What is the salary and career path for a compliance manager?
Compliance manager is reported within Compliance Officers (SOC 13-1041); the code's OEWS May 2025 median is $80,730 a year ($38.81 an hour), but because managers lead the program rather than execute individual reviews, they generally earn toward the $109,010 75th percentile and the $133,720 90th percentile the code reaches in regulated industries. BLS projects the code to grow 3% over 2024–2034, slower than average, with roughly 33,300 openings a year. The role is reached after years in compliance, usually with a bachelor's degree, and credentials such as SCCE's CCEP and the ABA's CRCM signal program-leadership expertise.
- Compliance Managers earn a national median $80,730/yr ($38.81/hr) (BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 13-1041); the top 10% clear $133,720.
- Compliance manager is reported within Compliance Officers (SOC 13-1041); as program leaders, managers generally earn toward the $109,010 75th percentile and the $133,720 top decile.
- BLS projects the code to grow 3% through 2034, slower than average, with roughly 33,300 openings a year.
- The role is reached after years in compliance, usually with a bachelor's degree, with SCCE's CCEP and the ABA's CRCM the program-leadership credentials.
Career Path
How do you become a compliance manager?
Compliance officer / analyst
Executing reviews and investigations, a compliance officer sits around the $80,730 median before moving into management.
Compliance Manager
Leading a compliance program and team earns toward the $109,010 75th percentile of the code.
Senior compliance manager
Owning compliance across business lines pushes pay toward the $133,720 90th percentile.
Director / Chief Compliance Officer
Owning enterprise compliance strategy reaches the top of the range and, at CCO level, beyond it.
BLS Salary Data
Which state pays compliance managers the most in 2026?
Source: BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 13-1041. National median: $80,730. Full salary guide →
Pay Comparison
How does compliance manager pay compare to related roles?
Head-to-head against the roles compliance managers most often weigh against. BLS OEWS May 2025 medians.
Takeaway: compliance managers rank 4 of 4 on median pay among the comparable roles above, with a projected +3% employment change 2024–34 (BLS Employment Projections). Pay position and projected demand together are what determine how quickly compliance managers clear offers across the GlobalCybers placement network.
Methodology & Sources
How this guide is sourced and reviewed
Wages (BLS): All median and percentile figures are BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 13-1041 (compliance managers) and the matching SOC codes for each comparison role. OEWS is sampled on a rolling 3-year basis and published ~10 months after collection, so treat it as a firm anchor rather than a spot rate.
Job growth: Projected 2024–34 employment change, and the average annual openings figure, are from the BLS Employment Projections program, by occupation. Openings are a per-year average over the projection decade, not a decade total.
Licensing & credentials:Requirements are drawn from the issuing state licensing boards and the certifying body behind each credential — not from third-party aggregators.
Demand signal:Any statement about how quickly this role clears offers reflects GlobalCybers placement request volume across the trailing 12 months — our own network data, offered as a directional real-world indicator alongside BLS, not a market-wide survey.
Credentials
What licences and certifications do compliance managers need?
The typical entry credential; business, finance or law are common. See all state licences →
SCCE's general compliance credential, well suited to program leadership.
The American Bankers Association credential for managing banking-regulation compliance.
ACAMS's credential for leading AML and financial-crime compliance.
Tools & Software
What tools and software do compliance managers use on the job?
⚙️ Core Tools & Equipment
📊 BLS Employment Data, SOC 13-1041
Salary Levers
How do compliance managers earn above the $80,730 BLS median?
Lead in a highly regulated industry
Managing compliance in banking, securities or pharma lifts pay toward the $109,010 upper band.
Hold a program-leadership credential
A CCEP, CRCM or CAMS supports the move into and above the manager band.
Advance to chief compliance officer
Owning enterprise compliance strategy reaches the $133,720 top decile and beyond at CCO level.
This Route vs. College
Is becoming a compliance manager worth it vs. a 4-year degree?
The entry route into this role, set against a four-year degree. Same starting line, side by side.
Entry-level (10th percentile) and all-level median wages: BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 13-1041. Student-debt figure: median federal borrower balance for bachelor's-degree completers. Starting-salary comparison is illustrative and varies by field and region.
FAQ
Compliance Manager Career, Frequently Asked Questions
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