Average Clinical Research Associate Salary in India for 2024

In this article, we will look at the average Clinical Research Associate salary for 2024 in India and how that compares to other countries and professions. We'll also look at interesting salary data points like median salary, 25th and 75th percentile salaries, salary amounts based on experience, bonus ranges and more!

The data in this article has been compiled using official government salary data, salary surveys, and other sources such as job postings which contain salary information.

All salary information is in the local currency, which is the Indian rupee. To keep things simple, we are using the INR currency code instead of the currency symbol โ‚น.

How Much Does a Clinical Research Associate Make in India?

A Clinical Research Associate working in India will typically earn around 430,000 INR per year, and this can range from the lowest average salary of about 221,500 INR to the highest average salary of 658,300 INR.

Average Annual Salary
430,000 INR
Average Monthly Salary
35,833 INR

Lowest Annual Salary
221,500 INR
Lowest Monthly Salary
18,458 INR

Highest Annual Salary
658,300 INR
Highest Monthly Salary
54,858 INR

These are average salaries for a Clinical Research Associate in India and include benefits such as housing and transport. It's also possible for a Clinical Research Associate to earn more or less than the average salaries shown above.

Clinical Research Associate salaries will vary a lot based on your experience, location, skills, and gender. Keep reading below to research more data on each of these areas.

Distribution of Clinical Research Associate Salaries in India

So we've looked at the average salaries a Clinical Research Associate will earn in India. The next interesting data point is the distribution of salaries.

Salary ranges

We already know that a Clinical Research Associate can earn between 221,500 INR and 658,300 INR on average in India. This is known as the range in statistics.

The difference between the maximum and minimum values is a good indicator of variability in salaries, and can be used by employers to figure out how much they can expect to pay, and for employees to know how much they can earn.

Median salary

The median salary for a Clinical Research Associate in India is 414,000 INR. This is the middle value in the distribution of salaries.

What this means is that approximately 50% of the population earn less than 414,000 INR, and 50% of the population earn more than 414,000 INR.

If you are earning more than the median salary, that's a good indicator that you are being paid well.

If you're not earning more than the median salary, your objective should be to increase your earnings to be at least as high as the median salary (which you can do by asking for a pay rise, looking for a better paying job, etc).

Percentiles

Percentiles are similar to the median salary, but instead of looking at the middle value, they look at the values in the top and bottom half of the distribution.

For the average Clinical Research Associate salary in India, 25% of the population are earning less than 288,100 INR while 75% of the population earn more than 288,100 INR.

75% of the population earn less than 516,100 INR, and 25% of the population earn more than 516,100 INR.

Like the median salary, the 25th and 75th percentile salaries can be used to determine which quartile you fall into so that you know whether you are being paid well enough compared to others in your profession and location.

The difference between a median and an average salary

The median and average salary are both indicators you can use to see if you are being paid fairly based on the overall population.

  • If your salary is higher than the average and the median salary, you are earning well compared to others.
  • If your salary is lower than the average and the median salary, it could indicate you are not being paid well enough.
  • If you are somewhere in between then it's tricky to determine if you are being paid well enough and you might need to research more closely.

Clinical Research Associate Salary by Experience Level in India

The most important factor in determining your salary after the specific profession is the number of years experience you have. It stands to reason that more years of experience will result in a higher wage.

We have researched the average clinical research associate salary based on years of experience to give you an idea of how the average changes once you've worked for a certain amount of time.

  • 0 - 2 Years Experience. A Clinical Research Associate in India that has less than two years of experience can expect to earn somewhere in the region of 254,700 INR.
  • 2 - 5 Years Experience. With two to five years of experience the average Clinical Research Associate salary would increase to 340,400 INR.
  • 5 - 10 Years Experience. From five to ten years of experience as a Clinical Research Associate, the average salary would be 442,300 INR.
  • 10 - 15 Years Experience. Once you have more than ten years of experience the average salary reaches around 537,300 INR.
  • 15 - 20 Years Experience. A Clinical Research Associate with 15 to 20 years of experience can earn an average of 588,500 INR.
  • 20+ Years Experience. For a Clinical Research Associate with more than 20 years, the expected average salary increases to 615,300 INR.

Average Salary by Experience Chart

0-2 Years
254,700 INR
2-5 Years +34%
340,400 INR
5-10 Years +30%
442,300 INR
10-15 Years +21%
537,300 INR
15-20 Years +9%
588,500 INR
20+ Years +5%
615,300 INR

Clinical Research Associate Salary by Education Level in India

As well as experience in a job, your education plays a big role in how much you can earn. A lot of higher paying positions require a high level of education, but how much can a degree increase your salary?

In our research we have compared the salaries of employees in the same job and career level with different levels of education to see how much more you can earn at each education level.

The salary you can earn based on your education is very specific to both your location and the career path you choose.

In our research, we looked at the average salary for a Clinical Research Associate in India based on the education level of the employees in order to find out whether a better education level would increase your salary.

