LIVE MARKET·374 postings · last 6 months·Updated October 22, 2026

Clinical Research Coordinator salary: $30.50/hr$1,220/wk$63,440/yr median.

Pay range $25.00$1,000$52,000–$37.00/hr$1,480/wk$76,960/yr across the middle 50% of active Clinical Trials Clinical Support postings nationwide.

146 unique employers · 161 cities · 39 states. Pay moved -5.6% over the last 30 days.

Show pay as
Median /hr/wk/yr
$30.50$1,220$63,440
P25–P75
$25.00$1,000$52,000–$37.00$1,480$76,960
middle 50%
Postings
374
▲ 156.9%
Coverage
39 states
146 employers
01·PAY DISTRIBUTION·P10 → P90

How Clinical Research Coordinator pay is distributed.

10% of postings pay under $23.50/hr$940/wk$48,880/yr. The top 10% pay above $42.50/hr$1,700/wk$88,400/yr.

P10
$23.50
P25
$25.00
P50
$30.50
P75
$37.00
P90
$42.50
P10
$23.50/hr$940/wk$48,880/yr
P25
$25.00/hr$1,000/wk$52,000/yr
P50 (median)
$30.50/hr$1,220/wk$63,440/yr
P75
$37.00/hr$1,480/wk$76,960/yr
P90
$42.50/hr$1,700/wk$88,400/yr
03·STATE BREAKDOWN·n=374

Clinical Research Coordinator pay across every state with live data.

01Arizona AZ7 postings
$30.00/hr
02California CA93 postings
$40.00/hr
03Colorado CO7 postings
$29.50/hr
04Florida FL32 postings
$26.50/hr
05Illinois IL26 postings
$30.50/hr
06Maryland MD11 postings
$24.00/hr
07Massachusetts MA64 postings
$24.50/hr
08Minnesota MN5 postings
$27.50/hr
09Missouri MO7 postings
$29.00/hr
10New Jersey NJ6 postings
$31.00/hr
11New York NY11 postings
$31.00/hr
12North Carolina NC5 postings
$28.00/hr
13Pennsylvania PA6 postings
$31.00/hr
14South Dakota SD6 postings
$31.00/hr
15Texas TX10 postings
$23.25/hr
16Virginia VA7 postings
$29.00/hr
17Washington WA17 postings
$36.50/hr
18Wisconsin WI6 postings
$36.25/hr

Showing all 18 states with live data. Bars scale to the highest-paying state.

04·TOP-PAYING CITIES·METROS WITH ACTIVE POSTINGS

The metros writing the biggest Clinical Research Coordinator paychecks.

CityStateMedian /hr/wk/yrP25–P75Postings
san franciscoCA · CALIFORNIA$44.75$1,790$93,080$42.88$1,715$89,190–$52.00$2,080$108,16016
tampaFL · FLORIDA$33.00$1,320$68,640$33.00$1,320$68,640–$36.50$1,460$75,92010
chicagoIL · ILLINOIS$27.50$1,100$57,200$27.50$1,100$57,200–$27.50$1,100$57,20010
bostonMA · MASSACHUSETTS$24.50$980$50,960$24.50$980$50,960–$31.50$1,260$65,52054

CITY PAY DATA

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05·EMPLOYER BREAKDOWN·TOP 20 BY PAY

Where the top of the market is paying for Clinical Research Coordinator.

EmployerMedian /hr/wk/yrRangePostings
Advocate Aurora Health$38.00$1,520$79,040$38.00$1,520$79,040–$44.00$1,760$91,5208
CHOC Children's$40.50$1,620$84,240$31.50$1,260$65,520–$40.50$1,620$84,2405
IQVIA$38.50$1,540$80,080$38.50$1,540$80,080–$38.50$1,540$80,0807
Massachusetts General Hospital$31.50$1,260$65,520$24.50$980$50,960–$31.50$1,260$65,52011
Moffitt Cancer Center$33.00$1,320$68,640$23.00$920$47,840–$36.50$1,460$75,92010
Providence$42.00$1,680$87,360$34.50$1,380$71,760–$42.00$1,680$87,3605
Sanford Health$31.00$1,240$64,480$31.00$1,240$64,480–$31.00$1,240$64,4805
Stanford University$37.00$1,480$76,960$35.00$1,400$72,800–$37.00$1,480$76,9608
UC Irvine Health$41.00$1,640$85,280$41.00$1,640$85,280–$59.50$2,380$123,7607
University of California - San Francisco$44.75$1,790$93,080$34.50$1,380$71,760–$63.00$2,520$131,04016

Showing all 10 employers with live pay data.

