CAREER: CLINICAL RESEARCHER MAJOR: BIOLOGY Baltimore MD vs. New Haven CT

Clinical Researcher A clinical research associate (CRA) runs clinical trials to test drugs for their effectiveness, risks and benefits to ensure they are safe to allow on the market. They may work on new, as well as existing drugs, and are usually employed by either pharmaceutical company or a contract research organization (CRO) which works on behalf of pharmaceutical companies. Knowledge of FDA regulatory requirements is required.

Baltimore and New Haven Baltimore, MDNew Haven, CT Salary$57,816/$4,818 monthly$62,465/$5,205 monthly Housing$1, (1 bd, out-city)$ (1 bd, out-city) Transportation$65.00$50.00 Utilities$130.76$ Health Insurance$81.67/mo ($980 total)$ ($1,350 total) Internet (monthly)$55.00$45.00 Groceries$190.00$ Leisure Eating$52.40$50.00 Fitness Club$56.16$17.50 State Income Tax$2,836/$236 mo (4.75%)$3,435/$286 mo (5.5%) +utilities include gas, water, electric, garbage, heating Source: numbeo.com

Graduate School Masters/PhD is not necessarily required for Clinical Research Associate (CRA) job description CRA Level I - $49,432 (entry level) CRA Level II - $67,727 (BS, 2-5 years experience) CRA Level III - $75,019 (BS/MS, >5 years experience) CRA Level IV (senior CRA) - $93,098 (certification) Masters/PHD will increase starting pay and qualification for higher-level positions. *source: salary.com

Graduate Education Options Masters in Clinical Research (popular):  2 years  Increases eligibility for higher positions (i.e.. Project Manager)  Increases starting pay by ~5% PhD in Clinical Research  5-8 years  Highly increases eligibility for high positions  Primary Investigator, Post-doctoral Research Fellow, Teaching  Median starting salary: $89,600

Salary After Graduate School No Graduate SchoolAfter Graduate School Median Salary$50,776$62,483 Top Earners$30,367$70,732 Source: salary.com

Cost of Graduate School Avg. cost of a (2 yr) MS degree: $35,000-$120,000 Cost of PhD education in physical sciences often subsidized by scholarship.  Otherwise, $123, ,000 Long term payoff of higher education may be worth cost, time, and efforts of continuing education.

Graduate-Level Positions Senior Clinical Research Associate - $76,000 Clinical Laboratory Technologist - $59,430 Clinical Data Manager - $79,990 Medical Scientist - $79,930 Clinical Research Coordinator - $120,050 Biochemist - $89,940

Final Choice Baltimore, MD  Cost of living in Baltimore compared to New Haven is on average 2%-6% more economical Wait on graduate education  Due to high cost of graduate-level education, it is worth it to first gain several years of work experience to determine whether this is favorable long-term career.  Salaries in this field is highly based on work experience rather than degree level, but lack of MS can reduce job qualification.  Benefit of graduate education would be favored if planning for seeking long-term occupations in this field of clinical research.  Personally, I would pursue graduate education soon due to personal experience and long-term career interest in this field.