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What is a regulatory affairs specialist and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
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A regulatory affairs specialist ensures that products meet regulatory requirements. They check that products remain safe and effective, and that they comply with regulations. Regulatory affairs specialists monitor changing requirements, submit documentation to regulatory agencies, and provide guidance on regulatory matters. They may also participate in product development, clinical trials, and post-market surveillance. Overall, a regulatory affairs specialist navigates the complex landscape of regulations and ensures that companies sell and market products legally.

ScoreRegulatory Affairs SpecialistUS Average
Salary
5.5

Avg. Salary $70,060

Avg. Salary $59,228

Diversity
4.1
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.83%

Asian 8.22%

Black or African American 10.69%

Hispanic or Latino 15.67%

Unknown 4.47%

White 60.13%

Gender

female 62.46%

male 37.54%

Age - 46
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 46
Stress level
5.5

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity level
8.2

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance
5.7

Work life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

What are the pros and cons of being a regulatory affairs specialist?

Pros

  • High demand for regulatory affairs specialists

  • Opportunities for career advancement

  • Competitive salary and benefits package

  • Job stability and security

  • Opportunity to work remotely or from home

Cons

  • Long hours and overtime may be required during peak times

  • Risk of burnout due to high workload and job demands

  • Frequent interactions with government agencies may be frustrating or challenging

  • May require extensive travel, especially for those working in international regulatory affairs

  • Limited job opportunities in smaller areas or industries

Regulatory affairs specialist career paths

Key steps to become a regulatory affairs specialist

  1. Explore regulatory affairs specialist education requirements

    Most common regulatory affairs specialist degrees

    Bachelor's

    65.7 %

    Master's

    15.1 %

    Associate

    10.1 %
  2. Start to develop specific regulatory affairs specialist skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Regulatory Affairs10.14%
    FDA8.43%
    Regulatory Agencies6.58%
    Medical Devices6.44%
    Regulatory Compliance4.96%
  3. Complete relevant regulatory affairs specialist training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of 3-6 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New regulatory affairs specialists learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a regulatory affairs specialist based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real regulatory affairs specialist resumes.
  4. Research regulatory affairs specialist duties and responsibilities

    • Gather, evaluating, organizing, managing and collating information in a variety of formats.
    • Manage CRO (regulatory) in support of the company's approve product in Europe.
    • Manage and submit electronic EPA product registrations.
    • Manage and submit regulatory permit and notification applications to USDA to import, move and release regulate plant materials.
  5. Prepare your regulatory affairs specialist resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your regulatory affairs specialist resume.

    You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a regulatory affairs specialist resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose from 10+ customizable regulatory affairs specialist resume templates

    Build a professional regulatory affairs specialist resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your regulatory affairs specialist resume.
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    Regulatory Affairs Specialist Resume
  6. Apply for regulatory affairs specialist jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a regulatory affairs specialist job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How did you land your first regulatory affairs specialist job

Zippi

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Average regulatory affairs specialist salary

The average regulatory affairs specialist salary in the United States is $70,060 per year or $34 per hour. Regulatory affairs specialist salaries range between $49,000 and $99,000 per year.

Average regulatory affairs specialist salary
$70,060 Yearly
$33.68 hourly

What am I worth?

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How do regulatory affairs specialists rate their job?

-/5

5 stars

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3 stars

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1 star

Regulatory affairs specialist reviews

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A zippia user wrote a review on Oct 2019
Pros

Challenge is different every day. I constantly learning something new for our industry and take a lot of pride in the fact that I keep us compliant .

Cons

It does get overwhelming because there are many categories of compliance company wide that fall to me.


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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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