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Final Results of the Regulatory Affairs Pro Global Survey 2025

Executive Summary
Regulatory affairs (RA) professionals in the life sciences industry are navigating a landscape defined by increasingly complex global regulations, rapid technological disruption, and internal organizational pressures. The 2025 study “Challenges and Perspectives for Regulatory Affairs Professionals” reveals pressing concerns around compensation, job security, and competitiveness, alongside emerging debates on artificial intelligence and its role in regulatory practice.

Respondent Profile
The survey drew 574 anonymized responses from professionals across all major world regions and a wide spectrum of life science sectors. Senior and mid-career specialists comprised the majority of participants, ensuring a strong perspective from experienced regulatory practitioners.
Executive Summary Chart

Professional Relationships and Cross-Functional Challenges

Findings highlight mixed experiences in dealing with national regulatory authorities (NRAs) and internal stakeholders. A recurring theme is commercial urgency clashing with regulatory rigor—what many respondents described as a “Triangle-versus-Square” tension. Regulatory teams frequently face unrealistic timelines, a lack of cross-functional understanding, delays in obtaining critical inputs, and resistance to compliance requirements.
Cross-Functional Challenges Chart

Job Market Competitiveness, Compensation, and Security

Perceptions of job-market competitiveness were notably high. Respondents cited barriers to entry-level professionals, difficulty differentiating skillsets, outsourcing trends, and downward pressure on salaries. Compensation was widely viewed as inadequate, with concerns about undervaluation of the RA role, lack of transparency, and stagnant growth compared to rising living costs. Job security appeared mixed, with recurring worries about corporate restructuring, outsourcing, and limited advancement pathways.
Job Market Chart
Compensation Chart

AI Influence and Technological Transformation

Awareness of AI’s role in regulatory affairs was moderate, but most professionals anticipated major impacts within five years. Expected benefits included efficiency gains, reduced manual workload, stronger compliance monitoring, and more advanced data analysis. However, concerns remain regarding job displacement, reskilling demands, data reliability, ethical considerations, and privacy. Respondents strongly favored human-in-the-loop oversight and requested practical training formats such as workshops, tool access, and best-practice guidance.
AI Chart

Respondents’ Feedback and Survey Quality Control

Statistically robust, positively received, and shaping the benchmark for annual insights. With hundreds of professionals worldwide contributing, this report highlights key trends in job security, compensation, AI integration, and regulatory challenges — delivering trusted knowledge for the year ahead.
Survey Quality Chart
Read the full article on ResearchGate at:
Challenges and Perspectives for Regulatory Affairs Professionals in 2025