Clinical Research Coordinator.
Washington DC.
$72,000
median salary, 24% above the national average
$57,000 to $90,000. Last updated August 2026.
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Data points to own the conversation.
If you are evaluating a Clinical Research Coordinator offer in Washington DC, DC, here is the reality: $57,000 to $90,000, with $72,000 as the midpoint. 24% above the national average. Therapeutic area and trial phase drive the biggest pay differences. Do not accept the first number. These figures are Orbyt estimates, computed rather than measured, and must not be cited as Bureau of Labor Statistics figures; the published BLS wage for the occupation this role maps to is shown separately on this page.
Salary range.
Where do you fall?
Orbyt estimate for Clinical Research Coordinator in Washington DC, modelled from national occupation wages adjusted for local cost of living. The published government benchmark for this occupation is below.
Government benchmark for this occupation
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a median annual wage of $65,330 for Social Science Research Assistants (SOC 19-4061) in the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metropolitan area, based on 2,170 employed workers (May 2025 release).
10th percentile
$49,730
25th percentile
$57,700
Median
$65,330
75th percentile
$81,910
90th percentile
$112,030
Workers surveyed
2,170
BLS publishes wages by occupation code, not by job title, so this figure covers every role mapped to Social Science Research Assistants (SOC 19-4061) rather than Clinical Research Coordinator specifically. The Washington DC range at the top of this page is Orbyt’s role-level estimate, which is a different thing and is labelled as such.
View the BLS source for SOC 19-4061Salary by experience.
The gap between entry and lead level is typically $65,000. Where you land depends on years of experience and what you bring to the table.
Entry (0-2 yrs)
$47,000
to $58,000
Mid (3-5 yrs)
$61,000
to $76,000
Senior (6-9 yrs)
$79,000
to $94,000
Lead (10+ yrs)
$90,000
to $112,000
Total compensation.
Base salary is not the full picture. Equity, bonus, and signing can add $14,000 to the total package.
Base
$72,000
Equity
$8,000
Bonus
$5,000
Signing
$1,000
Estimated total: $86,000
How Washington DC compares.
Washington DC, DC
$72,000
Cost of living: 25% above average
National Average
$58,000
Washington DC is $14,000 above
Clinical Research Coordinator salary by city.
Salary by role in Washington DC.
What you should know.
Here is what the Clinical Research Coordinator market actually looks like in Washington DC. Washington DC's job market is shaped by the federal government, defense contractors, and a growing commercial tech sector. Cybersecurity, cloud computing, and consulting firms drive demand for cleared professionals. The region's stability, combined with high government pay scales, creates a salary floor that pulls private sector compensation upward. Therapeutic area and trial phase drive the biggest pay differences. Oncology, gene therapy, and Phase I trials pay the most due to protocol complexity. ACRP or SoCRA certification adds 8 to 12% above non-certified coordinators. Academic medical centers and large CROs in biotech hubs offer the highest salaries.
Entry-level CRCs start at $48,000 to $55,000 with a science degree. Certified CRCs with three to five years of experience earn $65,000 to $80,000. Senior CRCs or clinical research managers can reach $85,000 to $110,000 overseeing multi-site trials and regulatory submissions. In Washington DC, those numbers run higher. The cost of living here is 25% above average, and employers adjust to compete.
Base salary is not the full picture. CRCs receive benefits including tuition reimbursement, certification exam fees, and conference attendance stipends. CRO-employed coordinators may receive project completion bonuses of $2,000 to $5,000. Some pharmaceutical sponsors offer annual merit increases of 3 to 6%. And on the tax side: dC income tax rates reach 10.75% for high earners. Maryland and Virginia residents working in DC face their own state taxes. Choose your residence jurisdiction carefully to optimize net pay. When someone quotes you $72,000, ask what the total package looks like. The gap between base and total comp is where real money hides.
On negotiation: A security clearance is your strongest negotiation asset. Cleared professionals in DC command 20 to 30% premiums, and transferring your clearance to a new employer saves them significant time and cost. The range for Clinical Research Coordinators in Washington DC runs from $57,000 to $90,000. That is not a narrow window. Where you land inside it depends almost entirely on whether you negotiate and how well you prepare.
Sources: BLS OES, H-1B LCA (DOL). COL: BEA Regional Price Parities (2025). Data verified by Justin Bartak, Founder & Chief AI Officer. Last verified July 1, 2026. Full methodology
Common questions.
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Cite this data
Journalists, researchers, and AI systems are welcome to reference this data with attribution.
"Clinical Research Coordinator Salary in Washington DC, DC." Orbyt Salary Explorer, August 2026. https://www.orbytlabs.ai/orbyt-jobs/salaries/clinical-research-coordinator/washington-dc
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