Monitors clinical trial sites for a sponsor or research organization to confirm studies follow the protocol and protect patients. BLS does not publish separate figures for regulatory affairs specialists; it counts them within regulatory affairs specialist (SOC 13-1041), whose median pay is $80,730 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Typical entry-level education: Bachelor's degree.
- SOC 13-1041
- Business and Financial Operations
- Last updated October 9, 2026
At a glance
Clinical Research Associate in four numbers
- Median pay
- $80,730a year, or $38.81/hrBLS OEWS, May 2025Lowest 10% $48KTop 10% $134K
US median, all jobs: $50,980
- Projected growth
- +3.8%About as fast as averageBLS EP, 2025–2035This career+3.8%All jobs+3.5%
Projected employment change, 2025–2035 Item Value This career +3.8% All jobs +3.5% - Openings a year
- 32,700436,400 jobs todayBLS EP, 2025–2035
- Jobs in 2025436.4K
- Projected 2035453.1K
Employment, 2025–2035 Item Value Jobs in 2025 436.4K Projected 2035 453.1K - Typical education
- Bachelor'sneeded to enterBLS EP, 2025–2035; mix: O*NET
- Bachelor's80%
- Post-bacc certificate5%
- Master's10%
- Post-doctoral training5%
Highest education held by regulatory affairs specialists Segment Value Bachelor's 80% Post-bacc certificate 5% Master's 10% Post-doctoral training 5%
Also advertised as: CRA, Clinical Monitor, Clinical Trial Monitor, Site Monitor, Certified Clinical Research Associate.
Pay
How much do Regulatory Affairs Specialists make?
Every clinical research associate in the US, by percentile of annual wage
Median
$80,730
Middle half earn $61,280 to $109,010
- 10th
- $48,220
- 25th
- $61,280
- 75th
- $109,010
- 90th
- $133,720
All US occupations: $50,980
| Percentile | Value |
|---|---|
| 10th | $48,220 |
| 25th | $61,280 |
| Median | $80,730 |
| 75th | $109,010 |
| 90th | $133,720 |
| All US occupations | $50,980 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Median annual wage
- $80,730
- Median hourly wage
- $38.81/hr
- Mean annual wage
- $88,400
- People employed
- 417,070
Versus all US occupations
At $80,730, Regulatory Affairs Specialists earn 58% above the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $29,750 a year.
Versus business and financial operations occupations
The median is typical for the Business and Financial Operations group, where the middle occupation pays $80,730.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $133,720 or more while the bottom 10% earn $48,220, a gap of 2.8×. That is a typical spread for a US occupation.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 60% of the 1,741 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Highest-paying state
District of Columbia pays the most at $111,030, and still leads at $101,027 once local prices are taken into account.
Pay by state
Which states pay Regulatory Affairs Specialists the most?
State medians come from the same OEWS release as the national figures. The cost-of-living column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity, restating pay in national-average dollars so a high-cost state and a low-cost one can be compared directly.
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1District of Columbia | $111,030 | $101,027 | 4,380 |
| 2Massachusetts | $102,060 | $96,504 | 13,190 |
| 3New Jersey | $100,000 | $91,908 | 13,310 |
| 4California | $96,980 | $87,590 | 49,880 |
| 5Connecticut | $91,810 | $88,611 | 3,610 |
| 6Delaware | $91,050 | $91,225 | 2,150 |
| 7Vermont | $90,420 | $92,305 | 1,960 |
| 8New York | $90,080 | $83,468 | 23,500 |
| 9Washington | $88,790 | $82,971 | 11,130 |
| 10Rhode Island | $87,620 | $85,667 | 970 |
Job outlook
Is Clinical Research Associate a growing career?
Employment change over 2025–2035, against every US occupation
About as fast as average. +3.8% projected growth vs 3.5% for all occupations.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Regulatory Affairs Specialists | +3.8% |
| All US occupations | +3.5% |
Source: BLS EP, 2025–2035
About as fast as average
BLS projects employment of Regulatory Affairs Specialists to change 3.8% over 2025–2035, against 3.5% projected for all occupations. That is 16,700 more jobs.