  • Bachelor's Degree. A Clinical Research Associate in India with a bachelor's degree education can earn an average salary of 359,900 INR.

  • Master's Degree. A Clinical Research Associate in India with a master's degree education can earn an average salary of 499,300 INR.

Average Salary by Education Chart

Bachelor's Degree
359,900 INR
Master's Degree +39%
499,300 INR

How Much is a Master's Degree or MBA Program?

The approximate cost of a master's degree or post-graduate program like an MBA in India is around 160,000 to 479,000 INR and takes two years to complete.

As you can see above, there are financial benefits from reaching master's degree level, but don't expect to see much of a salary increase until you have completed the degree.

It's common for people to pursue an MBA or other post-graduate program in order to switch to a a job that pays more. On average, you can expect to earn around 10% more when switching to a new company.

Whether you decide to pursue a master's degree depends on many factors. If you are able to afford it, the numbers suggest that the return on investment is worth it and you could recover the costs in a few years from the salary increase you would receive.

Clinical Research Associate Salary Compared by Gender

In the modern age, we know that there should never be a pay gap between men and women. Unfortunately, in many professions, there is still a significant difference between the salaries earned by men when compared to the salary of women in the same job.

In India, a male clinical research associate will earn an average of 459,300 INR, while a female clinical research associate will earn around 412,000 INR.

This means that a male clinical research associate earns approximately 11% more than a female clinical research associate for performing the same job.

Average Salary by Gender Chart in India

Male
459,300 INR
Female -11%
412,000 INR

Clinical Research Associate Average Pay Raise in India

In many countries, an annual pay raise is often given to employees to reward their service with a salary increase.

From our research, we can see that the average pay raise for a Clinical Research Associate in India is around 12% every 16 months.

The national average pay raise across all professions and industries in India is around 9% every 16 months.

In this case, we can see that the number of months between the average pay raise is higher than the typical 12 months.

To make the data more meaningful, we can calculate what the approximate annual pay raise would be using a simple formula:

Annual Increase = ( Increase Rate ÷ Months ) × 12

So for this example, it would be:

Annual Increase = ( 12 ÷ 16 ) × 12  = 9%

What this means is that a Clinical Research Associate in India can expect to receive an average pay raise of around 9% every 12 months.

Annual Pay Raise by Industry in India for 2024

In the chart below, you can see the average annual pay raise percentages for each of the major industries in India.

You will see that companies in bigger and more lucrative industries tend to have the higher annual pay raises.

Banking
1%
Energy
2%
Information Technology
3%
Healthcare
4%
Travel
5%
Construction
6%
Education
7%

Clinical Research Associate Bonus and Incentive Rates in India

Another part of your overall compensation in a job is how much bonus you receive. Some job roles will be more likely to pay a bonus than others and also more likely to have higher bonus rates.

Generally speaking, jobs that are more involved with direct revenue generation will receive higher bonuses based on the performance towards revenue goals.

A Clinical Research Associate is a moderate bonus based job, with 54% of employees reporting at least one bonus in the last 12 months.

46% reported that they had not received any bonuses in the previous 12 months.

For the employees that did receive a bonus in the previous 12 months, the reported bonuses ranged from 3% to 5%.

Received Bonus
54%
No Bonus
46%

What are the Types of Bonus?

There are a number of difference types of bonus you can receive in a job. Including:

  • Individual performance bonus - This is a bonus that is awarded to an individual employee for general performance in the job. It's the most common type of bonus.
  • Company performance bonus - This is a bonus that is awarded to a company employees to share profit with the staff.
  • Goal based bonus - This is a bonus that is awarded to an individual employee (or a team) for achieving specific goals, objectives, or milestones.
  • Holiday bonus - This type of bonus is usually paid around the holidays, often the end of the year, and is a token of appreciation for the hard work throughout the year.

Government vs Private Sector Salaries

Another commonly asked question is whether you get paid a higher salary working in the public (government) sector or the private sector.

Public sector employees in India earn approximately 6% more than private sector employees in the same role.

Public Sector
392,300 INR
Private Sector -6%
371,100 INR

Salaries for Jobs Similar to a Clinical Research Associate

In the table below, we have salary information for jobs that are similar to a Clinical Research Associate in India.

