Career-PathGPS
← All education and training
Career

Regulatory Affairs Managers

Typical education: Bachelor's degreeLower pressure Bright Outlook

What they do

Plan, direct, or coordinate production activities of an organization to ensure compliance with regulations and standard operating procedures.

Kinds of work

  • Enterprising: Leading, persuading, selling and starting new projects or businesses.
  • Conventional: Organizing information, following clear procedures and working with data and details.

Lower pressure: How much pressure workers in this job report: deadlines, conflict, dealing with upset people, the cost of mistakes, responsibility for others' safety, competition and long hours. It varies a lot from one employer to the next. Source: U.S. Department of Labor worker surveys.

Pay, tasks and more

Salary

United States $141,900 Median per year · $68.22/hr Most earn $74,300–$238,270

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025.

What you might do

  • Implement or monitor complaint processing systems to ensure effective and timely resolution of all complaint investigations.
  • Evaluate regulatory affairs aspects that are specifically green, such as the use of toxic substances in packaging, carbon footprinting issues, or green policy implementation.
  • Evaluate new software publishing systems and confer with regulatory agencies concerning news or updates on electronic publishing of submissions.
  • Evaluate new software publishing systems and confer with regulatory agencies concerning news or updates on electronic publishing of submissions.
  • Review materials such as marketing literature or user manuals to ensure that regulatory agency requirements are met.
  • Develop relationships with state or federal environmental regulatory agencies to learn about and analyze the potential impacts of proposed environmental policy regulations.

Job outlook

Bright Outlook Rapid Growth; Numerous Job Openings

United States
5% more jobs by 2035, faster than average · about 100,900 openings a year

Openings include new jobs and jobs left by workers who retire or change careers. Projections: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. "Bright Outlook": U.S. Department of Labor.

Where they work

  • Self-employed (their own business)50.4%
  • Federal government, excluding postal service6.0%
  • Management of companies and enterprises3.5%
  • Local government, excluding education and hospitals3.1%

Share of all workers in this career. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Employment Matrix.

Experience before this job: 4 to 6 years

Career path

How people usually get into this career, from school to their first job and beyond.

Typical education: Bachelor's degreeExperience before this job: 4 to 6 years

Regulatory Affairs Managers usually aren't entry-level jobs. Most people first earn a bachelor's degree, then spend several years in related work before moving into management, so the full path often takes about 8 to 10 years after high school.

  1. Bachelor's degree in a science, health, or engineering field

    4 years

    Coursework in biology, chemistry, pharmacy, or engineering builds the science background that regulated industries require, and a degree is the typical starting requirement.

  2. Regulatory Affairs Specialist

    3-5 years

    You learn how product approvals, documentation, and compliance rules work in practice, and you build the experience that managers are expected to have.

  3. Regulatory Affairs Manager

    Career goal

    You plan and coordinate your team's work so the organization follows regulations and standard procedures, and you usually bring about 4 to 6 years of prior experience to the role.

Where it can lead

  1. Director of Regulatory Affairs

    5+ years as a manager of experience first

    You oversee several teams and set regulatory strategy for the whole organization, which requires a strong track record of managing compliance across projects.

What you can do now

Ideas for high school and college students.

In high school

  • Take biology and chemistryThese classes build the science foundation you'll need for a degree in a regulated field.
  • Take English and writing classesRegulatory work depends on clear, precise documents, so strong writing skills will help you in every later step.
  • Join a science or debate clubClub work teaches you to research, explain ideas clearly, and follow rules and procedures.
  • Volunteer at a hospital, clinic, or labSeeing how health or science organizations follow safety and quality rules gives you real context for this career.
  • Get a part-time job that follows proceduresJobs at a pharmacy, grocery store with food safety rules, or a lab teach you to follow written standards carefully.

In college

  • Choose a major in life sciences, pharmacy, or engineeringThese majors match the science knowledge that regulated industries such as medical devices, drugs, and food look for.
  • Take courses in regulation, law, or quality systemsAny course on government rules, medical product standards, or quality management helps you understand the work before you start.
  • Get an internship at a regulated companyInternships at pharmaceutical, medical device, or food companies show you how compliance teams operate and make your résumé stand out.
  • Work a campus job that requires careful documentationLab assistant or research jobs teach you to record procedures accurately, which is a daily part of regulatory work.
  • Join a professional or student science organizationJoining a club in your field helps you meet people in the industry and learn about career options early.

Tips for getting started

  • Look at job ads for Regulatory Affairs Specialist roles now to see which degrees, skills, and industries employers ask for, then aim your coursework at them.
  • Practice clear writing. Much of this work involves preparing detailed documents, so strong writing is a big advantage.

Related jobs that often lead here

Education, experience and related careers: U.S. Department of Labor. The step-by-step path, where it can lead and what you can do now were written by AI as typical examples; many people take other ways.

College majors that lead here

Majors: U.S. Department of Education and BLS (CIP–SOC crosswalk). Earnings and debt: College Scorecard, typical across U.S. colleges.

Related careers