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The salary of a Regulatory Affairs Director varies significantly based on factors such as location, industry, and years of experience. Currently, the national average stands at $122,617 annually. In high-demand states, salaries can exceed this average, particularly in sectors like biotechnology and pharmaceuticals.
For example, states such as California and Massachusetts offer some of the highest salaries for this position. The demand for expertise in regulatory compliance continues to rise, leading to competitive compensation packages. Many companies are looking for professionals with advanced degrees and extensive experience in navigating regulatory frameworks.
Industries such as healthcare, pharmaceuticals, and biotechnology tend to offer the most lucrative opportunities. As companies strive to meet regulatory standards, the role of a Regulatory Affairs Director becomes increasingly crucial, ensuring that products meet legal requirements and market entry criteria.
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The average regulatory affairs director salary in Massachusetts, Vermont, and Maryland are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average regulatory affairs director salary states are Georgia, Tennessee, and Iowa.
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Massachusetts | $138,505 | $66.59 |
| 2 | Vermont | $137,460 | $66.09 |
| 3 | Mississippi | $116,853 | $56.18 |
| 4 | Utah | $125,492 | $60.33 |
| 5 | New Jersey | $127,661 | $61.38 |
| 6 | Rhode Island | $124,500 | $59.86 |
| 7 | California | $129,499 | $62.26 |
| 8 | Maine | $130,486 | $62.73 |
| 9 | West Virginia | $109,425 | $52.61 |
| 10 | Maryland | $134,991 | $64.90 |
| 11 | Washington | $125,106 | $60.15 |
| 12 | New York | $124,953 | $60.07 |
| 13 | Alaska | $121,279 | $58.31 |
| 14 | North Carolina | $119,644 | $57.52 |
| 15 | Ohio | $115,098 | $55.34 |
| 16 | Pennsylvania | $112,755 | $54.21 |
| 17 | South Carolina | $106,270 | $51.09 |
| 18 | Idaho | $122,285 | $58.79 |
| 19 | Nebraska | $114,865 | $55.22 |
| 20 | Wisconsin | $109,788 | $52.78 |
| 21 | South Dakota | $103,958 | $49.98 |
| 22 | Indiana | $111,375 | $53.55 |
| 23 | North Dakota | $112,891 | $54.27 |
| 24 | Louisiana | $103,639 | $49.83 |
| 25 | Arizona | $106,216 | $51.07 |
| 26 | Montana | $109,178 | $52.49 |
| 27 | Kentucky | $107,316 | $51.59 |
| 28 | Alabama | $100,145 | $48.15 |
| 29 | District of Columbia | $104,994 | $50.48 |
| 30 | New Hampshire | $106,128 | $51.02 |
| 31 | Connecticut | $104,364 | $50.17 |
| 32 | Oregon | $104,507 | $50.24 |
| 33 | Oklahoma | $99,793 | $47.98 |
| 34 | Virginia | $107,457 | $51.66 |
| 35 | Arkansas | $102,668 | $49.36 |
| 36 | New Mexico | $105,168 | $50.56 |
| 37 | Minnesota | $101,615 | $48.85 |
| 38 | Missouri | $104,445 | $50.21 |
| 39 | Illinois | $99,957 | $48.06 |
| 40 | Delaware | $101,261 | $48.68 |
| 41 | Texas | $100,181 | $48.16 |
| 42 | Colorado | $99,435 | $47.81 |
| 43 | Michigan | $101,110 | $48.61 |
| 44 | Tennessee | $97,417 | $46.84 |
| 45 | Nevada | $101,774 | $48.93 |
| 46 | Georgia | $98,337 | $47.28 |
| 47 | Wyoming | $98,338 | $47.28 |
| 48 | Iowa | $96,368 | $46.33 |
| 49 | Florida | $66,429 | $31.94 |
| 50 | Kansas | $94,715 | $45.54 |
| 51 | Hawaii | $71,138 | $34.20 |
The highest-paying cities for regulatory affairs directors are Sacramento, CA, Boston, MA, and Rockville, MD.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sacramento, CA | $141,440 | $68.00 |
| 2 | Boston, MA | $139,420 | $67.03 |
| 3 | Rockville, MD | $135,304 | $65.05 |
| 4 | Parsippany-Troy Hills, NJ | $128,233 | $61.65 |
| 5 | Albany, NY | $126,733 | $60.93 |
| 6 | Seattle, WA | $125,857 | $60.51 |
| 7 | Durham, NC | $120,947 | $58.15 |
| 8 | Columbus, OH | $114,973 | $55.28 |
| 9 | Philadelphia, PA | $113,147 | $54.40 |
| 10 | Richmond, VA | $107,331 | $51.60 |
| 11 | Phoenix, AZ | $106,524 | $51.21 |
| 12 | Washington, DC | $104,972 | $50.47 |
| 13 | Hartford, CT | $104,928 | $50.45 |
| 14 | Chicago, IL | $100,217 | $48.18 |
| 15 | Atlanta, GA | $99,697 | $47.93 |
| 16 | Colorado Springs, CO | $99,523 | $47.85 |
| 17 | North Miami Beach, FL | $57,475 | $27.63 |
A regulatory affairs director's salary ranges from $81,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $184,000 at the 90th percentile.

| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $184,000 | $15,333 | $88 |
| 75th Percentile | $152,000 | $12,667 | $73 |
| Average | $122,617 | $10,218 | $59 |
| 25th Percentile | $98,000 | $8,167 | $47 |
| 10th Percentile | $81,000 | $6,750 | $39 |
The highest paying types of regulatory affairs directors are regulatory affairs manager, director, and compliance director.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Compliance Manager | $95,130 | $7,928 | $45.74 | 19,088 |
| Compliance Director | $103,517 | $8,626 | $49.77 | 20,942 |
| Director | $113,489 | $9,457 | $54.56 | 230,711 |
| Regulatory Affairs Manager | $117,714 | $9,810 | $56.59 | 12,569 |
Top companies hiring regulatory affairs directors now:
Regulatory affairs director salaries at Coty and Bloomberg are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average regulatory affairs director salary at companies like UC Health and Exelixis are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Coty | $147,735 | $71.03 |
| 2 | Bloomberg | $147,448 | $70.89 |
| 3 | UC Health | $143,325 | $68.91 |
| 4 | Exelixis | $140,042 | $67.33 |
| 5 | VIVUS | $137,527 | $66.12 |
| 6 | Deutsche Bank | $136,109 | $65.44 |
| 7 | Foundation Medicine | $134,009 | $64.43 |
| 8 | Northwell Health | $133,353 | $64.11 |
| 9 | Expedia Group | $133,116 | $64.00 |
| 10 | Sutro Biopharma | $132,778 | $63.84 |
| 11 | Biogen | $131,626 | $63.28 |
| 12 | Pwc | $131,243 | $63.10 |
| 13 | AstraZeneca | $130,730 | $62.85 |
| 14 | Silicon Valley Bank | $130,414 | $62.70 |
| 15 | Horizon Pharma USA, Inc. | $127,970 | $61.52 |
| 16 | AIG | $127,825 | $61.45 |
| 17 | Eli Lilly and Company | $126,328 | $60.73 |
| 18 | AbbVie | $126,278 | $60.71 |
| 19 | Bristol-Myers Squibb | $125,887 | $60.52 |
| 20 | Sony Pictures | $125,309 | $60.24 |
The average regulatory affairs director salary varies across industries:
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pharmaceutical | $111,416 | $53.57 |
| 2 | Health Care | $104,824 | $50.40 |
| 3 | Retail | $98,855 | $47.53 |
| 4 | Insurance | $92,509 | $44.48 |
The average regulatory affairs director salary has risen by $15,095 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average regulatory affairs director earned $107,522 annually, but today, they earn $122,617 a year. That works out to a 8% change in pay for regulatory affairs directors over the last decade.
Compare regulatory affairs director salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Compare regulatory affairs director salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $123,000 | $58.95 | +4.1% |
| 2024 | $118,000 | $56.55 | +1.3% |
| 2023 | $116,000 | $55.82 | +1.7% |
| 2022 | $114,000 | $54.85 | +0.6% |
| 2021 | $113,000 | $54.51 | +0.1% |
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Exelixis | Associate Regulatory Affairs CMC Director | King of Prussia, PA | 06/30/2025 | $166,000 |
| Weiman Products LLC | Regulatory Affairs Lead | Gurnee, IL | 06/29/2025 | $84,000 |
| Purposebuilt Brands Inc. | Regulatory Affairs Lead | Gurnee, IL | 06/29/2025 | $84,000 |
| Caldera Medical | Director of Regulatory Affairs | Westlake Village, CA | 06/29/2025 | $150,000 |
| Johnson & Johnson | Director, Global Regulatory Affairs (Business Integration Lead) | Raritan, NJ | 06/28/2025 | $160,000 |
| Merck | Principal Scientist (Director)-Regulatory Affairs-Cmc | Jackson, MS | 06/28/2025 | $187,000 |
| Merck | Principal Scientist (Director)-Regulatory Affairs-Cmc | Bismarck, ND | 06/28/2025 | $187,000 |
| Merck | Principal Scientist (Director)-Regulatory Affairs-Cmc | Olympia, WA | 06/28/2025 | $187,000 |
| Merck | Principal Scientist (Director)-Regulatory Affairs-Cmc | Trenton, NJ | 06/28/2025 | $187,000 |
| Merck | Principal Scientist (Director)-Regulatory Affairs-Cmc | Annapolis, MD | 06/28/2025 | $187,000 |
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