Average UK Clinical Research Salaries in 2024

The UK government is currently on a mission to make the UK one of the best places in the world to conduct clinical trials. Throughout 2024 and 2025, the government will be implementing recommendations made by Lord O’Shaughnessy in his 2023 independent review of UK commercial clinical trials to make this happen.

Significant investment is being made by the UK government to improve the overall efficiency and success of the UK’s clinical research industry, and more talent will undoubtedly be needed to fuel the industry’s expected growth.

In this article, we’ve outlined some of the average salaries that are on offer within the clinical research industry in the UK, highlighting some of the highest-paying towns and cities for each different job role.

It’s important to remember that salaries will always vary depending on factors such as location, employer type, years of experience, and more. The below data is based on salaries reported to Indeed and is up to date as of February 2024.  

Clinical Administrator: £23,725

The highest-paying cities for this role include:

• London: £27,812
• Bury St. Edmunds: £25,047
• Norwich: £24,222
• Sheffield: £23,943
• Bristol: £23,505
• Preston: £22,878
• York: £22,840
• Nelson: £22,461
• Nottingham: £22,408

Clinical Trial Administrator: £32,774

The highest-paying cities for this role include:

• London: £40,411
• Nottingham: £37,632
• Sutton: £35,329
• Chelsea: £34,634
• Oxford: £33,805
• Cambridge: £31,615
• Birmingham: £29,654
• Manchester: £27,849
• Bristol: £27,243

Clinical Research Associate: £34,376

The highest-paying cities for this role include:

• Coventry: £55,147
• Cambridge: £44,258
• Newcastle upon Tyne: £40,641
• London: £40,043
• Birmingham: £33,092
• Oxford: £32,316
• Nottingham: £29,242
• Manchester: £28,141
• Leicester: £26,185

Senior Clinical Research Coordinator: £39,216

The highest-paying cities for this role include:

• Oxford: £67,786
• London: £47,959
• Coventry: £41,604
• Cambridge: £39,895
• Reading: £38,786
• Gillingham: £36,228
• Stevenage: £35,509
• Bristol: £34,475
• Manchester: £32,978

Clinical Research Nurse: £38,388

The highest-paying cities for this role include:

• London: £44,847
• Hammersmith: £40,057
• Peterborough: £38,839
• Manchester: £37,746
• Cambridge: £37,164
• Oxford: £37,016
• Blackburn: £36,611
• Bristol: £35,595
• Redruth: £35,366

Clinical Research Scientist: £47,342

The highest-paying cities for this role include:

• London: £51,369
• Sutton: £51,330
• Manchester: £47,504
• Coventry: £46,971
• Cambridge: £45,957
• Birmingham: £45,437
• Bristol: £45,241
• Oxford: £44,568
• Cardiff: £42,420

Clinical Study Manager: £37,816

The highest-paying cities for this role include:

• Newbury: £58,500
• Oxford: £44,360
• London: £38,279
• Cambridge: £31,380
• Preston: £22,997

Pharmacovigilance Manager: £47,127

The highest-paying cities for Pharmacovigilance Managers in the UK include:

• Maidenhead: £92,823
• Cambridge: £91,935
• London: £53,392

Biostatistician: £61,514

The highest-paying cities for this role include:

• London: £59,778
• Edinburgh: £56,041
• Manchester: £50,107
• Cambridge: £49,406
• Reading: £49,081
• Belfast: £46,758
• Oxford: £45,181
• Glasgow: £37,752

Clinical Program Manager: £58,406

The highest-paying cities for this role include:

• Uxbridge: £81,249
• Oxford: £71,280
• Birmingham: £63,570
• London: £62,750
• Leeds: £61,760
• Liverpool: £54,622
• Basingstoke: £52,698
• Norwich: £50,999
• Preston: £50,930

Clinical Data Abstractor: £56,854

The highest-paying cities for this role include:

• Hurley: £71,500
• London: £39,853

Clinical Director: £72,547

The highest-paying cities for this role include:

• Blackburn: £100,893
• Bodmin: £98,314
• Nottingham: £75,093
• London: £70,145
• Manchester: £67,126
• Leicester: £67,078
• Southampton: £64,822
• Birmingham: £64,344
• Wirral: £51,090

Clinical Research Fellow: £41,960

The highest-paying cities for this role include:

• Bristol: £47,359
• London: £46,779
• Oxford: £46,005
• Birmingham: £43,222
• Leeds: £42,017
• Edinburgh: £41,093
• Coventry: £39,795
• Southampton: £39,576
• Belfast: £37,651

Study Manager: £32,054

The highest-paying cities for this role include:

• Welwyn Garden City: £80,755
• Cambridge: £44,256
• London: £41,710
• Oxford: £36,828
• Manchester: £35,592
• Birmingham: £32,465
• Leeds: £29,646
• Blackburn: £28,445
• Huntingdon: £24,038

Search the latest Clinical Research opportunities in the United Kingdom here. Don’t forget to set up job alerts to hear about the latest roles as soon as they’re posted, and to upload your CV to your profile to help recruiters find you!