How to become a regulatory affairs specialist
Official title: Regulatory affairs specialist
Also called: Regulatory affairs associate, Senior technical officer, Internal affairs associate, Senior internal affairs inspector, Inspector and regulatory officer, Local government administrator, Senior adviser enforcement
Regulatory affairs specialists make sure organisations are following government and industry regulations. They oversee internal audits, data collection, inspections, licences and reporting.
Main tasks
- Make sure businesses follow industry rules
- Give advice about compliance rules
- Check audits, data collections, licences and reports
- Organise paperwork for government approval
- Prepare regulatory or compliance documentation
- Explain rules, policies and procedures
- Check how laws and rules effect businesses
- Oversee business processes
How to become one
You usually need experience to become a regulatory affairs specialist and a qualification may be useful. You usually need NCEA Level 3 or University Entrance to do the study or training for this job. Other requirements: experience in similar work; a New Zealand Certificate in Regulatory Practice (Core Knowledge) (Level 3); to do intermediate or advanced training in justice and law enforcement; a relevant tertiary qualification.
Ways in
- Certificates and diplomas: Advanced certificates and diplomas in justice administration. TEC links this job to study in justice and law enforcement. Qualifications: Cert in Criminal Justice. Usually 6 months.
Pay · Past change
- Most common pay: $66,000 to $122,000 a year (median $88,000), a TEC estimate before tax.
- Lower: $52,000 a year · Upper: $160,000 a year
- TEC's pay figures are estimates only. TEC says they must not be used to set pay, in pay negotiations or in visa applications.
- Change in the number of people doing this job between the 2018 and 2023 Censuses: Strong increase (TEC). This is past change, not a forecast.
Who does this work
- About 600 people did this job at the 2023 Census (TEC).
Related jobs
- Māori cultural adviser
- Compliance manager
- Compliance officer
- Environmental compliance officer
- Court, local government and licence officer
- Foreign policy officer
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Questions people ask
How do I become a regulatory affairs specialist?
You usually need experience to become a regulatory affairs specialist and a qualification may be useful. You usually need NCEA Level 3 or University Entrance to do the study or training for this job. Other requirements: experience in similar work; a New Zealand Certificate in Regulatory Practice (Core Knowledge) (Level 3); to do intermediate or advanced training in justice and law enforcement; a relevant tertiary qualification.
How much does a regulatory affairs specialist earn in New Zealand?
The Tertiary Education Commission estimates median pay at $88,000 a year, before tax. Most common pay is $66,000 to $122,000 a year.
Has the number of people working as a regulatory affairs specialist grown in New Zealand?
It has grown strongly: TEC records a strong increase in the number of people doing this job between the 2018 and 2023 Censuses. This is past change, not a forecast.
Sources
- Tertiary Education Commission (Tahatu Career Navigator): Tahatu career ideas: descriptions, tasks, pay estimates, people employed, employment change 2018 to 2023, entry requirements, registration, interest scores (Site scrape 2026-10 (816 career ideas, sitemap lastmod 2026-10-01)), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 4 October 2026
This content is sourced from the Tertiary Education Commission through the Tahatū Career Navigator website (www.tahatu.govt.nz) and used under the CC BY 4.0 licence. All or some of the information has been modified by Peernovo. TEC has not approved, endorsed or tested these modifications. TEC will not be held accountable for any errors within this content.
Qualification information from NZQA, used under CC BY 3.0 NZ.
This work is based on/includes Stats NZ's data which are licensed by Stats NZ for reuse under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence. Census data via Figure.NZ.
Includes information from O*NET OnLine by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.
Sources: Tertiary Education Commission, Tahatū Career Navigator (career ideas, pay estimates, entry requirements and study options, CC BY 4.0, modified by Peernovo); Stats NZ, 2023 Census (via Figure.NZ) and the National Occupation List (CC BY 4.0); NZQA qualification information (CC BY 3.0 NZ); O*NET interest scores (CC BY 4.0); ILO global generative AI exposure index (CC BY 4.0). Links between career ideas and ANZSCO groups, degree fields and broad job groups are Peernovo's.
These results are not official statistics. They have been created for research purposes from the Integrated Data Infrastructure (IDI), which is carefully managed by Stats NZ.
Graduate outcomes: these results are not official statistics. They have been created for research purposes from the Integrated Data Infrastructure (IDI), which is carefully managed by Stats NZ.
Updated 4 October 2026