1

Clinical Research Associate Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

Primary Function of Position The Clinical Research Associate will play a key role in proactively helping the conduct of pre-market and post-market clinical studies to ensure compliance with all the ...

Research Associate I

Foster City, CA ยท On-site

$39.85/hr

R&D Partners is seeking to hire a Research Associate I in Foster City, CA . Your main ... Scientific, Clinical Research and Engineering. Our team offers well over 200 years of combined ...

Clinical Research Associate

Irvine, CA ยท Remote

$120K - $135K/yr

The Clinical Research Associate (CRA) will support Clinical Operations in planning, coordinating, and executing Diality clinical trials in compliance with applicable regulations (e.g., FDA, ISO 14155 ...

Clinical Research Associate

Irvine, CA ยท On-site

$120K - $135K/yr

The Clinical Research Associate (CRA) will support Clinical Operations in planning, coordinating, and executing Diality clinical trials in compliance with applicable regulations (e.g., FDA, ISO 14155 ...

The primary role of the Clinical Research Associate is to support the planning, coordination, and execution of clinical research projects, including single- and multi-site clinical studies. The role ...

City of Hope has a Clinical Research Associate II (CRA II) opportunity available. The CRA II manages an assigned set of multiple research protocols to assure efficiency and regulatory compliance of ...

City of Hope has a Clinical Research Associate II (CRA II) opportunity available. The CRA II manages an assigned set of multiple research protocols to assure efficiency and regulatory compliance of ...

Showing results 41-60

Clinical Research Associate information

See California salary details

$11

$40

$68

How much do clinical research associate jobs pay per hour?

As of Sep 3, 2026, the average hourly pay for clinical research associate in California is $40.59, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $28.46 and $51.97 per hour, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is a clinical research associate?

Clinical Research Associates (CRAs) are professionals responsible for monitoring and overseeing clinical trials to ensure they are conducted in accordance with regulatory guidelines, protocols, and ethical standards. They play a key role in ensuring the safety of trial participants and the integrity of collected data. CRAs often visit clinical trial sites to verify data accuracy, maintain study documentation, and provide training to site staff. Their work ensures that new drugs, treatments, or medical devices are tested rigorously before they reach the market.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a clinical research associate?

To thrive as a Clinical Research Associate, you need a solid background in life sciences, attention to detail, and experience with clinical trial protocols, often supported by a relevant bachelor's degree. Familiarity with electronic data capture (EDC) systems, Good Clinical Practice (GCP) guidelines, and sometimes certifications like ACRP or SOCRA is typically required. Strong organizational, communication, and problem-solving skills help build effective relationships with research sites and ensure compliance. These skills are vital for maintaining the integrity of clinical trials, ensuring regulatory adherence, and advancing medical research efficiently.

What are some common challenges clinical research associates face when monitoring clinical trial sites?

Clinical Research Associates (CRAs) often encounter challenges such as ensuring protocol compliance across multiple sites, managing tight project timelines, and maintaining accurate documentation. Additionally, CRAs must effectively communicate with site staff to resolve issues and ensure data integrity, all while adhering to regulatory guidelines. Balancing frequent travel, adapting to different site environments, and handling unexpected issues such as patient recruitment delays are also typical aspects of the role.

What is the difference between Clinical Research Associate vs Clinical Trial Coordinator?

AspectClinical Research AssociateClinical Trial Coordinator
CredentialsBachelor's degree, often with clinical research certificationsBachelor's degree, often with clinical research or healthcare certifications
Work EnvironmentMonitors clinical sites, reviews data, ensures complianceCoordinates trial activities, manages schedules, and communicates with sites
Employer & IndustryPharmaceutical companies, CROs, biotech firmsHospitals, research institutions, CROs

Both roles are essential in clinical trials, with CRAs focusing on site monitoring and compliance, while Clinical Trial Coordinators handle day-to-day trial management. They often collaborate but have distinct responsibilities within the clinical research process.

Is being a clinical research associate worth it?

A clinical research associate (CRA) monitors clinical trials to ensure compliance with protocols and regulations, often requiring strong organizational and communication skills. The role offers opportunities for career growth, competitive salaries, and work in the healthcare or pharmaceutical industries, but it can involve irregular hours and travel. Overall, it can be a rewarding career for those interested in medical research and patient safety.

