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 23, 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
Also advertised as: Driver Examiner, Driver License Agent, Driver License Examiner, Examiner, License Examiner, License Registration Examiner.
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
There is no compliance officer licence in the United States and no required certification. What is genuinely regulated is the designation: several federal rules require a regulated firm to name a specific individual as responsible for compliance, and that named person carries the obligation even though no credential is needed to hold the post. A bank's anti-money-laundering programme must include the designation of an individual responsible for coordinating and monitoring day-to-day compliance, and an SEC-registered investment adviser may not lawfully give advice unless it has designated a chief compliance officer. Neither rule names an exam, a degree or a licence. The credentials the field advertises, CCEP and CAMS among them, are voluntary and issued by private associations.
The credential path, step by step
- Understand that what the law requires is a designation, not a credential
For banks, 31 CFR 1020.210 requires an anti-money-laundering programme to include, at a minimum, a system of internal controls, independent testing, training for appropriate personnel, risk-based customer due diligence, and "designation of an individual or individuals responsible for coordinating and monitoring day-to-day compliance", the role usually titled BSA officer. For investment advisers, SEC rule 275.206(4)-7 makes it unlawful for a registered adviser to provide investment advice unless it adopts and implements written compliance policies and procedures, reviews them at least annually, and designates a supervised person as chief compliance officer responsible for administering them.
- Note what those rules deliberately do not say
Neither rule specifies an educational qualification, an examination or a licence for the designated person. The regulatory expectation is competence and authority within the firm, assessed through supervision and examination of the firm, rather than a credential granted in advance. This is why compliance hiring is driven by domain experience in one regulated sector rather than by a transferable qualification.
- Build depth in one regulated domain rather than breadth across several
The obligations follow the sector: bank secrecy and anti-money-laundering rules for depository institutions, the Advisers Act compliance rule for investment advisers, and separate regimes for healthcare, government contracting, export control and others. The designation you might one day hold is defined by that sector's regulator, so the experience that qualifies you is sector-specific.
- Add a voluntary certification only where the sector expects it
The Compliance Certification Board's CCEP, administered through the Society of Corporate Compliance and Ethics, requires at least one year in a full-time compliance position or 1,500 hours of direct compliance job duties earned within the two years before application, with duties matching its published content outline, followed by a 115-question examination taken in two hours. ACAMS's CAMS requires ACAMS membership and 40 eligibility credits, which can be earned through education (10 for an associate degree, 20 for a bachelor's, 30 for a master's, 40 for a JD or PhD, in any field from an accredited institution), work experience at 10 credits per year, and financial-crime-related training at 1 credit per hour.
- How long the training takes
There is no required programme, no accredited curriculum and no licensing pathway. The only stated time requirements come from the voluntary credentials: the CCEP asks for one year in a full-time compliance role or 1,500 hours of direct compliance duties within the previous two years, and the CAMS credit system awards 10 credits per year of work experience against a 40-credit threshold that a bachelor's degree alone half fills.
- Continuing education
Not required
Nothing attaches to the regulatory designation itself. Each voluntary certification sets its own recertification cycle and credit requirements, and the firm-level obligation is different in kind: 31 CFR 1020.210 requires the institution to provide training for appropriate personnel as part of its anti-money-laundering programme, and rule 275.206(4)-7 requires an adviser to review the adequacy of its policies and procedures at least annually.
Licensing and state variation
Not a state license
No state licenses compliance officers. The requirements attach to the regulated entity and to the federal or state regulator that supervises it, so what changes your obligations is the industry you work in, not the state you live in. Where a compliance role does carry a personal registration, it is because of the underlying activity rather than the compliance title: a compliance officer at a broker-dealer who supervises registered persons, for instance, is registered because of that supervisory role.
Who governs the credential
- Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) — Writes the anti-money-laundering programme rules that require a bank to designate an individual or individuals responsible for coordinating and monitoring day-to-day compliance. It designates no one itself and issues no credential to the person named.
- US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) — Requires every registered investment adviser to designate a supervised person as chief compliance officer to administer its written compliance policies and procedures. The rule sets no qualification for that individual.
- Compliance Certification Board (CCB) — Awards the Certified Compliance and Ethics Professional (CCEP), a voluntary certification administered through the Society of Corporate Compliance and Ethics with an experience prerequisite and a written examination.
- Association of Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialists (ACAMS) — Awards the Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist (CAMS), a voluntary certification open to members who accumulate 40 eligibility credits from education, work experience and financial-crime training.
Credential detail for compliance officers is researched by hand from the bodies that issue it, not derived from BLS or O*NET. Sources last checked August 23, 2026. Requirements change: confirm with your own state board before enrolling in anything.
- eCFR, 31 CFR 1020.210: Anti-money laundering program requirements for banks · checked August 23, 2026
- eCFR, 17 CFR 275.206(4)-7: Compliance procedures and practices · checked August 23, 2026
- SCCE / Compliance Certification Board: Certified Compliance and Ethics Professional (CCEP) · checked August 23, 2026
- SCCE: Certification Exam Information · checked August 23, 2026
- ACAMS: CAMS Certification · checked August 23, 2026
- ACAMS: CAMS exam eligibility rules · checked August 23, 2026
What the federal data says
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.
Working conditions and hours
Most compliance officers work full time, standard schedules. They sometimes need to work longer hours, such as when conducting research for an investigation.
Working with people
- Constant contact with other people
- Dealing with customers or the public is very important
Pressure and stakes
- Handling conflict situations at least monthly
Schedules: BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2024–2034 edition. Conditions: O*NET Work Context survey, showing only the signals people in the job report decisively one way or the other.
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.
How long does it take to become a Compliance Officer?
There is no required programme, no accredited curriculum and no licensing pathway. The only stated time requirements come from the voluntary credentials: the CCEP asks for one year in a full-time compliance role or 1,500 hours of direct compliance duties within the previous two years, and the CAMS credit system awards 10 credits per year of work experience against a 40-credit threshold that a bachelor's degree alone half fills.
Do you need a license to work as a Compliance Officer?
Not a state license. No state licenses compliance officers. The requirements attach to the regulated entity and to the federal or state regulator that supervises it, so what changes your obligations is the industry you work in, not the state you live in. Where a compliance role does carry a personal registration, it is because of the underlying activity rather than the compliance title: a compliance officer at a broker-dealer who supervises registered persons, for instance, is registered because of that supervisory role.