Regulatory Affairs Managers
Plan, direct, or coordinate production activities of an organization to ensure compliance with regulations and standard operating procedures.
Regulatory Affairs Managers plan, direct, or coordinate production activities of an organization to ensure compliance with regulations and standard operating procedures. The role reports a median annual salary of $136,550 in the US and is projected to grow 4% over the next decade (about as fast as average). Entry typically requires a Bachelor's degree, and shows moderate AI exposure (0.55 on a 0-1 scale) — some tasks are being automated but the role adapts. The most in-demand skills for the role include organisational policies, business analysis, strategic planning, corporate sustainability, company policies.
Pay in India (occupation group)
Average monthly earnings of salaried employees in the occupation group “Managers” in India, from the Government of India's Periodic Labour Force Survey (January–December 2025). It covers everyone in this group, not only Regulatory Affairs Managers, and it is not US pay converted to rupees.
Source: MoSPI (Government of India), Periodic Labour Force Survey Annual Report 2025, Table 51 — average wage/salary earnings of regular wage/salaried employees, NCO-2015 division 1. Official India data gives one average per occupation group: there are no official India figures for single careers, experience levels or cities. Read the report
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Top skills
Knowledge you'll build
- English Language
- Law and Government
- Administration and Management
- Biology
- Education and Training
- Administrative
- Chemistry
- Computers and Electronics
A day in the life
You start the morning reviewing the timeline for a new medical device that your company wants to bring to market, checking what the regulator needs at each stage. You meet the product team to agree a regulatory strategy and decide which tests and documents must be ready. Mid-morning you review a draft application line by line, checking that every claim is supported by data and that the format meets the regulator's rules. A question arrives from the regulator about an earlier submission, so you gather information from engineers and draft a clear response. After lunch you investigate a customer complaint to decide whether it must be reported to authorities. Later you represent the company in a meeting with a regulatory official about a proposed rule change. The day ends with updating the team on changes to guidance. The paperwork is heavy and deadlines are tight, but ensuring products reach patients safely and legally is deeply important.
Illustrative: one typical day, written from the O*NET task statements for this occupation. Real days vary by employer and seniority.
What you'd actually do
- Develop regulatory strategies and implementation plans for the preparation and submission of new products.
- Review all regulatory agency submission materials to ensure timeliness, accuracy, comprehensiveness, or compliance with regulatory standards.
- Direct the preparation and submission of regulatory agency applications, reports, or correspondence.
- Investigate product complaints and prepare documentation and submissions to appropriate regulatory agencies as necessary.
- Provide responses to regulatory agencies regarding product information or issues.
- Represent organizations before domestic or international regulatory agencies on major policy matters or decisions regarding company products.
Tools & technology you'd use
Frequently asked questions
What does Regulatory Affairs Managers do?
Plan, direct, or coordinate production activities of an organization to ensure compliance with regulations and standard operating procedures.
What does a typical day look like in Regulatory Affairs Managers?
You start the morning reviewing the timeline for a new medical device that your company wants to bring to market, checking what the regulator needs at each stage. You meet the product team to agree a regulatory strategy and decide which tests and documents must be ready. Mid-morning you review a draft application line by line, checking that every claim is supported by data and that the format meets the regulator's rules.
How much does Regulatory Affairs Managers earn?
The median annual salary for Regulatory Affairs Managers in the US is $136,550.
What is the job outlook for Regulatory Affairs Managers?
The role is projected to grow 4% over the next decade (about as fast as average). Current US employment is approximately 1,333,700 workers.
How do I become regulatory affairs managers?
The typical entry education is a Bachelor's degree. Building a foundation in the top skills below will strengthen your application.
What skills does Regulatory Affairs Managers need?
The most in-demand skills for this role include organisational policies, business analysis, strategic planning, corporate sustainability, company policies, integrate strategic foundation in daily performance. These are the skills O*NET identifies as most important for competent performance.
Will AI replace Regulatory Affairs Managers?
Our AI-durability model gives Regulatory Affairs Managers a score of 0.55 on a 0-1 scale (higher = more exposure). That places it at moderate AI exposure — some tasks are being automated but the role adapts. Learning to work with AI tools rather than against them is the path forward.
How hard is it to enter this field?
Regulatory Affairs Managers has moderate barrier to entry — moderately gated — a bachelor's degree or equivalent training is typically required.