Clinical Research Associate Salary in Biotech & Pharma 2026

Based on biohired's July 21, 2026 analysis of 68 disclosed US Clinical Research Associate roles in biotech and pharma, the middle 50% earn $102,753 to $124,335 annually, with a median of $123,250.

Updated daily · Last refreshed July 21, 2026

Middle 50% (US) $102,753 – $124,335 68 disclosed roles
Median $123,250 half of roles below this
Top 10% ≥ $155,000 90th percentile
Entry-band $102,753 10th percentile

Clinical Research Associate salary by seniority (US, USD)

LevelRangeMiddle 50%n
Entry
$102,753 – $123,800 24
Mid
$102,753 – $123,250 20
Senior
$124,335 – $155,000 24

Top-paying companies for Clinical Research Associate (US, USD)

CompanyRangeMiddle 50%n
$155,000 – $155,000 5
$140,192 – $148,249 4
$123,800 – $134,362 8
$109,750 – $123,250 18
$102,753 – $124,335 30
$100,000 – $100,000 2

Clinical Research Associate salary by country (local currency)

CountryRangeMiddle 50%n
United States flag United States (USD)
$102,753 – $124,335 68
Italy flag Italy (EUR)
€29,000 – €43,000 5

Frequently asked questions

What's the average Clinical Research Associate salary in biotech and pharma?

Based on biohired's July 21, 2026 analysis of 68 disclosed US Clinical Research Associate roles, the middle 50% earn $102,753 to $124,335 annually. The median is $123,250.

How much do top-earning Clinical Research Associates make in biotech?

The top 10% of Clinical Research Associate roles in biotech and pharma pay $155,000 or more annually (90th percentile of disclosed US salaries).

Which biotech companies pay Clinical Research Associates the most?

Among the disclosed Clinical Research Associate salaries currently tracked by biohired, the top-paying biotech and pharma employers include Novartis, AstraZeneca, Merck & Co., AbbVie, ICON plc.

How is this data calculated?

Each row shows the 25th-75th percentile range (middle 50%) and median of the salary midpoints (min+max)/2 across all disclosed Clinical Research Associate roles. Hourly listings are excluded. Time window: last 12 months of postings. Methodology mirrors industry standards used by Levels.fyi and Built In.

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