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The differences between regulatory specialists and regulatory affairs managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a regulatory specialist and a regulatory affairs manager. Additionally, a regulatory affairs manager has an average salary of $117,714, which is higher than the $70,575 average annual salary of a regulatory specialist.
The top three skills for a regulatory specialist include FDA, regulatory compliance and regulatory agencies. The most important skills for a regulatory affairs manager are regulatory affairs, FDA, and medical devices.
| Regulatory Specialist | Regulatory Affairs Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $70,575 | $117,714 |
| Hourly rate | $33.93 | $56.59 |
| Growth rate | - | - |
| Number of jobs | 6,250 | 12,569 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 62% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Average age | 46 | 47 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A regulatory specialist is responsible for evaluating all the business processes, functions, and requirements and ensure its compliance with the company's protocols and state regulations. Regulatory specialists conduct regular audits, review the company's documents and business transactions, renew permits and licenses, and submit necessary files required by regulatory agencies. They coordinate with the management to revise the company's handbook accordingly and disseminate information on any changes across the organization. A regulatory specialist may also facilitate training programs and orientation to inform the employees on risk policies to avoid reputational issues, potential hazards, and delays in operations.
A regulatory affairs manager is in charge of ensuring that all aspects of a company adhere to the rules and regulations set by regulatory agencies. Their responsibilities revolve around devising regulation compliance strategies, creating training and orientation programs to inform the staff on the policies and standards, conducting internal inspections and information drives, and keeping abreast with the latest rules and regulations. Moreover, a regulatory affairs manager is in charge of processing and submitting necessary documents to government agencies, ensuring compliance and timeliness.
Regulatory specialists and regulatory affairs managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Regulatory Specialist | Regulatory Affairs Manager | |
| Average salary | $70,575 | $117,714 |
| Salary range | Between $49,000 And $100,000 | Between $78,000 And $177,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Rafael, CA |
| Highest paying state | Minnesota | Vermont |
| Best paying company | Cargill | McKinsey & Company Inc |
| Best paying industry | - | - |
There are a few differences between a regulatory specialist and a regulatory affairs manager in terms of educational background:
| Regulatory Specialist | Regulatory Affairs Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 62% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | University of Southern California |
Here are the differences between regulatory specialists' and regulatory affairs managers' demographics:
| Regulatory Specialist | Regulatory Affairs Manager | |
| Average age | 46 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 29.9% Female, 70.1% | Male, 45.8% Female, 54.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.6% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 15.5% Asian, 8.1% White, 59.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% | Black or African American, 7.7% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 12.8% Asian, 9.0% White, 65.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 12% | 10% |