |
|
Iambic Therapeutics, Inc
|
$184,500 | 1 |
|
MSD
|
$92,550 | 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 |
Clinical Research vs Pharmacovigilance: which pays more?
The median for Clinical Research is $68,650 per year (typically $59,725–$110,000), versus $123,300 for Pharmacovigilance ($99,500–$149,875). That puts Pharmacovigilance about 80% ahead at the median.
Both figures are computed live from active listings on JobsRadar and normalized to annualized USD, so Clinical Research and Pharmacovigilance 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.