Is it hard to get a clinical research associate job?

Securing a clinical research associate (CRA) position can be competitive, often requiring a relevant degree in life sciences or healthcare, along with experience in clinical trials. Strong organizational skills, knowledge of Good Clinical Practice (GCP), and familiarity with trial management tools can improve job prospects, but entry-level roles may be easier to obtain with relevant internships or certifications.
More about Clinical Research Associate jobs

What are the most commonly searched types of Clinical Research jobs in California?

The most popular types of Clinical Research jobs in California are:

What job categories do people searching Clinical Research Associate jobs in California look for?

The top searched job categories for Clinical Research Associate jobs in California are:

What cities in California are hiring for Clinical Research Associate jobs?

Cities in California with the most Clinical Research Associate job openings:

Infographic showing various Clinical Research Associate job openings in California as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 75% Full Time, and 25% Contract. Highlights an 100% In-person job distribution, with an average salary of $84,422 per year, or $40.6 per hour.

Clinical Research Associate 3

Intuitive

Sunnyvale, CA โ€ข On-site

Full-time

Posted 7 days ago


Job description

Company Description
It started with a simple idea: what if surgery could be less invasive and recovery less painful? Nearly 30 years later, that question still fuels everything we do at Intuitive. As a global leader in robotic-assisted surgery and minimally invasive care, our technologies-like the da Vinci surgical system and Ion-have transformed how care is delivered for millions of patients worldwide.
We're a team of engineers, clinicians, and innovators united by one purpose: to make surgery smarter, safer, and more human. Every day, our work helps care teams perform with greater precision and patients recover faster, improving outcomes around the world.
The problems we solve demand creativity, rigor, and collaboration. The work is challenging, but deeply meaningful-because every improvement we make has the potential to change a life.
If you're ready to contribute to something bigger than yourself and help transform the future of healthcare, you'll find your purpose here.
Job Description
Primary Function of Position
The Clinical Research Associate will play a key role in proactively helping the conduct of pre-market and post-market clinical studies to ensure compliance with all the regulatory requirements. The ideal candidate will have a thorough knowledge of Clinical investigation of medical devices for human subjects - Good Clinical Practice (ISO 14155), 21 CFR part 812, 50, 54, and other applicable regulations. As a member of the Clinical Affairs team, this role will work with key stakeholders to execute clinical studies (pre-market or post-market studies) with minimal supervision. The candidate will be required to work closely with clinical study managers, clinical trial assistants (CTAs) and data management for the conduct and execution of the study, as well as with biostatisticians to review and interpret results of clinical studies, contribute to clinical study reports, or help the development of clinical publications. The candidate is also expected to have experience reviewing, interpreting, and summarizing clinical literature.
Essential Job Duties
  • Contribute to all clinical research activities to ensure the successful management of clinical studies.
  • Maintain and track clinical study data and help in investigator qualification and selection, scrutiny of potential patient recruitment, and overall study status/progress throughout the life of a study.
  • Manage site start-up/activation process, including: Heavy contribution to the preparation of study-related documents (protocols, case report forms (CRFs) or eCRFs, draft informed consent forms (ICF) and complete checklists, able to help clinical trial agreements and budget negotiation, clinical monitoring plan).
  • Organizing IRB/EC submissions and applicable regulatory documentation with follow-through to ensure successful outcomes.
  • Amends clinical study documents (ICF, CRFs, Monitoring Plan, etc...) as needed and helps clinical sites with institutional review board submission as necessary.
  • Perform on-site and/or remote site qualification visits, site initiation visits, interim monitoring visits, and site close-out visits.
  • Conduct clinical study monitoring to ensure regulatory and protocol compliance and overall data accuracy in accordance with the study clinical monitoring plan.
  • Complete source data verification of clinical study data entered in an Electronic Data Capture (EDC) system or on a case report form at sites to ensure regulatory and protocol compliance and overall accuracy.
  • Serve as the main liaison to participating clinical trial sites, focusing on data entry, query resolution, investigational device tracking and accountability, and study conduct oversight at the participating clinical sites.
  • Partner with data management to help the data cleaning process.
  • Drive review of safety events and partner on developing narrative and reporting as needed.
  • Develop and manage study trial master file and maintain study documentation and clinical trial management system (e.g., correspondence, CRFs, study approval documents), trip reports, site contact documentation, monthly status reports (e.g., enrollment, adverse events, budget, etc.)
  • Track, process and manage site payments and help in study financial tracking by developing tracking tools as necessary.
  • Assist the Clinical Study Manager on study scoping activities, including, but not limited to, the development of pre-study questionnaires, study design, and surgeon/site selection.
  • Help site audits and site audit preparation in anticipation of site inspections.

