New cancer treatments get tested on real patients, and you make those trials run — enrolling participants, following protocols exactly, and managing the data behind the research. Where cancer research meets the patient.
The work blends clinical care with rigorous coordination: screening and enrolling patients, managing study treatments and visits, monitoring for side effects, and documenting everything to research standards. You work with oncologists, sponsors, and very sick patients. The protocol governs nearly every decision, and you bond with patients facing the hardest diagnosis.
The emotional weight is real — you walk with patients through cancer, and some don't survive. Regulatory and documentation demands are heavy, audits loom, and enrollment and timeline pressure are constant. Big academic centers and small sites differ a lot in support and pace.
It tends to suit people who are organized, compassionate, and steady under pressure. If you want detached lab work or low stakes, it may not fit. But if you find purpose in nursing-adjacent work that advances cancer treatment, it's demanding and deeply meaningful.
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Roles like this one sit within a broader occupational category. The numbers below reflect that full landscape — helpful for context, but your specific experience will depend on level, specialty, and where you work.
Roles with similar work and overlapping career paths
View all Healthcare roles →New cancer treatments get tested on real patients, and you make those trials run — enrolling participants, following protocols exactly, and managing the data behind the research. Where cancer research meets the patient.
Median pay for an Oncology Clinical Research Coordinator is about $161K nationally, with the field ranging roughly from $80K to $208K depending on experience, employer, and metro (BLS).
Core skills for this role include Reading Comprehension, Writing, Active Listening, Coordination, and Speaking.
Most people in this role hold a bachelor's degree.
Employment in this field is projected to grow about 3.7% through 2034, with roughly 100,870 people working in it today (BLS).
Closely related roles include Clinical Director, Clinical Research Director, and Clinical Data Coordinator.
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