Annual report · Q2 2026

The State of the Clinical Research Workforce.

Our annual report on hiring velocity, training ROI, attrition, and the credentialing gap — built from cohort data across 18 countries, sponsor interviews, and the Q-IAOCR competency framework. Free for hiring teams.

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61%
of CROs report "unfillable" CRA roles open >90 days
$18k
median loaded cost per CRA hire across the industry
3.4×
year-over-year growth in demand for verified competency
12 wk
median onboarding time for a generic-certified hire
Inside the report

Six chapters. One picture.

01

The Demand Side

How sponsor pipelines are outpacing the industry's ability to staff them — by therapeutic area and geography.

02

The Supply Side

Who's actually entering clinical research today, what credentials they hold, and where they fall short on day one.

03

The Credentialing Gap

What hiring managers actually verify (almost nothing) versus what they say they verify (a lot).

04

Training ROI

Real cost per billable seat, broken down by traditional certification, in-house programs, and competency-verified hires.

05

Attrition & Promotion

Why the median CRA leaves at month 22 — and what changes when promotion is tied to evidence.

06

The 2030 Workforce

Projections, scenarios, and the policy levers hiring teams are starting to pull.

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