Annual openings
About 32,700 openings are projected each year, 7.5% of the 436,400 jobs that existed in 2025. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Getting in
How to become a Clinical Research Associate
Most CRAs have a bachelor's degree in a life science, nursing, or another health field. A common path is to start as a clinical research coordinator at a hospital or academic research site, or as an in-house clinical trial assistant at a sponsor, then move into monitoring after gaining trial experience.
Training in Good Clinical Practice is expected. The Association of Clinical Research Professionals (ACRP) offers the Certified Clinical Research Associate (CCRA) credential, and the Society of Clinical Research Associates (SOCRA) offers the Certified Clinical Research Professional (CCRP), both requiring documented work experience and an exam.
- 1
Typical entry-level education
Bachelor's degree
- 2
Work experience in a related occupation
None
- 3
Typical on-the-job training
Moderate-term on-the-job training
- 4
Preparation needed (O*NET job zone)
Medium preparation
BLS Employment Projections, 2025–2035; job zone from O*NET 31.0 Database.
What education people in the job have
O*NET incumbent survey: the highest level of education reported by people already working as regulatory affairs specialists.
- Bachelor's Degree80%
- Master's Degree10%
- Post-Baccalaureate Certificate5%
- Post-Doctoral Training5%
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's Degree | 80% |
| Master's Degree | 10% |
| Post-Baccalaureate Certificate | 5% |
| Post-Doctoral Training | 5% |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
The work
What does a Clinical Research Associate do?
Clinical research associates oversee how clinical trials are run at hospitals and clinics on behalf of the drug or device company sponsoring the study, or a contract research organization. They qualify and set up new sites, train site staff on the protocol, and then visit regularly to compare data in the study database against patient medical records.
CRAs check that informed consent was properly obtained, that adverse events were reported, that investigational products were stored and dispensed correctly, and that the site follows Good Clinical Practice and FDA regulations. They write monitoring reports, follow up on problems, and close out sites at the end of a study.
Day-to-day tasks
- Evaluate and qualify research sites for new clinical trials
- Train site investigators and staff on the study protocol
- Verify case report form data against source medical records
- Confirm informed consent and adverse event reporting meet regulations
- Check investigational product storage, accountability, and dispensing
- Write monitoring visit reports and track issues to resolution
- Review regulatory documents in the trial master file
- Conduct site close-out visits at the end of a study
Typical tasks, researched by NueCareer from the sources below.
Working conditions and hours
CRAs work for pharmaceutical, biotech, and device companies and contract research organizations. Many are home-based and travel regularly to research sites, while a growing share of monitoring is done remotely. The work is detail-heavy, deadline-driven, and involves long hours reviewing records and writing reports.
Where the work happens
Indoors, climate-controlled
NeverEvery dayOutdoors in all weather
NeverEvery dayAlmost never works outdoors.
Physical demands
Sitting
NeverAlmost all the timeSeated for more than half the working day.
Standing
NeverAlmost all the timeBending or twisting
NeverAlmost all the time
Working with people
Contact with other people
NoneConstantFace-to-face discussions
NeverEvery dayDealing with the public
Not importantExtremely important
Pressure and stakes
Strict deadlines
NeverEvery dayConflict situations
NeverEvery dayCost of a mistake
Not seriousExtremely serious
Autonomy
Freedom to decide
NoneA lot
Conditions: O*NET Work Context survey. Each item has its own scale, so each dot is read against the two answers that end its own line.
Core skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Reading Comprehension4.0
- Active Listening4.0
- Writing4.0
- Speaking4.0
- Critical Thinking4.0
- Active Learning3.8
- Monitoring3.3
- Learning Strategies3.0
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Reading Comprehension | 4.0 |
| Active Listening | 4.0 |
| Writing | 4.0 |
| Speaking | 4.0 |
| Critical Thinking | 4.0 |
| Active Learning | 3.8 |
| Monitoring | 3.3 |
| Learning Strategies | 3.0 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Transferable skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Judgment and Decision Making4.0
- Complex Problem Solving3.9
- Systems Analysis3.9
- Systems Evaluation3.8
- Coordination3.4
- Time Management3.3
- Social Perceptiveness3.1
- Persuasion3.0
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Judgment and Decision Making | 4.0 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.9 |
| Systems Analysis | 3.9 |
| Systems Evaluation | 3.8 |
| Coordination | 3.4 |
| Time Management | 3.3 |
| Social Perceptiveness | 3.1 |
| Persuasion | 3.0 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Tools and software
- Data base user interface and query software · in demand
- Development environment software · in demand
- Document management software · in demand
- Electronic mail software · in demand
- Enterprise resource planning ERP software · in demand
- Office suite software · in demand
- Presentation software · in demand
- Process mapping and design software · in demand
- Project management software · in demand
- Spreadsheet software · in demand
- Word processing software · in demand
- Accounting software
“In demand” marks an O*NET Employer-Based Hot Technology, software named in real job postings for this occupation.
