
Research Coordinator Salary (All Levels!)
- by Mike B.
A Research Coordinator, often abbreviated as RC, is responsible for managing the research data budget. A larger part of RC’s responsibility is to ensure that the budget is maintained as budgeting and the data collected are used in support of the organization’s strategic goals and objectives. A Research Coordinator, typically the department head or deputy, is in charge of the day-to-day budgeting, planning, execution, monitoring and controlling the budgets and expenditures of the various divisions within an organization. The most senior Research Coordinator position requires at least one year of relevant experience and typically longer. Typically, an entry-level Research Coordinator will earn an overall average salary (including overtime pay, bonus, and tips) of $ 43,692 depending on 79 salaries given in a study by Fair Isaac & Company.
One Year Of Experience Is Important To Get Into The Higher Salary Range
The top earning positions in this area usually require at least one year of specialized training as well as at least one year of clinical practice experience. Salaries range widely depending on the amount of education, training and experience required. The highest starting salaries for medical research coordinators are in the range of six figures, while the lowest starting salaries are typically around three-fourths of the normal range. Other areas that tend to have higher starting salaries include hospital clinical specialist positions and assistant clinical coordinator positions in physicians’ offices.
There are specific job functions associated with each of these positions. Within the field of clinical research coordinators, there are two main sub-specialties – risk management and policy. Within the field of safety regulations, there are four main categories – clinical guidelines and safety procedures, institutional procedures and laboratory procedures, regulatory standards and compliance, and training and educational programs. Each of these areas requires the development of particular educational competencies. The number and types of courses required for each position can vary based on the specific job function.
How are clinical research coordinators compensated?
Salaries begin at around $40k annually for generalist positions. Medical specialists earn much more at the doctorates level. Doctorate degrees in public health and medical history can require long hours and intense research in order to graduate. Therefore, most medical specialists will earn well above the national average for their position. As clinical research coordinators advance in their career, they may earn even more money.
One key component of the job is the need to have good communication skills. Communicating between multiple people involved in a clinical study is not only crucial, but it is also time consuming and often stressful. In addition, there are often many different opinions on every subject being studied. Communication skills are critical to building teamwork among the various researchers and departments within a medical facility. For those who enjoy speaking to strangers and answering questions about a variety of topics, a clinical research coordinator position may be perfect for you.
The location where you live will determine the amount of hours you work
Most clinical research coordinators work seven days a week, five days of which are spent in the office. A few days may be spent onsite in a medical facility or at a university conducting research. Depending on your schedule, you may spend one day out of the week at an actual facility and one day out of the week at home. Those who prefer to work from the comfort of their home may prefer a part-time schedule, where they complete their paperwork and may just receive a handful of phone calls during the week. Full-time clinical research coordinators find it hard to adjust their work schedule to fit their family life, so they often choose to work five days of the week and two days on the weekend.
You will be responsible for collecting and transporting laboratory samples, making informational phone calls, preparing patient charts, conducting interviews with research staff, and many other duties. Each area in the medical field will have a specific set of tasks that must be performed in order to collect the data needed for scientific analysis. As a clinical research coordinator, you will probably be responsible for doing research on a wide range of different subjects. Some of these may include animal and human samples, infectious diseases, cancer, geriatrics, men and women’s health, and public health. Each area will have a different set of rules governing what can be included in a research report, and you will be responsible for learning the guidelines and implementing them to ensure that your reports comply with the standards set forth by the medical research funding agencies.
Your position as a clinical research coordinator is not solely for those in hospitals or medical facilities. Many private research firms hire clinical research coordinators, as well, to help them better understand their clients and the market in which they operate. You can become certified as a clinical research coordinator in less than a year, depending on your certification program. Once you have become a coordinator, you will probably begin to notice an increase in your job responsibilities and the number of projects that you are able to work on each week.
A Research Coordinator, often abbreviated as RC, is responsible for managing the research data budget. A larger part of RC’s responsibility is to ensure that the budget is maintained as budgeting and the data collected are used in support of the organization’s strategic goals and objectives. A Research Coordinator, typically the department head or deputy,…