How to get a job in clinical research as a fresher?
Clinical research offers multiple high-demand job roles in
India, which is expanding rapidly, and freshers from Life Sciences, Pharmacy,
Biotechnology, Nursing, and medical backgrounds are actively exploring entry-level
clinical research jobs in India.
If you are unsure about:
- Which
job role is best for freshers: CRC, CRA, CDM or Pharmacovigilance
- What
salary do freshers earn in clinical research
- Which
companies are hiring and in which cities
- What
job can you get after completing a Clinical Research course
Then this updated guide will give you complete clarity. India currently host 5600+ active clinical trials, which
accounts for more than 5% of global clinical trials, and the number is increasing
each year.
Hiring companies are actively hiring trained candidates,
especially in metro cities like Pune, Mumbai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad and
Delhi-NCR.
Below is a complete breakdown of job roles,
responsibilities, salary ranges, skills, eligibility, hiring companies and how
to start your career in clinical research with confidence.
Key Takeaways (Quick Summary)
|
Top
fresher roles
|
CRC, CRA, PV
Associate, CDM Associate, RA Associate, Medical Coder
|
|
Clinical
research fresher's salary
|
2.0 LPA – 4.5
LPA, depending on role
|
|
Job
Locations
|
Pune, Mumbai,
Bangalore, Hyderabad, Chennai, Ahmedabad, Delhi NCR
|
|
Eligibility
|
Life Science,
Pharmacy, Biotechnology, Nursing & related fields
|
|
Skills
needed
|
GCP,
documentation, communication, MS Office, domain knowledge
|
|
Hiring
companies:
|
IQVIA,
Covance, Syneos, Novartis, Medpace & more
|
Eligibility for Clinical Research Jobs
Life science graduates with the following qualifications are
eligible:
|
Pharmacy
|
B.Pharm /
M.Pharm/ PharmD
|
|
Other Life
Sciences
|
B.Sc / M.Sc
(Life Sciences, Biotechnology, Microbiology, Chemistry , Zoology, Botany)
|
|
Doctors
|
BAMS, BHMS,
BPT, Nursing
|
|
Allied &
ParaMedical
|
Allied health
& paramedical sciences
|
Additional helpful skills:
- Good
communication & documentation skills
- Basic
computer literacy (MS Office)
- Understanding
of clinical trial basics (can be learned during training)
What Does the Clinical Research Industry Include?
Clinical research extends far beyond hospitals and labs. It
includes several specialised domains, such as:
|
Clinical
Trials Management
|
|
Pharmacovigilance
(PV)
|
|
Clinical Data
Management (CDM)
|
|
Regulatory
Affairs
|
|
Medical &
Scientific Writing
|
|
Quality &
Compliance
|
It means multiple entry-level clinical research jobs for
life science graduates do exist. There are other job roles often cited that
freshers can pursue based on interest and eligibility:
- Medical
Coding
- RCM
Executive
- Medical
Billing
- Medical
Scribe
- Medical
Reviewer
- Clinical
Pharmacist
- Lab
Technician
- Medical
Representative
- Quality
& Production
Scope for clinical research jobs after B. pharmacy in India
is huge. This creates multiple job pathways aligned with different strengths
and career goals.
Top Clinical Research Job Roles for Freshers
1. Clinical Research Coordinator (CRC)
CRC is one of the most common and job-friendly entry roles
for B.Pharm, M.Pharm, B.Sc, and M.Sc graduates. CRCs work directly at hospitals
or trial sites, gaining valuable hands-on experience.
You interact with:
- Doctors
(Principal Investigators), Nurses, Patients, Sponsors
& CRO teams
Job Responsibilities
- Handling
informed consent
- Patient
recruitment & follow-up
- Clinical
documentation & data entry
- Maintaining
study timelines
- Coordinating
meetings with sponsor, CRA & investigator teams
Salary Range: 2.0 LPA – 3.5 LPA
Growth Path: CRC - Senior CRC - CRA / Site Manager - Clinical Project Manager
2. Clinical Research Associate (CRA)
CRA roles involve travelling to clinical sites, monitoring
data quality and ensuring compliance
Job Responsibilities
- Monitoring
trial progress
- Verifying
data (Source Data Verification)
- Ensuring
GCP & protocol compliance
- Coordinating
with CRCs and sponsors
Salary Range: 2.4 LPA – 4.5 LPA
Growth Path: CRA - Senior CRA - Lead CRA - Clinical
Project Manager
Note: Direct CRA openings for graduates are limited.
Most professionals transition from CRC roles.
3. Pharmacovigilance Associate (PV / Drug Safety)
PV is ideal for candidates who prefer
documentation-oriented, corporate-style desk jobs.
Job Responsibilities
- Case
processing & signal detection
- Adverse
event (AE) reporting
- Managing
global safety databases (ARGUS, ARISg)
- Risk
management & regulatory compliance
Salary Range: 2.4 LPA – 3.5 LPA
Growth Path: PV Associate - Senior Associate - PV
Scientist - Team Lead / Manager
4. Clinical Data Management (CDM)
CDM is rapidly evolving due to automation and AI-based
tools. Skilled professionals are in high demand for data validation and quality
operations.
Job Responsibilities
- Data
validation & discrepancy management
- Designing
CRF, DMP & EDC systems
- Data
cleaning & quality checks
- CDISC
compliance & audit support
Salary Range: 2.5 LPA – 4.5 LPA
Growth Path: CDM Associate - Senior CDM - CDM Lead - Data
Analyst / Data Scientist
5. Regulatory Affairs Associate (RA)
Regulatory roles involve ensuring compliance with guidelines
from CDSCO, FDA, ICH-GCP, EMA, and WHO.