06·SHIFT & CONTRACT MIX·PAY BY WORK PATTERN

How Clinical Research Coordinator pay shifts by schedule and contract type.

Per Diem pays the most at $42.00/hr$1,680/wk$87,360/yr median — 42% above Fulltime at $29.50/hr$1,180/wk$61,360/yr. Fulltime drives the volume with 294 active postings.

BY SHIFT
Not Specified
371 postings
$30.00/hr$1,200/wk$62,400/yr
BY JOB TYPE
Fulltime
294 postings
$29.50/hr$1,180/wk$61,360/yr
Not Specified
36 postings
$32.00/hr$1,280/wk$66,560/yr
Parttime
30 postings
$32.50/hr$1,300/wk$67,600/yr
Per Diem
6 postings
$42.00/hr$1,680/wk$87,360/yr
08·HOW TO BECOME·CAREER PATHWAY·GENERAL TO CLINICAL SUPPORT PROFESSIONAL

How to become a Clinical Research Coordinator.

Clinical support roles assist physicians, nurses, and licensed clinicians with the technical and procedural workflow of patient care — without the broader scope of a licensed clinician. The category covers medical assistants, medical scribes, lab assistants, EKG techs, phlebotomists, sterile-processing technicians, and surgical services support. These are short-training entry points into healthcare with strong onward mobility into nursing, lab science, surgical tech, and other clinical careers.

Education·Min: High school diploma + role-specific certificate · Preferred: Role-specific certificate plus national credential

Most clinical support roles can be entered within 3-18 months. Pick the role, complete the certificate program (or qualify by on-the-job training in some states), and sit for the national credential exam (NHA, AMT, ASCP, NBSTSA, HSPA). Many people use a year or two in a support role to qualify for nursing or allied health school admissions.

DegreeDurationNotes
Medical Assistant programMA Cert / AAS9 months - 2 yearsCertificate or associate's program. Covers clinical skills (vitals, injections, EKG, phlebotomy) plus front-office workflow. Eligible for CCMA or CMA after graduation.
Medical Scribe trainingScribe Cert1-3 monthsShort certificate covering medical terminology, EHR navigation, and chart documentation. Many programs are employer-funded and on-the-job.
Phlebotomy / EKG certificateCPT / CET Cert4-12 weeksShort certificate followed by an exam (NHA, ASCP, AMT). Sufficient to work as a phlebotomist or EKG tech in most states.
Sterile Processing programSPD Cert4-6 monthsCertificate program covering instrument decontamination, sterilization, and inventory. Required by most surgical hospitals (CRCST or CBSPD).
Licenses & Exams·2 credentials
No state license requiredMost clinical support roles are unlicensedOptional
Issued by: —

Clinical support roles are credentialed (CCMA, CMA, CPT, etc.) rather than state-licensed. A handful of states require registration for medical assistants performing certain skills.

BLSBasic Life SupportRequired
Issued by: American Heart Association

Required for nearly all clinical support roles in hospital, clinic, and surgical settings.

Optional Certifications·Pay boost where known
CredentialIssued byPay impact
CCMA / CMA / RMA
Certified or Registered Medical Assistant
Standard medical-assistant credentials. CCMA (NHA), CMA (AAMA), and RMA (AMT) are widely accepted; CMA carries the strongest reputation in many regional markets.
NHA / AAMA / AMT+5-15%
CPT
Certified Phlebotomy Technician
Required by most hospital phlebotomy positions. California also has a state-specific CPT-1 license.
NHA / ASCP / AMT+5-10%
CCT / CET
Certified Cardiographic / EKG Technician
Required for cardiac monitor, stress-test, and EKG technician positions.
CCI / NHA+5-10%
CRCST / CBSPD
Certified Registered Central Service Technician / Certified Sterile Processing & Distribution Technician
Sterile processing credentials. Required in most states for SPD techs working in surgical hospitals.
HSPA / CBSPD+5-10%
Career Path·5 steps
  1. 0-2 years
    Medical Assistant / Lab Assistant / Phlebotomy Tech

    Entry-level clinical support. Many use this stage to confirm interest before pursuing nursing or allied health school.

