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Technology

Clinical Data Managers

Apply knowledge of health care and database management to analyze clinical data, and to identify and report trends.

Median salary (BLS)

$120,230

10th–90th percentile (BLS)

$67k – $199k

Job outlook

+34% (much faster than average)

AI exposure

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports one wage for this occupational group, which covers 2 related roles — so read the median as an approximate group figure, and the range as the truer picture for this specific title. BLS source.

Early-career check: graduates of the matching programs below typically earn $109,000 ten years after starting college — an early-career figure, vs. the all-experience BLS median above. Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard.

Plan a path to Clinical Data Managers

Qualification costsStack incomeBest cities/statesSchool ROIJob-posting fitTailored resume

Education

Typical entry: Bachelor's degree

Plan my path to this →

How to qualify

Estimate

Cost to qualify

$40,300–$152,000

Time to qualify

4.3 yr

Renewal

—

  1. 1

    Bachelor's degree

    Degree

    Four years at public in-state rates — average published tuition & fees ≈ $11,610/yr, plus books. Private and out-of-state run higher; grant aid lowers most students' actual net price.

    $40,000–$150,000 · 4 years source

  2. 2

    Industry certification (optional)

    Certification

    Vendor certifications (AWS, CompTIA, Google, Microsoft…) are a common entry booster, rarely a hard requirement.

    $300–$2,000 · 3 months source

Estimated typical U.S. route for "Clinical Data Managers" — built from BLS education requirements and College Board 2024–25 average published prices (public, in-state tuition + fees + books). Not yet verified against a specific state's licensing rules — confirm with your state licensing board or program.

Typical progression

  1. Clinical Data Managers Intern

    Internship

    $36,000

    ~4 mos to advance

  2. Junior Clinical Data Managers

    Entry / Junior

    $67,240

    ~2 yrs to advance

  3. Clinical Data Managers

    Established

    $120,230

    ~3 yrs to advance

  4. Senior Clinical Data Managers

    Senior

    $159,680

Internships are a common on-ramp here — they speed up landing that first role and improve your odds, which is why the Safe and High-ceiling plans build one in.

Key skills

A typical day

  • •Design and validate clinical databases, including designing or testing logic checks.
  • •Process clinical data, including receipt, entry, verification, or filing of information.
  • •Generate data queries, based on validation checks or errors and omissions identified during data entry, to resolve identified problems.
  • •Develop project-specific data management plans that address areas such as coding, reporting, or transfer of data, database locks, and work flow processes.
  • •Monitor work productivity or quality to ensure compliance with standard operating procedures.

Fields of study

Any field

Top colleges for Technology

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Reputation-based selection; stats shown are outcome data per school.