How to hire a regulatory affairs associate

How to hire a regulatory affairs associate, step by step

Here's a step-by-step regulatory affairs associate hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a regulatory affairs associate job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new regulatory affairs associate
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a regulatory affairs associate do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a regulatory affairs associate, identify what type of worker you actually need. Certain positions might call for a full-time employee, while others can be done by a part-time worker or contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them a regulatory affairs associate to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire a regulatory affairs associate that fits the bill.

   This list presents regulatory affairs associate salaries for various positions.

   Type of Regulatory Affairs Associate	Description	Hourly rate
   Regulatory Affairs Associate		$23-49
   Compliance Coordinator	A compliance coordinator specializes in ensuring that every aspect of a company adheres to its policies and regulations, including the state laws. Their responsibilities revolve around maintaining an active communication line with different departments to gather and analyze data, identifying vulnerable areas and risks, conducting internal investigations and inspections on compliance violations, assessing workforce performance, and reviewing product and systems documentation... Show more	$16-34
   Compliance Auditor	A compliance auditor is responsible for reviewing the company's policies and procedures, ensuring the organization's adherence to state and federal regulations. Compliance auditors inspect the operations of each department, adjusting internal guidelines as needed... Show more	$21-44

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Regulatory Affairs
   • FDA
   • Regulatory Submissions
   • Medical Devices
   • Global Regulatory
   • Regulatory Agencies
   • Regulatory Risk
   • Project Management
   • Regulatory Strategy
   • ECTD
   • Product Development
   • ICH
   • NDA
   • Regulatory Support

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage CQA vendor deliverables and liaise with vendors to identify and remedy GCP compliance issues with active sites.
   • Manage the compliance education tracking and documentation process for international GMP education.
   • Manage eCTD submission preparation by negotiating data requirements and deliverable dates with internal technical teams.
   • Manage and submit regulatory permit and notification applications to USDA to import, move and release regulate plant materials.
   • Develop all require QMS procedures complying the requirements of 21 CFR 820 and ISO 13485.
   • Help prepare & maintain FDA submit regulatory documents with a team of others, as well as place them in eCTD.

   More regulatory affairs associate duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your regulatory affairs associate job description helps attract top candidates to the position. A regulatory affairs associate salary can be affected by several factors, such as geography, experience, seniority, certifications, and the prestige of the hiring company.

   For example, the average salary for a regulatory affairs associate in South Dakota may be lower than in California, and an entry-level regulatory affairs associate usually earns less than a senior-level regulatory affairs associate. Additionally, a regulatory affairs associate with certifications may command a higher salary, and working for a well-known company or start-up may also impact an employee's pay.

   Average regulatory affairs associate salary

   $71,154yearly

   $34.21 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level regulatory affairs associate salary

   $49,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 16, 2025

   Average regulatory affairs associate salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$91,962	$44
   2	Washington	$83,137	$40
   3	New Jersey	$80,939	$39
   4	Massachusetts	$80,641	$39
   5	District of Columbia	$79,371	$38
   6	Texas	$75,819	$36
   7	Maryland	$74,277	$36
   8	Minnesota	$71,849	$35
   9	New York	$71,242	$34
   10	Pennsylvania	$70,167	$34
   11	Illinois	$69,758	$34
   12	Michigan	$65,586	$32
   13	Kansas	$65,174	$31
   14	Colorado	$64,909	$31
   15	Missouri	$64,908	$31
   16	Indiana	$64,061	$31
   17	North Carolina	$63,005	$30
   18	Ohio	$62,782	$30
   19	Georgia	$60,080	$29
   20	Florida	$55,678	$27

   Average regulatory affairs associate salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Meta	$122,533	$58.91	9
   2	Novartis	$105,074	$50.52
   3	Eli Lilly and Company	$104,295	$50.14	8
   4	AbbVie	$104,269	$50.13	9
   5	Genentech	$102,475	$49.27	1
   6	Federal Reserve Bank	$100,965	$48.54	2
   7	Edwards Lifesciences	$100,625	$48.38	3
   8	Intuitive Surgical	$100,482	$48.31	3
   9	Pacific Investment Management Company LLC	$99,672	$47.92
   10	FUJIFILM Diosynth Biotechnologies	$95,249	$45.79
   11	IIF	$94,859	$45.61
   12	JPMorgan Chase & Co.	$94,074	$45.23	1
   13	Abbott	$93,822	$45.11	30
   14	ZS	$92,812	$44.62
   15	Pfizer	$91,950	$44.21
   16	Federal Reserve	$90,464	$43.49	1
   17	BNY Mellon	$90,135	$43.33	1
   18	Watson Pharma Pvt Ltd	$89,827	$43.19
   19	Morgan Stanley	$89,750	$43.15	3
   20	Lannett	$89,301	$42.93

4. Writing a regulatory affairs associate job description

   A regulatory affairs associate job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. Below, you can find an example of a regulatory affairs associate job description:

   Regulatory affairs associate job description example

   As our Regulatory Associate, you're responsible for providing regulatory support to certain areas of the business, and supporting the activities of more senior Regulatory staff. The Regulatory Associate also has primary responsibility for answering routine questions from the business or from customers, such as SDS requests.
   Here's what you can expect every day:
   
   ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS
   Support new product launches by reviewing labels for FHSA compliance and authoring compliant Safety Data Sheets using Product Vision software Register new pesticide products with EPA and states Respond to EPA Data Call-Ins for registered pesticides Renew/maintain existing state and federal pesticide registrations Complete periodic reporting for pesticide sales and production (California mill tax, EPA pesticide establishment report, etc.) Track state and federal regulations that will impact Cleaners products Classify products for transportation according to DOT, IMDG, and IATA regulation Respond to routine requests from outside customers Required Skills
   B.S. in science or engineering Computer and database skills including Excel, Word, Product Vision and SAP. At least 3 years related experience LI19
   
   ABOUT US
   
   Solving challenges is the very foundation of who we are. After all, in the beginning, our founder, sea captain Robert Fergusson, didn't particularly care about paint. When he founded our company in 1921, he just wanted to keep his ship intact and stumbled upon a valuable solution. Today, that discovery is Rust-Oleum Corporation.
   
   The same passion that drove the Captain to spend his next few years creating the world's first rust-preventative paint still drives us today. When we see a problem, we work diligently until we've perfected a solution, which has led to some of the most cutting edge, durable and innovative products in the industry. Our creative and talented team of over 3000 people across every corner of the world, help us remain the global leader in protective paints and coatings for both home and industry.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find regulatory affairs associates for your business:

   • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your regulatory affairs associate job on Zippia to find and recruit regulatory affairs associate candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   During your first interview to recruit regulatory affairs associates, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new regulatory affairs associate

   Once you've found the regulatory affairs associate candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

   It's also good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new regulatory affairs associate. Human Resources and the hiring manager should complete Employee Action Forms. Human Resources should also ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc., and that new employee files are created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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How much does it cost to hire a regulatory affairs associate?