clinical research associate salary merck

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Merck Clinical Research Associate Salaries - Browse Average Salaries by Location

Updated April 16, 2024

What is the average salary of Merck Clinical Research Associate?

Merck Clinical Research Associates earn $83,000 annually , or $40 per hour, which is 24% higher than the national average for all Clinical Research Associates at $65,000 annually and 23% higher than the national salary average for ​all working Americans. The highest paid Clinical Research Associates work for Clinproxy Research Services at $116,000 annually and the lowest paid Clinical Research Associates work for University of Michigan at $23,000 annually.

$81K Merck Clinical Research Associate without location (5 salaries)

What is the salary for clinical research associate at merck.

The salary for Clinical Research Associate at Merck is $83,000 annually.

What company pays the highest salary for the Clinical Research Associate position?

Clinproxy Research Services pays the highest salary for the Clinical Research Associate position at $116,000 annually.

What company pays the lowest salary for the Clinical Research Associate position?

University of Michigan pays the lowest salary for the Clinical Research Associate position at $23,000 annually.

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Clinical Research Associate Salary - What's the pay for a clinic research associate?

Here's What You Need to Know to Get a Clinical Research Associate Job

What's the pay for a clinic research associate?: $61-$110K

A Clinical Research Associate (or Monitor) is hired either in-house (“the trial site”) or externally (by the sponsor or CRO) to do review clinical trial data and ensure that investigational therapies are tested ethically and scientifically through performing site visits that review files like patient medical notes in order to ensure quality of trial data. The catch 22 of clinical research associate jobs is that the ICH GCP guidelines require both education AND experience in order to work in this role, so you getting your foot in the door is tough. Once you get experience, your education (i.e. certifications or degrees showing understanding of additional responsibilities) can help promotes you quickly through the CRA career ladder.

How to become or get promoted as a clinical research associate?

Having a certification through CCRPS’s accredited Advanced Clinical Research Associate Certification course can help professionals 1) get promoted 2) get a raise 3) improve efficiency 4) get hired as a Clinical Research Associate.

How much does a Clinical Research Associate make in the United States?

The average Clinical Research Associate salary in the United States is $61-110K . Salary ranges can vary widely depending on many important factors, including education, certifications, additional skills, the number of years you have spent in your profession.

Clinical Research Associate (CRA) Salary

Per Payscale “An entry-level Clinical Research Associate (CRA) with less than 1 year experience can expect to earn an average total compensation (includes tips, bonus, and overtime pay) of $55,588 based on 203 salaries. An early career Clinical Research Associate (CRA) with 1-4 years of experience earns an average total compensation of $66,245 based on 1,118 salaries. A mid-career Clinical Research Associate (CRA) with 5-9 years of experience earns an average total compensation of $76,086 based on 294 salaries. An experienced Clinical Research Associate (CRA) with 10-19 years of experience earns an average total compensation of $81,540 based on 157 salaries. In their late career (20 years and higher), employees earn an average total compensation of $83,342.”

Determine CRA Salary by location using Payscale

CRA Career Progression - Indeed

Salary: Clinical Research Associate

Research Associate Salary resource: Click here to see the CRA Salary Range from 1,800+ employers

Clinical Research Associates Pay: Clinical Research Associate Salary in United States (by city)

Durham, NC - $97K

New York, NY, Irvine, CA, Houston, TX - $95K

Philadelphia, PA - $92K

Atlanta, GA - $84K

Raleigh, NC - $82K

Chicago, IL - $79K

Payscale: CRA Career Pathway

Senior Clinical Research Associate Salary

The average salary of a Senior Senior Clinical Research Associate is ~105K per year ($54/hour, $2k/week, $9k/month). This can range from $81k to $139k.

Glassdoor Salary range for Senior CRAs

Starting Salary of a Clinical Research Associate Position is between $60,000 and $65,000

Some employers may prefer hiring entry-level clinical research associates with less experience in clinical research so they can learn their job functions by training under Senior CRAs or CRA IIs.

Clinical Research Associate II Salary is $86,677 / yr

CRA II @ PPD: $84,733 /yr

CRA II @ PRA Health Sciences: $96,017 /yr

CRA II @ IQVIA: $79,412 /yr

CRA II @ ICON: $100,000 /yr

Comment below how much you get paid and what helped you get promoted!

Clinical Research Associate vs Coordinator (CRA vs CRC)

Research jobs near me.

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Merck Initiative Builds and Diversifies Clinical Research Workforce

Blog May 22, 2023

Riley O'Connor, Associate Clinical Research Associate, Merck

Welcoming employees with transferable skills from varied backgrounds.

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As noted by the Association of Clinical Research Professionals (ACRP), the workforce engaged in clinical research suffers from shortfalls and lack of diversity , with reasons including lack of awareness of the profession among otherwise suitable candidates, and the typical prerequisite for two years of experience even for entry-level roles. A new associate clinical research associate (ACRA) professional development program at Merck, known as MSD outside the U.S. and Canada, aims to increase and diversify the clinical research workforce. The program welcomes and trains new employees who do not have a CRA background but have transferable skills.

Riley O’Connor, an Associate CRA at Merck, is one of these employees. “I’m delighted to be part of Merck’s ACRA program. This builds background knowledge with an ACRP training course titled ‘CRA Core Competency Foundations’ and carousel training, which involves four training sessions focusing on the various phases of clinical trials and Merck’s global processes for those phases. The training program also includes hands-on learning with face-to-face sessions for the full cohort at Merck headquarters, including a review of what to expect from the CRA role, and how to perform key tasks such as query writing or visit reports. There have also been virtual learning lessons including updates on Merck processes and best practices. The ultimate goal of the training program is taking on the full workload of a CRA. This is done through a combination of co-monitoring, ‘see one-do one’ experiences, and observation visits.”

Educated at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, O’Connor has a B.S. in Exercise and Sport Science and a Master of Science in Clinical Exercise Physiology. O’Connor’s master’s thesis sparked his interest in medical research. “During that period, I found I enjoyed communicating and working with patients and helping them recover – and I also found that I was pretty well organized and well suited to doing this,” says O’Connor. “I knew I wanted to continue to help patients in some way, especially those who have limited options or belong to underserved populations.”

This led O’Connor to work as a clinical research coordinator (CRC) at the University of Minnesota. After that, he moved into a similar role in a large contract research organization. “In common with many people who find themselves in clinical research, I stumbled upon it,” notes O’Connor. “I went from a background in sport science and working in cardiac rehabilitation to the CRC role in academia.”

“Bridging the gap between being a CRC and an ACRA can be challenging – as can the step from academia into industry. I was attracted to Merck by the professional development opportunities – including gig assignments, where employees can work alongside roles in areas outside their immediate department, gaining new experiences and learning about other careers within Merck. This will give me chance to explore some of the latest technology involved in clinical research.”

O’Connor concludes, “I didn’t see myself coming into the CRA role – I thought it was unattainable. It’s so hard to break into industry, yet Merck provides an excellent opportunity to bridge this gap into a career that truly helps patients. I feel very fortunate to be part of this exciting program, knowing that my managers will encourage me to pursue my interests going forward, while contributing to development of potentially life-saving medicines.”

Author: Jill Dawson

Myrtle Beach, South Carolina

MN and WI Remote, Minnesota

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