Personality fit
What personality type suits a Clinical Research Associate?
NueCareer estimate (Holland code CIE) built on O*NET's Regulatory Affairs Specialist profile, scored 1 to 7
| Axis | Clinical Research Associate |
|---|---|
| Realistic | 1 |
| Investigative | 4 |
| Artistic | 1 |
| Social | 3 |
| Enterprising | 5 |
| Conventional | 6 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
What the work is built around
Day to day this is work built around organising, following procedures and working precisely with data, combined with leading, persuading, selling and making decisions.
- Conventional6.3
- Enterprising4.7
- Investigative4.0
- Social2.5
- Realistic1.4
- Artistic1.0
Closest MBTI types
NueCareer fit scores: cosine similarity between each MBTI type's interest vector and this occupation's O*NET interest profile. Not a BLS or O*NET figure; the method is documented on our methodology page.
Explore further
Careers related to Clinical Research Associate
O*NET related occupations
- Business and Financial Operations
- Management
- Management
- Business and Financial Operations
- Business and Financial Operations
Government Property Inspector and Investigator
$80,730median a year
Most earn $48K to $134K
+3.8%Bachelor's - Business and Financial Operations
More business and financial operations careers
Median annual pay, with regulatory affairs specialists highlighted
- Financial Advisor$105,070
- Accountant$83,680
- Insurance Underwriter$81,370
- Coroner$80,730
- Clinical Research Associate$80,730
- Claims Adjuster, Examiner, and Investigator$78,000
- Loan Officer$76,690
- Human Resources Specialist$75,940
- Appraiser and Assessor of Real Estate$67,960
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Financial Advisor | $105,070 |
| Accountant | $83,680 |
| Insurance Underwriter | $81,370 |
| Coroner | $80,730 |
| Clinical Research Associate | $80,730 |
| Claims Adjuster, Examiner, and Investigator | $78,000 |
| Loan Officer | $76,690 |
| Human Resources Specialist | $75,940 |
| Appraiser and Assessor of Real Estate | $67,960 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
Lists Clinical Research Associate appears on
Questions
Clinical Research Associate: frequently asked questions
How much do Regulatory Affairs Specialists make?
BLS does not publish a separate wage for regulatory affairs specialists. It counts them within regulatory affairs specialist, whose median pay is $80,730 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of that occupation earn between $61,280 and $109,010, and the top 10% earn $133,720 or more.
Do you need a degree to become a Clinical Research Associate?
Yes. BLS reports a bachelor's degree as the typical entry-level education for Regulatory Affairs Specialists, and O*NET rates the preparation needed as medium preparation. BLS also lists moderate-term on-the-job training as typical on-the-job training. In O*NET's survey of people already doing the job, 80.0% hold bachelor's degree.
Is Clinical Research Associate a growing career?
It is stable rather than fast-growing: employment is projected to change 3.8% over 2025–2035, about the same as the 3.5% projected across all occupations (BLS EP, 2025–2035). BLS still projects about 32,700 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does a Clinical Research Associate do?
Clinical research associates oversee how clinical trials are run at hospitals and clinics on behalf of the drug or device company sponsoring the study, or a contract research organization. A typical task: evaluate and qualify research sites for new clinical trials. Employers most often ask for Data base user interface and query software, Development environment software, Document management software.
Which states pay Regulatory Affairs Specialists the most?
The highest state medians for Regulatory Affairs Specialists are District of Columbia ($111,030), Massachusetts ($102,060), New Jersey ($100,000) (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
What personality type suits a Clinical Research Associate?
O*NET scores Regulatory Affairs Specialists highest on the Conventional, Enterprising and Investigative interest areas, so the work mixes organising, following procedures and working precisely with data with leading, persuading, selling and making decisions. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping that lines up most closely with ESTJ personalities. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 1,731 careers in the bank.