Side-by-side distribution
Clinical Trial
$155,425
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 24.9%
- Live roles
- 225
Pharmaceutical Sales
$97,500
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 49.1%
- Live roles
- 159
Highest-paying jobs
Clinical Trial Reimbursement (CTR) Senior Manager, HE&R
Senior Clinical Trial Manager - Oncology - U.S.
Senior Clinical Trial Manager - Oncology
Senior Clinical Trial Manager - Cardiovascular, CAR-T
Senior Clinical Trial Manager - Psychiatry
Senior Clinical Trial Manager - Metabolic
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
Highest-paying jobs
Sales Development Representative - Medical Equipment
Respiratory Pharmaceutical Sales Representative - Bel-Air, MD
Respiratory Pharmaceutical Sales Representative – Greater Baltimore, MD
Respiratory Pharmaceutical Sales Representative – Salisbury, MD
Sales Representative - Specialty Medical Products
Respiratory Pharmaceutical Sales Representative – Syracuse, NY
Medical Sales Representative (Iowa)
Pharmaceutical Sales Representative - GI - St. Louis, MO
Medical Sales Representative - Acute Care
Medical Sales Representative - Acute Care
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 |
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
Inizio Engage
|
$85,500 | 53 |
| ME Medline | $125,000 | 7 |
|
GSK
|
$156,000 | 4 |
|
IQVIA
|
$107,500 | 4 |
|
Cardinal Health
|
$117,040 | 2 |
Danaher
|
$95,000 | 2 |
CHG Healthcare
|
$60,000 | 2 |
|
Huzzle
|
$561,479 | 1 |
Clinical Trial salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco | $156,000 | 3 |
| Boston | $135,000 | 5 |
Clinical Trial vs Pharmaceutical Sales: which pays more?
The median for Clinical Trial is $155,425 per year (typically $119,563–$167,000), versus $97,500 for Pharmaceutical Sales ($78,220–$131,000). That puts Clinical Trial about 59% ahead at the median.
Both figures are computed live from active listings on JobsRadar and normalized to annualized USD, so Clinical Trial 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.