Will AI replace regulatory affairs managers?

Some tasks are already being done by AI or machines; the rest still needs a person. About 2h 5m of a typical shift is made up of tasks that AI or robots have done on their own in real use somewhere. That doesn't mean those hours are automated in a typical workplace. The other 5h 55m (74%) stays with people. Separately, BLS expects about 4.9% more of these jobs by 2035 (all jobs: +3.5%).

AI shows up regularly in 4 of 27 tasks, about 2h 5m of a typical shift. The biggest ones:

• Review all regulatory agency submission materials to ensure timeliness, accuracy, comprehensiveness, or compliance with regulatory standards. (49m a shift, AI mostly does it alone)
• Provide regulatory guidance to departments or development project teams regarding design, development, evaluation, or marketing of products. (38m a shift, AI mostly does it alone)
• Review materials such as marketing literature or user manuals to ensure that regulatory agency requirements are met. (22m a shift, AI mostly does it alone)
• Investigate product complaints and prepare documentation and submissions to appropriate regulatory agencies as necessary. (16m a shift, AI mostly does it alone)

5h 55m of a typical shift, or 74%, goes to tasks with no AI or robot evidence yet. No AI usage or robot deployment has shown up for these so far. The biggest:

• Direct the preparation and submission of regulatory agency applications, reports, or correspondence. (49m a shift)
• Develop regulatory strategies and implementation plans for the preparation and submission of new products. (38m a shift)
• Communicate regulatory information to multiple departments and ensure that information is interpreted correctly. (27m a shift)
• Maintain current knowledge of relevant regulations, including proposed and final rules. (27m a shift)
• Provide responses to regulatory agencies regarding product information or issues. (22m a shift)

Much of it comes down to where and how the work happens. In-person, hands-on and high-stakes work is where AI and robots have made the least headway so far. In the official O*NET survey of people in this job:

• 73% talk face to face with others every day

We track 1 sourced company move that affects this job. Most recent:

• Jun 2, 2025: FDA launches agencywide generative AI tool Elsa for reviewers (Rolling out)

For the 2 tasks in this job where AI shows up and timing data exists, a typical request takes about 7h 48m for a person alone and about 40m with AI. These are Claude's own estimates from real conversations in April and May 2026 (Anthropic Economic Index). They describe single requests, not whole workdays, and time saved on a task doesn't mean jobs are cut. The biggest gaps:

• Review all regulatory agency submission materials to ensure timeliness, accuracy, comprehensiveness, or compliance with regulatory standards (about 8h 8m alone, 37m with AI)
• Provide regulatory guidance to departments or development project teams regarding design, development, evaluation, or marketing of products (about 7h 28m alone, 43m with AI)

On Indeed, job postings in the Management sector are at 104% of their February 2020 level (all U.S. postings: 104%), up 8.3% from a year earlier, as of Oct 9, 2026. BLS separately expects about 101,000 openings a year in this job through 2035. Across all U.S. postings, 7.3% now mention AI skills. Sector postings cover more than this one job and move for many reasons besides AI.

The median pay is about $141,900 a year ($68.22 an hour), 178% above the median for all U.S. jobs ($50,980). Most people in this job earn between $74,300 and $238,270 a year; that range covers the middle 80%. Pay figures are from BLS, May 2025, and vary a lot by state and employer. Pick a state to compare:

BLS projects growth of 4.9% from 2025 to 2035, compared with 3.5% growth for all jobs. That's about 1.4 million jobs in 2035. It expects about 101,000 openings a year, mostly from people retiring or changing careers. These projections don't single out AI as a cause.

About 622,000 people in the U.S., roughly 0.40% of all workers (BLS, May 2025). That makes it the 67th largest of the 796 jobs on this site. BLS expects about 1.4 million in 2035.

The most common requirement is a bachelor's degree: about 74% of people in the job said so in the official O*NET survey. O*NET rates the job at level 4 of 5 for preparation, which usually means: bachelor's degree. Requirements vary by state and employer, especially for licensed work.

These come from the job's official skill ratings and from the tasks that AI and robots touch least today. Building them keeps you strong in the parts of the work that still need a person:

• Skills that matter more here than in most jobs: Systems Evaluation, Systems Analysis, Writing, Time Management
• Get strong at the parts of the job that stay with people (listed above), which take 5h 55m of a typical shift
• Tools employers list: Microsoft PowerPoint, Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft Office software, Microsoft Excel, Adobe Acrobat
• Learn to use AI well on the tasks where it already shows up in this job (listed above)

These use similar skills, with less of a typical shift touched by AI or robots. Matches come from 109 official ratings of skills, knowledge and work activities, and each needs the same or less preparation unless the official list relates the jobs directly:

• Regulatory Affairs Specialists (44m touched, $81k median pay)
• Compliance Managers (54m touched, $142k median pay)

Each task carries its own evidence label. For this job: 4 observed in real AI use, 23 with no AI or robot evidence found. The minutes per task are estimates, not measured hours, and "no evidence" doesn't prove a task is safe.