Biomedical Sciences Blog

Rockville, MD—Compensation for health product regulatory affairs professionals based in the United States grew faster than that of other US professionals, according to a newly released study by The Regulatory Affairs Professionals Society (RAPS).

The study found that the mean base salary for US-based regulatory professionals—across all levels and employment settings—was $108,077, up 9.8% percent from $98,355 in 2003, according to RAPS’ Executive Director Sherry Keramidas, PhD, CAE. The average rate of salary growth in the United States during the same time period was approximately 7.6%.

Keramidas released the results of the 2006 North American Compensation/Scope of Practice Study in Baltimore on Tuesday at RAPS 2006 Annual Conference & Exhibition. The study examines the base salary, total compensation, benefits and scope of regulatory practice of health product regulatory and related professionals employed in industry, government, academic, research and clinical organizations.

Data for the study come from a survey conducted earlier this year by RAPS and completed by more than 2,600 regulatory professionals in the United States (including Puerto Rico) and Canada.

“As regulatory professionals become more and more strategically significant to their organizations, their compensation continues to grow,” Keramidas said. “We’ve seen a tremendous expansion of the organizational roles and responsibilities of regulatory professionals in recent years, and RA professionals are seen as crucial to many major decisions.”

Figures in the study support Keramidas’ statement and show that individuals in the regulatory affairs profession have moved beyond assisting health product companies with compliance to government regulations. According to the study, all levels of regulatory professionals are involved throughout the health product lifecycle, and more professionals are involved in strategic and business decision-making.