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Career overview · SOC 15-2051

Clinical Data Managers

Apply knowledge of health care and database management to analyze clinical data, and to identify and report trends.

Also called: Clinical Data Management Director (CDM Director) · Clinical Data Management Manager (CDM Manager) · Clinical Data Manager · Clinical Informatics Manager · Data Deliverables Manager · Data Management Manager

Median pay (national)
$112,590
$63,650–$194,410 (10th–90th)
Employed (US)
233,440
BLS OEWS, May 2024
Outlook 2024–34
+33.5%
~23,400 openings/yr
Typical entry
Bachelor's degree

What the numbers say

Refit analysis ·Pay for clinical data managers shows an unusually wide range: the top 10% earn $194,410 versus $63,650 at the bottom 10% — 3.1x. The median of $112,590 leaves roughly 73% of headroom to the 90th percentile, which is where seniority, specialization, and the skills below tend to pay off.
Refit analysis ·Employment is projected to change +33.5% from 2024 to 2034 — much faster than the 3% average for all occupations. Even so, BLS projects about 23,400 openings a year, mostly to replace workers who retire or change careers.
Refit analysis ·Where you work moves the number a lot. Across the 51 states with released data, Washington pays the most for this role (median $158,760, +41% vs the national median), while Mississippi sits lowest at $69,430 — a 129% spread for the same job title.
Refit analysis ·O*NET rates Critical Thinking, Reading Comprehension, Active Listening as the highest-importance skills here — so a resume aimed at this role should lead with evidence of those, not a generic skills list. On the tools side, O*NET flags Epic Systems, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Office software, Microsoft PowerPoint as in-demand technologies for this role.

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Top skills employers ask for

Ranked by O*NET importance for this occupation.

  • Critical Thinking
  • Reading Comprehension
  • Active Listening
  • Speaking
  • Writing
  • Active Learning
  • Monitoring
  • Mathematics
  • Learning Strategies
  • Science

What they actually do

Core O*NET tasks for this role.

  • Design and validate clinical databases, including designing or testing logic checks.
  • Process clinical data, including receipt, entry, verification, or filing of information.
  • Generate data queries, based on validation checks or errors and omissions identified during data entry, to resolve identified problems.
  • Develop project-specific data management plans that address areas such as coding, reporting, or transfer of data, database locks, and work flow processes.
  • Monitor work productivity or quality to ensure compliance with standard operating procedures.
  • Prepare appropriate formatting to data sets as requested.
  • Design forms for receiving, processing, or tracking data.
  • Prepare data analysis listings and activity, performance, or progress reports.
  • Confer with end users to define or implement clinical system requirements such as data release formats, delivery schedules, and testing protocols.
  • Perform quality control audits to ensure accuracy, completeness, or proper usage of clinical systems and data.

Tools & technology

  • Epic Systems
  • Microsoft Excel
  • Microsoft Office software
  • Microsoft PowerPoint
  • Structured query language SQL
  • C#
  • C++
  • Extensible markup language XML
  • Go
  • IBM SPSS Statistics
  • MEDITECH software
  • Microsoft SQL Server
  • Microsoft Visio
  • Microsoft Visual Basic
  • Oracle Java
  • SAS

Knowledge areas

  • English Language
  • Computers and Electronics
  • Customer and Personal Service
  • Mathematics
  • Medicine and Dentistry
  • Administration and Management
  • Administrative
  • Biology