Job Title Category Salary
Assistant Pharmacist Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology 322,600 INR
Assistant Pharmacy Director Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology 597,800 INR
Associate Medical Affairs Director Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology 825,900 INR
Bioinformatics Scientist Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology 743,300 INR
Bioinformatics Technician Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology 341,400 INR
Biological Scientist Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology 798,900 INR
Biological Technician Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology 341,400 INR
Biomedical Engineer Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology 322,600 INR
Biomedical Engineering Director Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology 628,000 INR
Biostatistician Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology 507,300 INR
Biotechnologist Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology 496,100 INR
Biotechnology Lead Data Manager Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology 388,100 INR
Chemical Process Technician Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology 357,300 INR
Clinical Consultant Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology 498,000 INR
Clinical Data Manager Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology 493,000 INR
Clinical Data Specialist Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology 454,300 INR
Clinical Informatics Specialist Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology 378,800 INR
Clinical Operations Manager Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology 714,600 INR
Clinical Pharmacist Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology 485,300 INR
Clinical Pharmacy Specialist Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology 588,500 INR
Clinical Programmer Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology 258,400 INR
Clinical Project Manager Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology 454,300 INR
Clinical Research Manager Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology 701,400 INR
Clinical Study Manager Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology 615,700 INR
Compliance Specialist Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology 514,300 INR
Cytology Laboratory Technologist Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology 397,900 INR
Cytotechnologist Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology 397,900 INR
GCP Auditor Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology 428,400 INR
Hospital Pharmacy Technician Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology 369,300 INR
Manufacturing Engineer Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology 414,000 INR
Medical Affairs Director Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology 768,900 INR
Medical Representative Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology 330,900 INR
Medical Science Liaison Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology 558,300 INR
Molecular and Cellular Biologist Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology 810,200 INR
Nuclear Pharmacist Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology 507,300 INR
Pharmaceutical Manager Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology 854,300 INR
Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Lead Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology 913,400 INR
Pharmaceutical Operations Excellence Manager Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology 798,900 INR
Pharmaceutical Process Engineer Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology 448,500 INR
Pharmaceutical Production Assistant Manager Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology 548,800 INR
Pharmaceutical Project Manager Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology 514,300 INR
Pharmaceutical Quality Auditor Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology 539,700 INR
Pharmaceutical Regulatory Affairs Assistant Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology 406,300 INR
Pharmaceutical Regulatory Affairs Manager Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology 553,800 INR
Pharmaceutical Regulatory Affairs Specialist Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology 433,800 INR
Pharmaceutical Representative Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology 330,900 INR
Pharmaceutical Research Associate Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology 496,100 INR
Pharmaceutical Research Scientist Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology 731,700 INR
Pharmaceutical Researcher Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology 714,600 INR
Pharmaceutical Sales and Marketing Manager Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology 597,800 INR
Pharmaceutical Sales Manager Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology 714,600 INR
Pharmaceutical Sales Representative Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology 330,900 INR
Pharmaceutical Supply Chain Manager Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology 765,100 INR
Pharmaceutical Team Leader Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology 539,700 INR
Pharmaceutical Technologist Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology 372,600 INR
Pharmacist Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology 485,300 INR
Pharmacy Aide Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology 322,600 INR
Pharmacy Manager Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology 684,900 INR
Pharmacy Stock Controller Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology 290,800 INR
Pharmacy Technician Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology 283,700 INR
Records Management Coordinator Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology 266,000 INR
Shift Encapsulator Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology 294,300 INR
Staff Pharmacist Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology 485,300 INR

Salary Comparison by City

If you want to compare salaries with different cities in India, you can use the links below to explore the data for each specific city we have researched.

City Average Salary
agra 415,900 INR
Ahmadabad 492,700 INR
Bangalore 502,200 INR
Bhopal 433,800 INR
Chennai 459,300 INR
Coimbatore 401,300 INR
Delhi 498,000 INR
Ghaziabad 413,900 INR
Hyderabad 478,100 INR
Indore 444,300 INR
Jaipur 467,100 INR
Kanpur 431,300 INR
Kolkata 489,500 INR
Lucknow 430,500 INR
Ludhiana 394,800 INR
Madurai 411,400 INR
Mumbai 483,800 INR
Nagpur 466,300 INR
Patna 407,100 INR
Pimpri-Chinchwad 431,100 INR
Pune 442,300 INR
Surat 475,700 INR
Vadodara 404,600 INR
Visakhapatnam 430,500 INR

Salary Comparison by State

The table below includes links to the average salary for each state in India.

City Average Salary
Andaman & Nicobar Islands 365,400 INR
Andhra Pradesh 462,300 INR
Arunachal Pradesh 424,900 INR
Assam 480,600 INR
Bihar 529,600 INR
Chandigarh 392,300 INR
Chhatisgarh 455,400 INR
Dadra & Nagar Haveli 372,600 INR
Daman & Diu 361,600 INR
Delhi 424,900 INR
Goa 420,100 INR
Gujarat 504,500 INR
Haryana 459,700 INR
Himachal Pradesh 433,400 INR
Jammu & Kashmir 436,200 INR
Jharkhand 467,700 INR
Karnataka 480,300 INR
Kerala 454,300 INR
Lakshadweep 349,300 INR
Madhya Pradesh 525,700 INR
Maharashtra 529,600 INR
Manipur 428,400 INR
Meghalaya 419,400 INR
Mizoram 388,100 INR
Nagaland 403,100 INR
Orissa 466,300 INR
Pondicherry 381,800 INR
Punjab 480,300 INR
Rajasthan 519,300 INR
Sikkim 392,300 INR
Tamil Nadu 502,200 INR
Tripura 424,300 INR
Uttar Pradesh 510,300 INR
Uttaranchal 428,400 INR
West Bengal 491,000 INR

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