Book the next study visit
Check the protocol before you book the participant's next appointment where the study timeline puts it.
Career profile
Clinical Research Coordinator
Clinical research coordinators turn a study protocol into booked visits, conversations and usable records.
Study participants learn their next steps from you, and researchers hear from you whenever a visit or record does not follow the protocol.
A day in the life
Walk participants through the study
Explain the visits and what the study asks, answer questions, and check that records show each person agreed.
Catch gaps in the study data
Match visit records to the electronic study form and chase mismatched dates or blanks before calling data complete.
Report a missed visit
Log a missed required visit, tell the investigator, and track unexpected problems until they reach the right review.
Quick facts
Degree or related experience
United States · 2026
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Look for openings by study specialty and coordinator level.
Quick orientation
Preparation, pay & outlook
Preparation
Degree or related experienceRequirements vary by employer; associate roles and paid research apprenticeships offer starting routes.
Pay
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Outlook
Not displayedLook for openings by study specialty and coordinator level.
Fit, tradeoffs & changing tools
You might like this if…
- You like explaining detailed instructions to people.
- You notice missing information and follow up.
- You enjoy organizing appointments and records.
Things to weigh
- Several studies can compete for your attention at once.
- Records must be ready for monitoring and audits; unfinished paperwork follows you beyond the participant visit.
Where AI may help
In some trials, sensors and software collect measurements away from the clinic, and telehealth supports remote visits.
What people still lead
You still explain participation and follow up when information is missing.
What we can’t predict yet
How much remote collection replaces clinic visits depends on the study's procedures and participants' needs.
Pay in context
Earnings
Pay varies with location, responsibilities, and experience. These advertised ranges describe specific medical-center jobs, not a national average.
Cancer research in Rochester
A full-time coordinator role lists $27.99–$41.98 an hour.
Coordinator II in Durham
A pulmonary research role lists $61,026–$101,959 in annual base salary. Experience, training, skills, and job scope help determine the offer.
Getting started
Qualify for an associate coordinator role
- What the route involves
- Earn a bachelor's degree or an accredited associate degree in clinical research. Mayo Clinic also accepts a high-school diploma plus three years of related experience for its associate role.
- What it can lead to
- These routes meet that role's minimum education and experience requirements for work on lower-risk studies.
- What to check
- Requirements differ across employers. In this associate role, you may assist with complex treatment studies without taking overall responsibility for them.
Train through a paid apprenticeship
One year of workplace training plus 144 hours of supplemental education.Paid
- What the route involves
- At Duke in North Carolina, graduates of approved clinical research degree programs can enter hourly paid apprenticeships with a study team.
- What it can lead to
- You build documented research experience and competencies for progression into clinical research work.
- What to check
- Positions depend on participating teams opening them. A part-time pre-apprenticeship route serves students still completing an approved degree.
You begin within a study team led by an investigator. Entry requirements depend on the role; completing a course alone does not establish your responsibilities.
After entry
Career paths
This starts where the entry routes leave off: early work, growing capability, and advancement or specialization.
Learn your studies
After hiring, learn the team's research systems, visit workflows, and reporting contacts. Get familiar with each study you will support.
Handle more complex studies
Build toward coordinating treatment studies, resolving protocol problems, and teaching newer colleagues how the work is done.
Advance to a higher coordinator tier
Some employers assess demonstrated skills for advancement. Duke uses competency assessments and, for its highest coordinator tier, portfolio review.
Where you can work
Medical-center treatment studies
You work across clinic visits, pharmacy services, investigators, and study sponsors. Monitoring visits add another schedule to manage.
- Indoors
- Office
Survey and medical-record research teams
Some cancer-center roles coordinate surveys and chart reviews rather than treatment studies. Certain positions allow hybrid work but still require local residence and campus attendance.
- Indoors
- Office
- Remote may be possible
Try it
See whether the job clicks before you commit to the path.
Make a fictional study calendar: three participants each need a follow-up 7–10 days after their first visit. Move one appointment outside that window. Write what changed and what you would ask the investigator. Notice whether you enjoy tracking details and explaining a problem clearly.
Stay safe: Use invented names and dates, not real patient information.
Sources
- O*NET OnLine. Clinical Research Coordinators — 11-9121.01. Accessed 2026-10-03.
- Mayo Clinic. Associate Clinical Research Coordinator — Comprehensive Cancer Center, job 387256. Accessed 2026-10-03.
- Mayo Clinic. Clinical Research Coordinator — Comprehensive Cancer Center, job 384411. Accessed 2026-10-03.
- Duke University. Clinical Research Coordinator II — requisition 274933. Accessed 2026-10-03.
- Duke University School of Medicine. Pathways to a Career in Clinical Research. Accessed 2026-10-03.
- Duke University School of Medicine. Onboarding & Training for Clinical Research Professionals. Accessed 2026-10-03.
- Duke University School of Medicine. Tier Advancement. Accessed 2026-10-03.
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Digital Health Technologies for Remote Data Acquisition in Clinical Investigations. Accessed 2026-10-03.
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Conducting Clinical Trials With Decentralized Elements. Accessed 2026-10-03.