Top CROs in North Carolina by Employee Count

The clinical research industry represents a significant economic sector in North Carolina, with CROs dispersed throughout the state, with major clusters in the Research Triangle and south-eastern regions. North Carolina is considered the birthplace of contract research organizations and has a strong statewide presence, providing critical support to the state's life sciences industry.

While specific CRO employment figures are not available separately, a large part of North Carolina's CSO industry comprises contract research organizations (CROs) and companies focused on clinical trial management, demonstrating the substantial presence and importance of CROs throughout the state.

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IQVIA

Founded in 1982 and with headquarters in Durham, North Carolina, IQVIA has more than 58,000 employees globally. As one of the largest CROs worldwide, IQVIA maintains its headquarters in Durham, making it likely to have one of the largest North Carolina employee bases among clinical research organizations, though specific in-state employee counts were not available in the research.

PPD (part of Thermo Fisher Scientific)

PPD has its headquarters in Wilmington, North Carolina. The company has approximately 26,000 employees as of January 2025 worldwide. Given that PPD is headquartered in Wilmington, North Carolina, it maintains a significant operational presence in the state, making it one of the largest employers in the North Carolina clinical research sector.

Syneos Health

Syneos Health has 29,000 employees globally and Syneos Health's headquarters are located at 1030 Sync St, Morrisville, North Carolina. With its headquarters based in Morrisville, North Carolina, Syneos Health represents a major employer in the state's clinical research industry, though specific North Carolina employee figures were not disclosed in available sources.

Duke Clinical Research Institute (DCRI)

The Duke Clinical Research Institute, the world's largest academic research organization, has more than 1,100 faculty and staff. More specifically, the DCRI comprises approximately 1,300 employees, including more than 200 faculty from all disciplines. Located in Durham, North Carolina, DCRI represents the largest academic clinical research organization globally and employs all of its workforce within North Carolina.

ICON

ICON also has a significant presence in North Carolina, employing about 400 people in the Research Triangle. Additionally, PRA has approximately 19,000 employees worldwide. That includes 600 in North Carolina – according to data compiled by Triangle Business Journal. Following ICON's acquisition of PRA Health Sciences, the combined entity would have approximately 1,000 employees based in North Carolina.

Additional Notable Entries

Worldwide Clinical Trials maintains a presence in the state with approximately 250 of the 2,000+ professionals employed by Worldwide work in North Carolina.

PSI CRO also operates offices in Research Triangle Park with expanding operations in the region.

Parexel maintains a significant presence in North Carolina with approximately 898 employees across the state, including a shared headquarters in Durham that was expanded in 2019.