Job Responsibilities
- Preparing
& submitting dossiers (CTD, NDA, IND)
- Developing
regulatory strategies
- Liaising
with regulatory authorities
- Ensuring
GMP, GCP & ICH compliance
- Managing
labeling & post-market updates
Salary Range: 2.8 LPA – 4.0 LPA
Growth Path: RA Associate - Specialist - Regulatory
Manager - Global Strategy Lead
Clinical Research Fresher Salary in India
|
Job Role
|
Fresher
Salary Range (India)
|
Work
Nature
|
Hiring
Demand
|
|
CRC
|
2.0 LPA – 3.5 LPA
|
Site-based
|
High
|
|
CRA
|
2.4 LPA – 4.5 LPA
|
Field-based
|
Moderate
|
|
PV Associate
|
2.4 LPA – 3.5 LPA
|
Desk-based
|
Very High
|
|
CDM Associate
|
2.5 LPA – 4.5 LPA
|
Desk +
Technical
|
Moderate
|
|
RA
|
2.8 LPA – 4.0
LPA
|
Desk +
Technical
|
High
|
Pharmacy Job Role Comparison Table
|
Job Role
|
Main
Responsibilities
|
Ideal For
|
Growth
Path
|
|
CRC
|
Patient
handling, documentation, study coordination
|
Candidates
who like hospital/site work
|
CRC - Sr CRC - CRA - Project Manager
|
|
CRA
|
Monitoring,
verification, compliance
|
Candidates
who enjoy travelling & site visits
|
CRA - Sr CRA - Lead CRA - PM
|
|
PV Associate
|
Case
processing, AE reporting, safety database
|
Candidates
who like desk-based corporate roles
|
PV Associate - PV Scientist - Team Lead
|
|
CDM Associate
|
Data
validation, cleaning, CRF/EDC design
|
Technical
& analytical candidates
|
CDM - Sr CDM - Lead - Data Scientist
|
|
RA Associate
|
Submissions,
labeling, regulatory strategy
|
Candidates
good at documentation
|
RA Associate - Manager - Global RA Lead
|
Beyond salary and job roles, it’s important to understand
why the industry is expanding so quickly.
Why Pharma & Clinical Research Jobs Are Growing in India
India is becoming a global hub for:
- International
clinical trials
- CRO
operations
- Pharmacovigilance
outsourcing
- Biotech
& medical device research
- Large-scale
pharmaceutical manufacturing
Government support and increased global partnerships are
creating strong hiring demand across pharma, biotech, healthcare, and IT/ITeS
companies. Pharmacovigilance outsourcing alone in India has grown 30% in the
last 5 years.
Employers prefer candidates with good domain knowledge and
job-ready skills. These skills can be learned through proper clinical
research training with placement support.
Top Hiring Companies for Clinical Research Freshers
There are hundreds of clinical research companies
hiring freshers across major cities in India for multiple job roles.
- IQVIA
- Covance
(Labcorp)
- Syneos
Health
- Novartis
- Cipla
- Sun
Pharma
- Medpace
- IKS
Health
Major job hubs: Pune, Mumbai, Bangalore, Hyderabad,
Ahmedabad, Chennai, Delhi NCR.
Freshers should be open to relocating to major metros for better job
opportunities.
Skills Required to Become a Job-Ready
- Good communication skills
- Knowledge of clinical trial phases
- Understanding of GCP & ethics
- MS Office & documentation skills
- Patient interaction or reporting ability
Do You Need a Clinical Research Course for These Jobs?
Ideally “NO”, but realistically “YES” as it can help to earn real job skills such as core clinical domain knowledge, soft skills including interview preparation.
Most students lack :
- Exposure
to real documentation
- Understanding
of GCP
- Industry
expectations
- Interview
readiness
Candidates get jobs after clinical research training:
- Practical
training
- Domain
knowledge
- Soft
skills
- Hands-on
exposure through mock trials or case studies
A structured clinical research course with placement support
bridges the academic-to-industry gap and significantly boosts employability.
Why Thousands Choose Clariwell Institute for Clinical Research Training
Clariwell has emerged as one of the
Best Clinical Research Institutes in Pune, training
1000+ life science and pharmacy graduates
who now work across CTM, PV, CDM, RA, Medical Coding & RCM domains.
Training includes:
- Online
& classroom training
- Resume
& interview preparation
- Internship-style
case studies
- Mock
trials and documentation practice
- 100%
placement support
- Industry-expert
trainers
Industry connections are essential to secure jobs after
clinical research training and Clariwell offers strong industry partnerships
Conclusion
The clinical research market in India is growing at a strong
12–14% CAGR and a career in this field offers multiple opportunities:
- Excellent job stability
- High growth potential
- Global exposure
- A meaningful role in improving patient lives
If you want a career combining healthcare, research, and
international standards, clinical research is a rewarding and future-proof
profession.
FAQs (Frequently asked Quetions)
Q1: Which job role is best for beginners after B.Pharm?
Roles like CRC, PV Associate, CDM Associate, and RCM Executive are ideal for
freshers.
Q2: Is clinical research suitable for B.Pharm or B.Sc
graduates?
Yes. Most freshers in clinical research come from Life Science and Pharmacy
backgrounds.
Q3: How long does it take to get a job after training?
Usually 2–6 months, depending on training quality, communication skills
and interview performance.
Q4. Is clinical research a good career for freshers in
India?
Yes. Clinical research is one of the best career options for
freshers in India due to high industry growth, strong global demand
Q5. How do I get a clinical research job without experience?
Most companies prefer freshers who demonstrate job-ready
skills, practical knowledge and good communication, even if they have no prior
work experience.
