Salary Report
What regulatory and quality roles pay in 2026.
US base salary estimates by level for regulatory affairs and life science quality, and how medical devices, biotech and pharma compare. Model estimates, benchmarked on pay employers published.
As of October 25, 2026, the Regulatory Jobs salary model puts the US median base salary (all three industries together, a mid-size employer) for a regulatory affairs Specialist at $92,000, a Manager at $151,000 and a Director at $230,000; in life science quality, a Quality Assurance Manager at $138,000 and a Director at $218,000. These are model estimates benchmarked on the pay employers published on 429 regulatory and 1,017 quality postings on Regulatory Jobs. The model estimates a medical device role 6.3% below the same regulatory role in pharma, and 6.7% above the same quality role.
Regulatory Affairs
US base salary by level
All three industries together, a mid-size employer, the level's typical years.
| Level | Median | Typical range |
|---|---|---|
| New Graduate | $68,000 | $63,000–$75,000 |
| Associate | $78,000 | $72,000–$87,000 |
| Specialist | $92,000 | $85,000–$102,000 |
| Senior Specialist | $120,000 | $110,000–$133,000 |
| Principal Specialist | $153,000 | $141,000–$170,000 |
| Manager | $151,000 | $139,000–$168,000 |
| Senior Manager | $175,000 | $161,000–$194,000 |
| Associate Director | $196,000 | $180,000–$218,000 |
| Director | $230,000 | $212,000–$255,000 |
| Senior Director | $266,000 | $245,000–$295,000 |
| Vice President/Head | $313,000 | $288,000–$347,000 |
Life Science Quality
US base salary by level
Quality Assurance & Systems, all three industries together, a mid-size employer.
| Level | Median | Typical range |
|---|---|---|
| Technician / Inspector | $54,000 | $49,000–$60,000 |
| Associate | $78,000 | $70,000–$87,000 |
| Specialist, Analyst or Engineer | $94,000 | $85,000–$104,000 |
| Senior Specialist or Engineer | $112,000 | $101,000–$124,000 |
| Principal or Lead | $135,000 | $122,000–$150,000 |
| Manager | $138,000 | $124,000–$153,000 |
| Senior Manager | $167,000 | $150,000–$185,000 |
| Associate Director | $187,000 | $168,000–$208,000 |
| Director | $218,000 | $196,000–$242,000 |
| Senior Director | $259,000 | $233,000–$287,000 |
| Vice President / Head of Quality | $300,000 | $270,000–$333,000 |
Medical devices, biotech and pharma
The two fields move in opposite directions: in the postings, device companies pay regulatory roles less than pharma and quality roles more.
Regulatory Affairs
The model estimates a medical device role 6.3% below the same role in pharma.
| Level | Pharmaceuticals | Biotechnology | Medical Devices |
|---|---|---|---|
| Specialist | $95,000 | $93,000 | $89,000 |
| Manager | $156,000 | $153,000 | $146,000 |
| Director | $237,000 | $232,000 | $222,000 |
Quality Assurance
The model estimates a medical device role 6.7% above the same role in pharma.
| Level | Pharmaceuticals | Biotechnology | Medical Devices |
|---|---|---|---|
| Specialist, Analyst or Engineer | $91,000 | $93,000 | $97,000 |
| Manager | $133,000 | $136,000 | $142,000 |
| Director | $210,000 | $215,000 | $225,000 |
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Every table the salary model supports, free:
- Every level in regulatory affairs and in life science quality
- Pharma, biotech and medical devices at each level
- Six quality specialties, from QC to clinical quality
- 32 countries, in US dollars and local currency
- What company size, experience, degrees and credentials add
How these figures are made
Every figure is an estimate from the Regulatory Jobs salary model (method of October 25, 2026): annual base salary in US dollars, before bonus and equity. Level medians come from the pay employers published on 429 regulatory and 1,017 quality postings on Regulatory Jobs; industry, country, company size, experience and credentials are applied as factors. The typical range is where half of posted salaries at a level sit. Estimates are not offers.