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Other health care workers

How to become a Clinical Research Coordinator

Also called: CRC

Prepares, coordinates and supports clinical trials so they run smoothly.

Workers in this job say university is common. From job tag's survey of people in each job, who could give several answers. It shows what workers see as common, not how many workers hold each level.

How to become one

No particular education or qualification is required to start, but knowledge of medicine or pharmacy helps in the job. People join a private site management organisation (SMO) or a hospital or other medical institution. An SMO is a company that sits between the drug companies that request trials and the hospitals that run them and provides different kinds of support, and SMOs hire new graduates. Some coordinators belong to an SMO and handle trials at several hospitals. Hospitals rarely hire new graduates as clinical research coordinators; instead nurses, pharmacists, clinical laboratory technicians and others often take on the role alongside their usual work. At large hospitals, health professionals or experienced coordinators are sometimes hired directly by the trial office as clinical research coordinators. Related qualifications include certification exams run by the Japanese Society of Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics and related associations. Coordinators usually aim to gain one within two to three years of starting work. You need basic knowledge of medicine and pharmacy, an understanding of the laws on medicines, and administrative skills such as handling statistics and writing documents. The ability to coordinate between doctors, other medical staff, trial participants and others, and good communication skills, are also important.

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Questions people ask

How do I become a Clinical Research Coordinator?

No particular education or qualification is required to start, but knowledge of medicine or pharmacy helps in the job. People join a private site management organisation (SMO) or a hospital or other medical institution. An SMO is a company that sits between the drug companies that request trials and the hospitals that run them and provides different kinds of support, and SMOs hire new graduates. Some coordinators belong to an SMO and handle trials at several hospitals. Hospitals rarely hire new graduates as clinical research coordinators; instead nurses, pharmacists, clinical laboratory technicians and others often take on the role alongside their usual work. At large hospitals, health professionals or experienced coordinators are sometimes hired directly by the trial office as clinical research coordinators. Related qualifications include certification exams run by the Japanese Society of Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics and related associations. Coordinators usually aim to gain one within two to three years of starting work. You need basic knowledge of medicine and pharmacy, an understanding of the laws on medicines, and administrative skills such as handling statistics and writing documents. The ability to coordinate between doctors, other medical staff, trial participants and others, and good communication skills, are also important.

How much does a Clinical Research Coordinator earn in Japan?

Average annual income in the private sector, bonus included, is ¥4,541,500 (Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare). The figure is for the wage survey group Other health care workers, which covers several jobs.

Do you need a degree to become a Clinical Research Coordinator?

Not always. In this job's census occupation group, 45% of workers are university graduates. Ways in include: Health & Public Health degrees.

Will AI change the work of a Clinical Research Coordinator?

Generative AI can do relatively little of this work, by the ILO's global estimate.

Sources

独立行政法人労働政策研究・研修機構（JILPT）作成 職業情報データベース 解説系ダウンロードデータ（IPD_DL_description_7_01.xlsx）ver.7.01 職業情報提供サイト（job tag）より2026年10月4日にダウンロード（https://shigoto.mhlw.go.jp/User/download）を加工して作成

独立行政法人労働政策研究・研修機構（JILPT）作成 職業情報データベース 簡易版数値系ダウンロードデータ（IPD_DL_numeric_7_00.xlsx）ver.7.00 職業情報提供サイト（job tag）より2026年10月4日にダウンロード（https://shigoto.mhlw.go.jp/User/download）を加工して作成

Sources: JILPT Occupational Information Database download data via job tag (解説系 ver.7.01 and 簡易版数値系 ver.7.00, downloaded 4 October 2026), processed by Peernovo; MHLW, Basic Survey on Wage Structure 2025; Statistics Bureau of Japan, 2020 Population Census; MEXT, School Basic Survey 2025; MHLW, Employment Referrals for General Workers (Hello Work statistics). Figures processed by Peernovo. English job names, translations and the matching of jobs to statistical groups, schools and degree fields by Peernovo.

Updated 4 October 2026