What is the salary and career path for a compliance officer?
Compliance officer maps exactly to Compliance Officers (SOC 13-1041), its own BLS code; the OEWS May 2025 median is $80,730 a year ($38.81 an hour), running from $48,220 at the 10th percentile to $133,720 at the 90th in higher-paying regulated industries. BLS projects the code to grow 3% over 2024–2034, slower than average, with roughly 33,300 openings a year. Entry usually needs a bachelor's degree, and while no license is required, industry credentials such as SCCE's CCEP and ACAMS's CAMS signal specialty expertise.
- Compliance Officers earn a national median $80,730/yr ($38.81/hr) (BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 13-1041); the top 10% clear $133,720.
- Compliance officer maps exactly to Compliance Officers (SOC 13-1041), with an $80,730 OEWS May 2025 median and a $48,220-to-$133,720 range across industries.
- BLS projects the code to grow 3% through 2034, slower than average, with roughly 33,300 openings a year.
- Entry usually needs a bachelor's degree; no license is required, but credentials such as SCCE's CCEP and ACAMS's CAMS signal specialty expertise.
Career Path
How do you become a compliance officer?
Compliance analyst / specialist
Reviewing transactions, records and policies, an entry analyst sits near the $48,220 10th percentile.
Compliance Officer
Owning compliance for a function or program earns around the $80,730 median for the code.
Senior Compliance Officer
Handling complex regulatory matters and investigations pushes pay toward the $109,010 75th percentile.
Compliance manager / director
Leading a compliance program reaches the $133,720 90th percentile in regulated industries.
BLS Salary Data
Which state pays compliance officers the most in 2026?
Source: BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 13-1041. National median: $80,730. Full salary guide →
Pay Comparison
How does compliance officer pay compare to related roles?
Head-to-head against the roles compliance officers most often weigh against. BLS OEWS May 2025 medians.
Takeaway: compliance officers 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 officers 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 officers) 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 officers need?
The typical entry credential; business, finance, accounting or law are common. See all state licences →
Issued by the Society of Corporate Compliance and Ethics (SCCE), the general compliance credential.
ACAMS's credential, the standard for AML and financial-crime compliance work.
The American Bankers Association credential for banking-regulation compliance.
Tools & Software
What tools and software do compliance officers use on the job?
⚙️ Core Tools & Equipment
📊 BLS Employment Data, SOC 13-1041
Salary Levers
How do compliance officers earn above the $80,730 BLS median?
Work in a highly regulated, high-pay industry
Moving into banking, pharma or securities compliance lifts pay from the $48,220 floor toward the upper band.
Earn a specialty credential
A CCEP, CAMS or CRCM signals expertise and supports a move toward the $109,010 75th percentile.
Advance to compliance manager
Leading a compliance program reaches the $133,720 top decile of the code.
This Route vs. College
Is becoming a compliance officer 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 Officer Career, Frequently Asked Questions
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