How Much Does a Compliance Officer Make in 2025?
Compliance officers typically ensure that people, departments, and organizations meet legal and regulatory requirements. They do so by staying current in relevant laws and regulations and advising individuals on how to comply.
Also, part of the job duties and responsibilities of compliance officers are to establish policies and procedures, determine compliance-related risks, administer compliance audits and trainings, investigate potential violations, document findings and recommendations, and measure the compliance program's effectiveness.
The employment for compliance officers is projected to increase by 5% from 2023 to 2033 with an estimated 34,400 job openings every year. Largest employers for compliance officers include federal, state, and local government, credit intermediation, and pharmaceutical and medicine manufacturing.
Below is an overview of the pay for compliance officers, including salary ranges, averages, and factors that affect their pay.
What is the Average Compliance Officer Salary?
As of August 7, 2025, the average salary of compliance officers in the United States is $95,804 per year and $46 per hour, with rates ranging from $34 to $57.
2025 Compliance Officer Average Salary: $95,804 per year ($46 per hour)
Meanwhile, the average monthly and weekly salaries for compliance officers are $7,984 and $1,842, respectively.
What is the Pay Range for a Compliance Officer?
According to Salary.com report, the salary range for compliance officers starts at $70,584 and can reach as high as $117,952 per year, with most earning between $82,603 and $107,397. The salary range is affected by factors like education, level of experience, and geographic location.
Compliance Officer Salary Range: $70,584 to $117,952 per year ($34 to $57 per hour)
| Percentile | By Hour | By Week | By Month | By Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th Percentile | $34 | $1,357 | $5,882 | $70,584 |
| 25th Percentile | $40 | $1,589 | $6,884 | $82,603 |
| 50th Percentile (Median) | $46 | $1,842 | $7,984 | $95,804 |
| 75th Percentile | $52 | $2,065 | $8,950 | $107,397 |
| 90th Percentile | $57 | $2,268 | $9,829 | $117,592 |
Compliance Officer Salary Factors
Experience level, place of work, and skills needed are important factors that can affect the pay for compliance officers. Here are the effects of these factors:
Years of Experience
The earnings of compliance officers increase as the experience level advances. An entry-level compliance officer earns $91,469. A senior compliance officer gets paid $93,440, while an expert level with over 8 years of experience gets paid $99,611 on average.
| Levels | Years of Experience | Average Salary per year |
|---|---|---|
| Entry Level Compliance Officer | <1 | $91,469 |
| Intermediate Level Compliance Officer | 1-2 | $91,863 |
| Senior Level Compliance Officer | 2-4 | $93,440 |
| Specialist Level Compliance Officer | 5-8 | $95,804 |
| Expert Level Compliance Officer | 8+ | $99,611 |
Place of Work
According to BLS, compliance officers working in professional, scientific, and technical services earn up to 33% more than those working in healthcare and social assistance in 2024.
| Place of work | Median Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| Professional, scientific, and technical services | $90,990 |
| Manufacturing | $85,040 |
| Finance and insurance | $79,920 |
| Government | $79,520 |
| Healthcare and social assistance | $68,590 |
Skill Set
Compliance officers with more acquired skills get higher pay. Data from Salary.com's Real-time Job Posting Salary Data Report suggests that Sarbanes-Oxley compliance skills can give the highest pay increase of 7.85%, followed by legal research skills with 7.78%.
Some important skills with higher salary increase also include regulatory environment, internal audit, audit documentation, and compliance audit.
| Skill | Demand | Salary Increase |
|---|---|---|
| Sarbanes-Oxley Compliance | 10.40% | +7.85% |
| Legal Research | 10.20% | +7.78% |
| Regulatory Environment | 10.50% | +7.53% |
| Internal Audit | 10.50% | +7.34% |
| Audit Documentation | 10.80% | +7.31% |
| Compliance Audit | 10.40% | +7.15% |
Compliance Officer Salary by City and State
The salary of compliance officers varies in individual cities and states of the US. This is because geographic location affects pay through the local economy, cost of living, and industry presence.
Highest Paying States for Compliance Officer
Based on Salary.com's salary data, the District of Columbia offers the highest median annual wage for compliance officers in the United States, at $106,074 per year.
