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.
Compliance Officer Salary (2026): Data, Outlook & How to Become One
Compliance Officers earn a median of $80,730 per year ($38.81/hr) (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Employment is projected to grow 3.0% through 2034, with about 33,300 openings a year (BLS EP, 2024–2034). Typical entry-level education: Bachelor's degree.
SOC 13-1041Business and Financial OperationsLast updated August 15, 2026
- Median pay
- $80,730
- Projected growth
- +3.0%
- Openings a year
- 33,300
- Typical education
- Bachelor's
BLS OEWS, May 2025
BLS EP, 2024–2034
BLS EP, 2024–2034
BLS EP, 2024–2034
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How much do Compliance Officers make?
10th percentile$48,220
Entry / lowest-paid tenth
25th percentile$61,280
Lower quartile
Median (50th)$80,730
Half earn more, half earn less
75th percentile$109,010
Upper quartile
90th percentile$133,720
Top-paid tenth
| 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, Compliance Officers 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 67% of the 923 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.
Which states pay Compliance Officers the most?
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $111,030 | $101,027 | 4,380 |
| Massachusetts | $102,060 | $96,504 | 13,190 |
| New Jersey | $100,000 | $91,908 | 13,310 |
| California | $96,980 | $87,590 | 49,880 |
| Connecticut | $91,810 | $88,611 | 3,610 |
| Delaware | $91,050 | $91,225 | 2,150 |
| Vermont | $90,420 | $92,305 | 1,960 |
| New York | $90,080 | $83,468 | 23,500 |
| Washington | $88,790 | $82,971 | 11,130 |
| Rhode Island | $87,620 | $85,667 | 970 |
Is Compliance Officer a growing career?
Compliance Officers3.0%
All US occupations3.1%
+3.0% projected growth vs 3.1% for all occupations.
About as fast as average
BLS projects employment of Compliance Officers to change 3.0% over 2024–2034, against 3.1% projected for all occupations. That is 12,300 more jobs.
Annual openings
About 33,300 openings are projected each year, 8.0% of the 418,000 jobs that existed in 2024. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.
Demand for compliance officers will stem from the need for businesses and government agencies to comply with various laws and regulations. Compliance officers will be needed to understand the complexities of these regulations and to help their employers avoid the costs associated with noncompliance.
How to become a Compliance Officer
Compliance officers typically need a bachelor’s degree to enter the occupation. They often receive training on the job. Employers may prefer or require candidates to have experience related to the position.
| Typical entry-level education | Bachelor's degree |
|---|---|
| Preparation needed (O*NET job zone) | Medium preparation |
| Work experience in a related occupation | None |
| Typical on-the-job training | Moderate-term on-the-job training |
What does a Compliance Officer do?
Examine, evaluate, and investigate eligibility for or conformity with laws and regulations governing contract compliance of licenses and permits, and perform other compliance and enforcement inspection and analysis activities not classified elsewhere.
Compliance officers make sure that people and organizations meet legal and regulatory requirements.
Day-to-day tasks
- Warn violators of infractions or penalties.
- Advise licensees or other individuals or groups concerning licensing, permit, or passport regulations.
- Evaluate applications, records, or documents to gather information about eligibility or liability issues.
- Report law or regulation violations to appropriate boards or agencies.
- Confer with or interview officials, technical or professional specialists, or applicants to obtain information or to clarify facts relevant to licensing decisions.
- Prepare reports of activities, evaluations, recommendations, or decisions.
- Identify compliance issues that require follow-up or investigation.
- Keep informed regarding pending industry changes, trends, or best practices.
O*NET core tasks, ordered by reported importance.
Where compliance officers work
| Government, excluding state and local education and hospitals | 37% |
|---|---|
| Finance and insurance | 12% |
| Professional, scientific, and technical services | 9% |
| Healthcare and social assistance | 8% |
| Manufacturing | 4% |
BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2024–2034 edition.
Core skills
- Reading Comprehension4.0/5
- Speaking3.9/5
- Active Listening3.8/5
- Writing3.8/5
- Critical Thinking3.5/5
- Monitoring3.4/5
- Active Learning3.0/5
- Learning Strategies2.9/5
Transferable skills
- Judgment and Decision Making3.6/5
- Social Perceptiveness3.5/5
- Persuasion3.3/5
- Complex Problem Solving3.3/5
- Time Management3.3/5
- Coordination3.1/5
- Negotiation3.1/5
- Service Orientation3.1/5
Tools and software
- Data base user interface and query software · in demand
- Electronic mail software · in demand
- Office suite software · in demand
- Operating system software · in demand
- Presentation software · in demand
- Spreadsheet software · in demand
- Word processing software · in demand
- Computer based training software
- Graphics or photo imaging software
- Optical character reader OCR or scanning software
“In demand” marks an O*NET Employer-Based Hot Technology, software named in real job postings for this occupation.
What personality type suits a Compliance Officer?
Interest profile: O*NET Occupational Interests, scored 1–7
Realistic2.5
Investigativeprimary3.1
Artistic1.0
Social3.0
Enterprisingprimary4.1
Conventionalprimary6.3
Day to day this is work built around organising, following procedures and working precisely with data, combined with leading, persuading, selling and making decisions.
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.
Compliance Officer: frequently asked questions
How much do Compliance Officers make?
Compliance Officers earn a median of $80,730 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). That is 58% above the $50,980 median for all US occupations. That works out at $38.81/hr. The middle half earn between $61,280 and $109,010. The top 10% earn $133,720 or more.
Do you need a degree to become a Compliance Officer?
Yes. BLS reports a bachelor's degree as the typical entry-level education for Compliance Officers, 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.
Is Compliance Officer a growing career?
It is stable rather than fast-growing: employment is projected to change 3.0% over 2024–2034, about the same as the 3.1% projected across all occupations (BLS EP, 2024–2034). BLS still projects about 33,300 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does a Compliance Officer do?
Compliance officers make sure that people and organizations meet legal and regulatory requirements. A core O*NET task: warn violators of infractions or penalties. Employers most often ask for Data base user interface and query software, Electronic mail software, Office suite software.
Which states pay Compliance Officers the most?
The highest state medians for Compliance Officers are District of Columbia ($111,030), Massachusetts ($102,060), New Jersey ($100,000) (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
What personality type suits a Compliance Officer?
O*NET scores Compliance Officers 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 923 occupations in the bank.