Clinical research associate

As a clinical research associate (CRA), you'll help ensure that clinical trials are conducted safely and effectively, in accordance with regulatory requirements and Good Clinical Practice (GCP), that participants' rights, safety and wellbeing are protected, and that trial data is reliable.

You'll typically be involved throughout a clinical trial, including:

• identifying and assessing potential trial sites
• setting up and initiating sites
• monitoring the trial
• closing down trial sites when the study is complete.

Clinical trials may involve healthy volunteers, patients with the condition being studied, or both. Later studies may take place after a medicine has been licensed for use to provide further information about its safety, side effects and effectiveness.

CRAs typically work for pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies and contract research organisations (CROs).

What does a clinical research associate do?

You'll typically need to:

• contribute to developing trial protocols and other study documentation
• help coordinate ethics and regulatory submissions and approvals
• identify and assess potential trial sites and investigators
• set up and initiate trial sites, ensuring staff are appropriately trained and have the necessary trial materials and documentation
• liaise with investigators, healthcare professionals and other members of the clinical research team throughout the trial
• monitor trial sites, data and participant recruitment to ensure the study is being conducted in accordance with the protocol, GCP and regulatory requirements
• review trial data and source records, as appropriate, to check that data is complete, accurate and reliable
• identify, document and follow up issues, including safety information and protocol deviations
• prepare monitoring reports and maintain accurate trial documentation
• close down trial sites and ensure trial records, supplies and documentation are appropriately accounted for and archived.

Clinical research associate salaries

• Starting salaries for CRAs are typically in the region of £26,000 to £36,000. Salaries at the lower end may apply to junior or trainee CRA roles, or to related support roles that provide a route into CRA work. CRA roles involving independent site monitoring may start at around £30,000 or above, particularly if you already have relevant clinical research experience.
• With experience, CRA salaries are typically around £37,000 to £55,000, with senior CRAs potentially earning more.
• As you progress into lead CRA, clinical operations management or other senior roles, salaries can exceed £60,000, with some management positions reaching £70,000 or more.

Salaries vary according to your level of experience and responsibility, location, therapeutic area and the complexity of the trials you're working on. Other factors affecting pay include whether you work for a contract research organisation (CRO), pharmaceutical or biotechnology company, or another research organisation.

Additional benefits may include a company car or car allowance, performance-related bonus, private healthcare and pension contributions.

Income figures are intended as a guide only.

How many hours does a clinical research associate work?

Working hours can vary but you'll typically work around 37 to 40 hours a week, Monday to Friday. You may occasionally need to work outside normal office hours, for example to meet deadlines or liaise with colleagues and trial sites in different time zones.

Depending on your employer and role, you may be office-based, home-based, hybrid or field-based. You'll usually need to travel to trial sites, which may involve overnight stays and, in some roles, international travel.

Part-time work, fixed-term contracts and freelance opportunities may be available.

How do you become a clinical research associate?

You'll usually need a degree in a relevant life science, medical, healthcare or related scientific subject. Relevant subjects include:

• biological sciences, such as biology, biochemistry, microbiology or molecular biology
• biomedical and medical sciences
• nursing or medicine
• pharmacology, pharmacy or pharmaceutical science.

In England, you can also enter clinical research through the Level 6 Clinical trials specialist degree apprenticeship. The apprenticeship combines paid work with part-time study for a BSc (Hons) degree in biological science and may lead to roles including clinical research associate, clinical trials assistant or administrator and study coordinator.

Entry with an HND only or without a degree is unlikely. It may be possible to progress from roles such as clinical trials assistant, administrator or study coordinator if you build substantial relevant clinical research experience. Some employers may accept equivalent industry experience in place of a degree.

A postgraduate qualification isn't essential, although a relevant Masters in clinical research or clinical trials may be useful. Practical clinical research experience is generally more important for entry to and progression within CRA roles.

What skills does a clinical research associate need?

You'll need:

• excellent communication and interpersonal skills to work effectively with trial site staff, investigators and colleagues
• strong organisational and time-management skills to manage multiple sites, visits, deadlines and records
• attention to detail and analytical skills to review trial data and identify errors or inconsistencies
• problem-solving and decision-making skills to resolve issues that arise during a trial
• teamwork and the ability to work independently to manage your own workload while contributing to wider study teams
• digital and IT skills to use clinical trial management and electronic data capture systems
• knowledge of clinical trial regulations and GCP to help protect participants and produce reliable results.

A driving licence may be required for roles involving regular travel between trial sites.

Additional language skills can be useful for roles involving international trials or overseas travel.

Do you need clinical research work experience?

Relevant clinical research experience can significantly improve your chances of securing a CRA role, and experience of trial monitoring is particularly valuable. However, some employers recruit graduates directly into entry-level CRA roles and provide structured training. If you don't have relevant experience, you may need to start in a more junior role and progress to CRA. Useful roles include:

• clinical trials assistant or administrator
• clinical research or study coordinator
• clinical research assistant
• clinical data or trial data roles
• research nursing or other healthcare roles involving clinical research
• academic, pharmaceutical or laboratory research involving clinical studies, samples or regulated research.

Clinical research coordinator and clinical trial assistant roles are common routes into CRA work.

An industrial placement or year in industry as part of your degree can be particularly useful, especially if it gives you experience of clinical trials or pharmaceutical research. It can help you develop practical skills, understand how trials are run and make contacts with potential employers.

Find out more about the different kinds of work experience and internships that are available.

Who employs clinical research associates?

Typical employers include:

• contract research organisations (CROs)
• pharmaceutical companies
• biotechnology companies
• medical device companies
• universities, NHS organisations and clinical trials units.

CROs provide clinical research services on behalf of trial sponsors and may manage all or part of a clinical trial. As a CRA working for a CRO, you may work on trials for a range of pharmaceutical, biotechnology or other organisations.

Universities, NHS organisations and clinical trials units may also employ CRAs to monitor non-commercial or academically sponsored trials.

Look for job vacancies at:

• emedcareers
• jobs.ac.uk - for roles in universities and clinical trials units.
• PharmaJobber

CROs, pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies also advertise vacancies on their own careers websites.

Specialist life sciences recruitment agencies handle permanent and contract CRA vacancies. These include Barrington James, Proclinical and RBW Consulting.

Where can a career as a clinical research associate lead?

Career structures and job titles vary between employers, but progression typically involves taking on more complex trials or sites and greater responsibility for studies and teams.

As you build experience and develop your skills through on-the-job learning and continuing professional development (CPD), you can progress to senior CRA. From there, you may move into clinical trial or project management, overseeing whole studies and coordinating wider research teams. With further experience, progression can lead to clinical operations management and director-level roles.

Your experience can also open up opportunities in related areas such as regulatory affairs, clinical data management or study operations, depending on your interests and strengths. Working for a contract research organisation (CRO) can be particularly useful for building broad experience across different sponsors, therapeutic areas and stages of clinical development.

The Institute of Clinical Research (ICR) offers professional membership, training, networking and CPD opportunities for clinical research professionals. As you progress, further development may include advanced monitoring, project management and clinical trial management, as well as keeping your knowledge of Good Clinical Practice (GCP) and regulatory requirements up to date.