- District of Columbia: $106,074 (or $51 per hour)
- California: $105,672 (or $51 per hour)
- Massachusetts: $104,263 (or $50 per hour)
- Washington: $103,880 (or $50 per hour)
- New Jersey: $103,842 (or $50 per hour)
Compliance Officer Salary by State
| State | Average Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| Alaska | $103,708 |
| Alabama | $88,015 |
| Arkansas | $86,549 |
| Arizona | $93,351 |
| California | $105,672 |
| Colorado | $97,749 |
| Connecticut | $102,386 |
| District of Columbia | $106,074 |
| Delaware | $97,021 |
| Florida | $90,650 |
| Georgia | $92,403 |
| Hawaii | $100,134 |
| Iowa | $91,684 |
| Idaho | $89,433 |
| Illinois | $97,653 |
| Indiana | $91,962 |
| Kansas | $91,225 |
| Kentucky | $90,152 |
| Louisiana | $91,090 |
| Massachusetts | $104,263 |
| Maryland | $98,784 |
| Maine | $93,409 |
| Michigan | $94,348 |
| Minnesota | $98,036 |
| Missouri | $91,023 |
| Mississippi | $85,438 |
| Montana | $90,449 |
| North Carolina | $91,043 |
| North Dakota | $94,635 |
| Nebraska | $90,257 |
| New Hampshire | $96,852 |
| New Jersey | $103,842 |
| New Mexico | $88,734 |
| Nevada | $94,817 |
| New York | $101,849 |
| Ohio | $93,284 |
| Oklahoma | $88,580 |
| Oregon | $97,289 |
| Pennsylvania | $95,373 |
| Rhode Island | $99,330 |
| South Carolina | $89,768 |
| South Dakota | $87,067 |
| Tennessee | $89,529 |
| Texas | $93,447 |
| Utah | $91,742 |
| Virginia | $96,475 |
| Vermont | $94,032 |
| Washington | $103,880 |
| Wisconsin | $94,242 |
| West Virginia | $86,272 |
| Wyoming | $91,876 |
Highest Paying Cities for Compliance Officer
Salary.com also reported that the city of San Jose, California is the highest-paying city for compliance officers with $120,838 per year or $58 per hour.
- San Jose, California: $120,838 (or $58 per hour)
- San Francisco, California: $119,650 (or $58 per hour)
- Oakland, California: $116,996 (or $56 per hour)
- New York, New York: $111,027 (or $53 per hour)
- Queens Village, New York: $110,309 (or $53 per hour)
Ways to Increase Your Salary as Compliance Officer
To get employed as a compliance officer, it usually requires a bachelor's degree in fields related to a specific area of compliance, such as natural science program for an environmental compliance officer. Common fields of study for a compliance officer include business, engineering, and social science.
Here is a rundown of significant ways they can raise their pay:
- Enhancing more skills and work experience: Some in-demand skills that will help increase a compliance officer's salary are governance, risk, and compliance (GRC) and compliance management. Meanwhile, having a legal background or auditing experience are important performance qualities that can lead to higher pay.
- Getting certification: Having industry-specific certification as a compliance officer is an advantage when you want to increase your earning potential and differentiate yourself from other employees. Examples of these certifications include Certified Regulatory Compliance Manager (CRCM) and Certified in Healthcare Compliance (CHC).
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Accessing top industries: For compliance officers, these are some of the highest-paying industries according to Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports:
- Web search portals, libraries, archives, and other information services: $126,290
- Aerospace product and parts manufacturing: $118,070
- Computer and peripheral equipment manufacturing: $115,490
- Electric power generation, transmission, and distribution: $112,760
- Natural gas distribution: $110,660
Average National Salaries by Source
As of August 7, 2025, the following are the reported salaries for compliance officers from five top salary-reporting sites, averaging $89,473.20 (unweighted) across these sources.
SALARY.COM AVG. SALARY
$95,804/ year
TALENT.COM AVG. SALARY
$40,755/ year
GLASSDOOR AVG. SALARY
$122,439/ year
COMPARABLY AVG. SALARY
$89,419/ year
ZIPRECRUITER AVG. SALARY
$98,949/ year