  2. 1-4 years
    Specialty MA / Scribe / EKG Tech

    Specialty-focused support (cardiology MA, ortho MA, scribing for high-volume specialists, EKG/stress testing).

  3. 3-7 years
    Lead MA / Senior tech

    Trains new hires, manages clinical inventory, and supports clinic operations. Often the practice's clinical operations linchpin.

  4. 5-10 years
    Clinic supervisor / SPD coordinator

    Operational oversight of clinical support staff, sterile processing, or front-clinical workflow.

  5. Path-dependent
    Transition to licensed clinical role

    The most common 'level 5' for clinical support staff is school: nursing, surgical tech, respiratory therapy, sonography, or lab science. Many employers offer tuition reimbursement to fund the move.

Work Environment
Physician offices and primary care clinicsSpecialty clinics (cardiology, ortho, derm, ENT)Hospital labs and outpatient draw stationsAmbulatory surgery centersUrgent care and retail clinicsHospital sterile processing departments

Schedule. Clinic-based MA, scribe, and phlebotomy roles run business hours. Hospital phlebotomy and EKG techs include evening and weekend coverage. SPD techs typically work shifts aligned with surgical schedules including evenings.

Physical demands. Long stretches on your feet. Frequent patient contact (assisting with positioning, holding limbs for procedures). SPD adds repetitive instrument handling and exposure to chemicals and steam.

Job Outlook·Strong
+12-14% (2022-2032)

Medical assistants are projected to be among the fastest-growing healthcare occupations. Phlebotomy, sterile processing, and EKG technician demand all run well above the average. Outpatient expansion, retail-clinic growth, and lab service consolidation all keep openings well above supply.

FAQ — Becoming this role·3 questions
Medical assistant vs medical scribe — which is a better entry into healthcare?

Both are good. MA roles teach hands-on clinical skills (vitals, injections, EKG, blood draws) and pay slightly better. Scribe roles teach charting and exposure to physician decision-making — popular with pre-med and PA-school applicants because the EHR fluency and clinical exposure look strong on applications.

How fast can I start a clinical support job?

Phlebotomy and EKG certificates: 4-12 weeks. Medical scribe: 1-3 months. Medical assistant program: 9 months. SPD: 4-6 months. All are notably faster than the 2-4 years needed for nursing or allied health.

Is clinical support a stepping stone or a long-term career?

Both. Many people use it as a 1-2 year stepping stone into nursing or allied health school. But experienced lead MAs, sterile processing leads, and senior phlebotomists who pursue management or specialty roles can build solid long-term careers with steady pay and good schedules.

09·FREQUENTLY ASKED·CLINICAL RESEARCH COORDINATOR

What clinicians ask about Clinical Research Coordinator pay.

What is the average Clinical Research Coordinator salary in 2026?

The median Clinical Research Coordinator salary is $30.50/hr (approximately $63,440/yr) based on 374 active job postings.

What is the pay range for Clinical Research Coordinator?

Hourly pay ranges from $25.00 at the 25th percentile to $37.00 at the 75th percentile, with the top 10% earning above $42.50/hr.

Which state pays Clinical Research Coordinator roles the most?

California currently leads with a median of $40.00/hr across 93 postings.

How many employers are hiring Clinical Research Coordinators?

Our dataset shows 146 unique employers posting Clinical Research Coordinator roles across 39 states.

Where does TrueRounds get Clinical Research Coordinator salary data?

All salary figures are computed from active US healthcare job postings with listed pay ranges, collected over a rolling 6-month window and weighted by posting volume.

11·METHODOLOGY·HOW WE BUILD THESE NUMBERS

Active US healthcare postings. Weighted by volume. Refreshed daily.

Pay benchmarks are computed from active job postings with listed pay ranges, collected on a rolling 6-month window. Each role's percentiles are weighted by posting volume so a metro with two postings doesn't outweigh a metro with two hundred. Outliers (postings priced more than 4× the role median) are dropped to avoid contract-line distortion.

Use the data, then push back.

Bring these numbers into your next contract conversation. Recruiters know what the market pays — now you do too.