Qualifications
Qualifications
Required Skills and Experience
  • Previous experience implementing, helping and managing medical device trials. Significant knowledge of clinical and/or outcomes research study design
  • Possess advanced knowledge of Clinical investigation of medical devices for human subjects - Good Clinical Practice (ISO 14155), 21 CFR Part 11, 50, 54, 812 and other applicable regulations
  • Knowledge of Good Clinical Practice ICH/GCP and other applicable regulations, fundamental knowledge of clinical research and monitoring requirements
  • Clinical research/clinical trial management certification/education preferred
  • Prior experiences working in a clinical setting is preferred
  • Excellent ability to interact with physicians and other professionals inside and outside the company.
  • Excellent experience in protocol and ICF development, writing clinical section(s) for regulatory submission.
  • Experience negotiating clinical research contracts and budgets.
  • Must be able to work effectively on cross-functional teams
  • Must be able to manage multiple projects and/or manage different priorities
  • Excellent communication, presentation and relational skills with high attention to detail and organization
  • Ability to learn quickly, adjust to shifting requirements, and self-educate on different surgical specialties as applicable to clinical projects ("Self-starter attitude").
  • Ability to support management with relevant study updates.
  • Exhibits solid work ethic to help meet tight timelines or multiple projects when necessary with a problem-solving mindset.
  • Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite, PDF application.
  • Experience working with electronic data capture (EDC) systems required.
  • Experience in clinical trial management systems preferred.
  • Experience in medical device industry required.
  • Experience running clinical trials focused on COPD required.

Required Education and Training
  • Typically requires a minimum of 6 years of related experience with a BA/BS university degree; or a minimum 4 years' experience and a Nursing degree, a Master's degree, or an MD or PhD with a minimum 1 years' experience; or equivalent experience in a scientific field.

Preferred Skills and Experience
  • Accustomed to working in a hospital environment, experience working with nurses and surgeons preferred.
  • Knowledge of statistics, statistical methods, and design of experiment is highly preferred

Additional Information
Due to the nature of our business and the role, please note that Intuitive and/or your customer(s) may require that you show current proof of vaccination against certain diseases including COVID-19. Details can vary by role.
Intuitive is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We provide equal employment opportunities to all qualified applicants and employees, and prohibit discrimination and harassment of any type, without regard to race, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, color, age, religion, protected veteran or disability status, genetic information or any other status protected under federal, state, or local applicable laws.
Mandatory Notices
U.S. Export Controls Disclaimer: In accordance with the U.S. Export Administration Regulations (15 CFR ยง743.13(b)), some roles at Intuitive Surgical may be subject to U.S. export controls for prospective employeeswho are nationals from countries currently on embargo or sanctions status.
Certain information you provide as part of the application will be used for purposes of determining whether Intuitive Surgical will need to (i) obtain an export license from the U.S. Government on your behalf (note: the government's licensing process can take 3 to 6+ months) or (ii) implement a Technology Control Plan ("TCP") (note: typically adds 2 weeks to the hiring process).
For any Intuitive role subject to export controls, final offers are contingent upon obtaining an approved export license and/or an executed TCP prior to the prospective employee'sstart date, which may or may not be flexible, and within a timeframe that does not unreasonably impede the hiring need. If applicable, candidates will be notified and instructed on any requirements for these purposes.
We will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records in accordance with fair chance laws.
Preference will be given to qualified candidates who do not reside, or plan to reside, in Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, or Tennessee.
This position may be filled at a different job level than listed here depending on
business need and/or on the selected candidate's experience, knowledge and skills.
Compensation will be based primarily on the job level at which the role is filled and the
candidate's qualifications, consistent with applicable law.
We provide market-competitive compensation packages, inclusive of base pay, incentives, benefits, and equity. It would not be typical for someone to be hired at the top end of range for the role, as actual pay will be determined based on several factors, including experience, skills, and qualifications. The target compensation ranges are listed.