As of April 01, 2025, the average annual salary for a Clinical Research Director in the United States is $162,142. Salary.com reports that pay typically ranges from $143,965 to $176,659, with most professionals earning between $127,416 and $189,876.
| Annual Salary |
Monthly Pay |
Weekly Pay |
Hourly Wage |
|
| 75th Percentile | $176,659 | $14,722 | $3,397 | $85 |
| Average | $162,142 | $13,512 | $3,118 | $78 |
| 25th Percentile | $143,965 | $11,997 | $2,769 | $69 |
An entry-level Clinical Research Director with less than 1 year of experience earns about $151,019. With 1-2 years of experience, the average salary increases to $152,647. For 2-4 years of experience, the pay typically rises to $154,817. Senior-level professionals with 5-8 years of experience earn around $157,530, and those with over 8 years of experience can expect an average of $160,243.
| Levels | Salary |
|---|---|
| Entry Level Clinical Research Director | $151,019 |
| Intermediate Level Clinical Research Director | $152,647 |
| Senior Level Clinical Research Director | $154,817 |
| Specialist Level Clinical Research Director | $157,530 |
| Expert Level Clinical Research Director | $160,243 |
| Entry Level | 7% |
| Mid Level | 6% |
| Senior Level | 5% |
| Top Level | 3% |
| Experienced | 1% |
Salaries in the United States differ widely between states due to factors like cost of living, local economies, and industry presence.
What Am I Worth?
Salaries in the United States can vary greatly between cities due to factors like cost of living, local economies, and industry presence.
As of April 01, 2025, our research reveals a significant shift in Clinical Research Director compensation over the past six years. For example, the median salary increased from $165,554 in 2023 to approximately $160,319 in 2024. (For a detailed analysis of Clinical Research Director salary trends, click here.)
Key factors like location, experience, industry demand, and economic growth significantly influence salary variations, making them important to consider.
Salary.com job board provides millions of Clinical Research Director information for you to search for. Click on search button below to see Clinical Research Director job openings or enter a new job title here.
Here are companies hiring for Clinical Research Director and their salaries, click below for more details.
| Core Compensation | ||||
| Core Compensation | Median | % of Total | ||
| Base Salary | $162,142 | 74.1% | ||
| Bonus | $0 | 0.0% | ||
| Value of Benefits | ||||
| Core Compensation | Median | % of Total | ||
| Social Security | $12,404 | 5.7% | ||
| 401K/403B | $7,945 | 3.6% | ||
| Disability | $2,594 | 1.2% | ||
| Healthcare | $6,371 | 2.9% | ||
| Pension | $6,810 | 3.1% | ||
| Time Off | $20,580 | 9.4% | ||
| Total Compensation | $218,845 | 100% | ||
| Degree Level | % of user with this level of education |
|---|---|
| High School | 4.0% |
| Associates | 2.0% |
| Bachelors | 32.0% |
| Masters | 40.0% |
| Doctorate | 22.0% |
What Am I Worth?
The average annual salary of Clinical Research Director is $162,142. In case you are finding an easy salary calculator, the average hourly pay of Clinical Research Director is $78; the average weekly pay of Clinical Research Director is $3,118; the average monthly pay of Clinical Research Director is $13,512.
A Clinical Research Director's earning potential can vary widely depending on several factors, including location, industry, experience, education, and the specific employer. According to the latest salary data by Salary.com, a Clinical Research Director earns the most in San Jose, CA, where the annual salary of a Clinical Research Director is $204,510.
The highest pay for Clinical Research Director is $189,876.
The lowest pay for Clinical Research Director is $127,416.
Directs and oversees the team responsible for the design, administration, and execution of clinical research trials. Oversees and ensures adherence to established processes and procedures, FDA regulatory requirements, Good Clinical Practice (GCP) research standards, and JCAHO and International Conference on Harmonization (ICH) guidelines. Designs, develops, and implements clinical processes, procedures, and programs. May require an advanced degree. May require ACRP or SOCRA certification. Typically reports to senior management. Manages a departmental sub-function within a broader departmental function. Creates functional strategies and specific objectives for the sub-function and develops budgets/policies/procedures to support the functional infrastructure. Typically requires 5+ years of managerial experience. Deep knowledge of the managed sub-function and solid knowledge of the overall departmental function.
Specify the abilities and skills that a person needs in order to carry out the specified job duties. Each competency has five to ten behavioral assertions that can be observed, each with a corresponding performance level (from one to five) that is required for a particular job.
Leadership: Knowledge of and ability to employ effective strategies that motivate and guide other members within our business to achieve optimum results.
Clinical Services: The direct and/or indirect provision of medical and healthcare services at the Facility to or for the benefit of persons requesting or requiring such services;
Needs Assessment: A needs assessment is a systematic process for determining and addressing needs, or "gaps" between current conditions and desired conditions or "wants". The discrepancy between the current condition and wanted condition must be measured to appropriately identify the need. The need can be a desire to improve current performance or to correct a deficiency. A needs assessment is a part of planning processes, often used for improvement in individuals, education/training, organizations, or communities. It can refine and improve a product such as a training or service a client receives. It can be an effective tool to clarify problems and identify appropriate interventions or solutions. By clearly identifying the problem, finite resources can be directed towards developing and implementing a feasible and applicable solution. Gathering appropriate and sufficient data informs the process of developing an effective product that will address the groups needs and wants. Needs assessments are only effective when they are ends-focused and provide concrete evidence that can be used to determine which of the possible means-to-the-ends are most effective and efficient for achieving the desired results.
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We offer detailed salary information across multiple percentiles for your reference. (Click here to learn Why the Salary Midpoint Formula Is Crucial for Achieving Pay Equity.)
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