Mid-Level

Regulatory Scientist

At a pharma, biotech, medical-device, food, or chemical company, you provide scientific input to regulatory affairs work — drafting technical sections of regulatory submissions, supporting product-development decisions with regulatory science, and bridging R&D and the regulators who review the data.

Career Level
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Work Personality
C
E
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A
Conventionalorganizing, detail-oriented
Enterprisingleading, persuading
Based on Holland Code framework
Job markets for Regulatory Scientists
Employment concentration · ~390 areas
Based on employment in related occupations
Mapped SOC categories:
BLS Occupational Employment Statistics
What it's like

What it's like to be a Regulatory Scientist

A typical week often involves technical writing, study-data interpretation, cross-functional consultation, and the steady cadence of submission support — drafting CMC or efficacy sections, reviewing study reports for regulatory adequacy, sitting with R&D on study design from a regulatory lens, supporting regulatory affairs on submissions in progress. You're often the bridge between bench science and regulator expectations. Submissions supported and scientific quality of writing are the operating measures.

The harder part is often translating between scientific and regulatory perspectives — the most interesting data isn't always what regulators ask for, and the role mediates the gap. Variance across employers is wide: at large pharma the role runs in deep teams with therapeutic-area specialization; at smaller biotech or device companies it tilts more generalist.

The role rewards people who have PhD-level technical depth combined with regulatory fluency. RAC credentials and ongoing therapeutic-area training anchor advancement. The trade-off is the writing-intensity of regulatory science work and the long-tail accountability of positions taken in submissions that may surface years later in agency review.

Working ConditionsModerate
IndependenceModerate
AchievementModerate
SupportModerate
RecognitionModerate
RelationshipsModerate
O*NET Work Values survey
✦ Editorial — written by Truest from industry research and career patterns
Career Paths

Where this role sits in the broader career landscape — and where it can take you.

$239K$179K$119K$60K$0KLower paying387 metro areas, sorted by salary level
All experience levels1
This level's estimated range
INDUSTRIES PAYING ABOVE AVERAGE
1 BLS OEWS May 2024 covers all Regulatory Scientists (SOC 13-1041.07), not just this title · BEA RPP 2023
* Top salaries exceed this figure. BLS caps reported wages at ~$240K to protect individual privacy in high-earning roles.
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✦ Editorial — career progression and interview guidance based on industry patterns
The Broader Landscape

Roles like this one sit within a broader occupational category. The numbers below reflect that full landscape — helpful for context, but your specific experience will depend on level, specialty, and where you work.

$46K–$130K
Salary Range
10th – 90th percentile
398K
U.S. Employment
+3%
10yr Growth
33K
Annual Openings

How this category is changing

$74K$71K$68K$65K$62K201920202021202220232024$62K$74K
BLS OEWS May 2024 · BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034

Skills & Requirements

Active ListeningWritingSpeakingJudgment and Decision MakingCritical ThinkingReading ComprehensionComplex Problem SolvingSystems AnalysisSocial PerceptivenessTime Management
O*NET OnLine · Bureau of Labor Statistics
13-1041.07

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Federal data: BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (May 2024) · BLS Employment Projections · O*NET OnLine
Truest editorial: Fit check, role profile, things that vary, advancement analysis, lateral moves, interview questions.