What do they do?

Coordinate and document internal regulatory processes, such as internal audits, inspections, license renewals, or registrations. May compile and prepare materials for submission to regulatory agencies.

Also known as:

Drug Regulatory Affairs Specialist, Regulatory Affairs Analyst (RA Analyst), Regulatory Affairs Associate (RA Associate), Regulatory Affairs Consultant (RA Consultant), Regulatory Affairs Specialist (RA Specialist), Regulatory Affairs Strategist (RA Strategist), Regulatory Engineer, Regulatory Services Consultant, Regulatory Specialist, Regulatory Submissions Associate

Typical Wages

Projected Growth Rate

Employment of Compliance Officers is projected to grow 4 percent from 2022 to 2032, more slowly than average compared to all occupations.

Projected Employment For All United States

No Data Available
  • 4.6%

    Change

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    31,000

    Job Openings

    Select a state to see its net job growth ranking

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Education Level

Percent of workers in this field with these degrees:

  • Bachelor's degree  (40%)
  • Master's degree  (18%)
  • Some college, no degree  (18%)
  • High school diploma equivalent  (9%)
  • Associate's degree  (8%)
  • Doctorate or Professional Degree  (6%)
  • Less than high school diploma  (1%)

Typical College Majors

Most Popular Majors that prepare Regulatory Affairs Specialists

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People in this career often have these skills:

  • Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
  • Writing - Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
  • Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
  • Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
  • Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
  • Judgment and Decision Making - Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
  • Complex Problem Solving - Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
  • Systems Analysis - Determining how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect outcomes.
  • Social Perceptiveness - Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
  • Time Management - Managing one's own time and the time of others.

People in this career often know a lot about:

  • English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
  • Law and Government - Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
  • Biology - Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
  • Computers and Electronics - Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
  • Administration and Management - Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.

People in this career often have talent in:

  • Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
  • Written Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
  • Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
  • Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
  • Problem Sensitivity - The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing that there is a problem.
  • Deductive Reasoning - The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
  • Inductive Reasoning - The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
  • Speech Clarity - The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
  • Speech Recognition - The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
  • Information Ordering - The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
  • Near Vision - The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).

People in this career often do these activities:

  • Coordinate regulatory documentation activities.
  • Obtain documentation to authorize activities.
  • Prepare regulatory or compliance documentation.
  • Explain regulations, policies, or procedures.
  • Evaluate applicable laws and regulations to determine impact on organizational activities.
  • Oversee business processes.
  • Advise others on legal or regulatory compliance matters.
  • Examine product information to ensure compliance with regulations.
  • Compile technical information or documentation.
  • Review documents or materials for compliance with policies or regulations.
  • Communicate with government agencies.
  • Update knowledge of legal or regulatory environments.
  • Examine financial records or processes.
  • Maintain data in information systems or databases.
  • Establish organizational guidelines or policies.
  • Prepare financial documents.
  • Analyze environmental regulations to ensure organizational compliance.
  • Monitor business indicators.
  • Train personnel in organizational or compliance procedures.
  • Investigate system, equipment, or product failures.
  • Analyze data to identify or resolve operational problems.
  • Recommend changes or corrective procedures.
  • Correspond with customers to answer questions or resolve complaints.

This page includes data from:

O*NET OnLine Career data: O*NET 28.3 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (“USDOL/ETA”). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Logo Occupation statistics: USDOL U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment Statistics

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