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The differences between regulatory affairs specialists and associates can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a regulatory affairs specialist has an average salary of $70,060, which is higher than the $69,556 average annual salary of an associate.
The top three skills for a regulatory affairs specialist include regulatory affairs, FDA and regulatory agencies. The most important skills for an associate are customer service, sales floor, and patients.
| Regulatory Affairs Specialist | Associate | |
| Yearly salary | $70,060 | $69,556 |
| Hourly rate | $33.68 | $33.44 |
| Growth rate | - | - |
| Number of jobs | 9,915 | 569,041 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 46% |
| Average age | 46 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 4 | - |
A regulatory affairs specialist assists in securing and maintaining government approval for nutritional products, drugs, medical devices, and related supplies. They are often employed by medical, pharmaceutical, and biotechnology companies. They may also work in the government or law. Typically, they work on document preparation, file maintenance, information management, and coordination of tasks across various departments. They expanded their duties and responsibilities as a result of company acquisitions and restructuring, worldwide globalization of markets, and constantly evolving regulations.
Associates are typically entry-level positions for employees who are taking on their first job or organizational role. They are assigned to teams or departments that are related to their skills or educational background. They usually start with smaller tasks that may not seem as impactful but are still essential to the department. Associates are trained by more tenured team members on the ins and outs of the department and the organization. As they grow with the organization, they are given more responsibilities that directly impact the results of the department's initiatives as they work towards their goals.
Regulatory affairs specialists and associates have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Regulatory Affairs Specialist | Associate | |
| Average salary | $70,060 | $69,556 |
| Salary range | Between $49,000 And $99,000 | Between $34,000 And $140,000 |
| Highest paying City | Santa Rosa, CA | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | California | New York |
| Best paying company | Meta | Simpson Thacher & Bartlett |
| Best paying industry | - | - |
There are a few differences between a regulatory affairs specialist and an associate in terms of educational background:
| Regulatory Affairs Specialist | Associate | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 46% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | - |
Here are the differences between regulatory affairs specialists' and associates' demographics:
| Regulatory Affairs Specialist | Associate | |
| Average age | 46 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 37.5% Female, 62.5% | Male, 50.4% Female, 49.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.7% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 15.7% Asian, 8.2% White, 60.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% | Black or African American, 10.5% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 18.3% Asian, 8.3% White, 57.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% |
| LGBT Percentage | 12% | 7% |