Side-by-side distribution
Clinical Research
$68,650
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 36.1%
- Live roles
- 1,100
Regulatory Affairs
$142,500
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 39.8%
- Live roles
- 440
Highest-paying jobs
Senior Clinical Research Associate - Oncology (US)
Associate Medical Director, Clinical Research
Associate Medical Director, Clinical Research
Clinical AI Researcher
Client Relationship Associate Director, Connected Devices PM (Clinical Research)
Associate Clinical Research Director
Clinical Research Clinician, Associate Director
Associate Principal Scientist, Clinical Research
Clinical Research Associate - Sponsor Dedicated
Clinical Research Associate 2, IQVIA
Highest-paying jobs
Associate Director, Regulatory Affairs (on-site)
Associate Regulatory Affairs Strategy Director (Oncology)
Regulatory Affairs- Senior Manager, Globalization (Registrations)
Regulatory Affairs Senior Manager, Regulatory Information & Content Management
Senior Regulatory Affairs Manager – Digital Solutions (on-site)
Associate Director Regulatory Affairs – Vascular (on-site)
Associate Director, Regulatory Affairs
Associate Director, CMC Regulatory Affairs
Sr Manager Regulatory Affairs- LATAM
Senior Manager, Government & Regulatory Affairs
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
University of Pennsylvania
|
$50,366 | 48 |
|
IQVIA
|
$121,275 | 46 |
Washington University in St. Louis
|
$68,250 | 44 |
| WC Worldwide Clinical Trials | $145,000 | 35 |
| MG Mass General Brigham | $52,010 | 31 |
ICON plc
|
$124,335 | 24 |
| FO Fortrea | $110,000 | 11 |
University of Kansas Medical Center
|
$76,000 | 11 |
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
|
Abbott
|
$150,000 | 16 |
|
BD
|
$90,646 | 14 |
Regeneron
|
$142,000 | 12 |
| ME Medtronic | $93,000 | 7 |
Johnson & Johnson
|
$115,253 | 6 |
Gilead Sciences
|
$164,288 | 5 |
Stryker
|
$103,600 | 5 |
|
Corcept Therapeutics
|
$151,450 | 3 |
Clinical Research salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco | $132,650 | 6 |
| New York | $124,335 | 5 |
| Los Angeles | $124,335 | 4 |
| Denver | $113,544 | 6 |
| Seattle | $102,753 | 3 |
| Chicago | $65,770 | 16 |
| Austin | $53,454 | 5 |
| Boston | $52,010 | 33 |
Regulatory Affairs salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco | $173,063 | 6 |
| Boston | $172,500 | 9 |
| New York | $135,000 | 6 |
| London | $106,691 | 4 |
| Denver | $97,500 | 3 |
Clinical Research vs Regulatory Affairs: which pays more?
The median for Clinical Research is $68,650 per year (typically $58,708–$110,000), versus $142,500 for Regulatory Affairs ($105,738–$171,000). That puts Regulatory Affairs about 108% ahead at the median.
Both figures are computed live from active listings on JobsRadar and normalized to annualized USD, so Clinical Research and Regulatory Affairs are compared on equal terms regardless of the currency each role was originally posted in. Only roles that publish a salary range feed the medians; numbers refresh every few hours as new roles post and older ones close, so this comparison reflects the market right now rather than a fixed survey. Use it as a directional benchmark when weighing one path against the other.