SalariesWhat the occupation covers
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. Excludes “Financial Examiners" (13-2061), “Tax Examiners and Collectors, and Revenue Agents” (13-2081), “Occupational Health and Safety Specialists” (19-5011), “Occupational Health and Safety Technicians” (19-5012), “Transportation Security Screeners” (33-9093), “Agricultural Inspectors” (45-2011), “Construction and Building Inspectors” (47-4011), and “Transportation Inspectors” (53-6051).
Official definition from the Standard Occupational Classification, code 13-1041.
The pay range
Pay differs a lot inside one occupation, with experience, employer and place. The table shows where the lines fall.
| Share of workers | A year | A month* | A week* | An hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lowest 10% earn less than | $48,220 | $4,018 | $927 | $23.18 |
| Lowest 25% earn less than | $61,280 | $5,107 | $1,178 | $29.46 |
| Median (half earn less, half more) | $80,730 | $6,728 | $1,552 | $38.81 |
| Top 25% earn more than | $109,010 | $9,084 | $2,096 | $52.41 |
| Top 10% earn more than | $133,720 | $11,143 | $2,572 | $64.29 |
* Month and week are the yearly figure divided by 12 and by 52, worked out here for convenience. BLS publishes the yearly and hourly figures.
How it compares
The median for all occupations in the United States was $50,980 a year. The median for Compliance Officers is $80,730, which is 58% higher. Among the 32 occupations of the field Business and Financial Operations, it ranks number 16 by median pay. With 417,070 jobs, it makes up about 27 of every 10,000 jobs in the country.
Compliance Officers pay by state
The highest median pay was in District of Columbia ($111,030), Massachusetts ($102,060) and New Jersey ($100,000). The lowest was in Puerto Rico ($48,950), Oklahoma ($63,000) and Tennessee ($63,960). The most jobs were in California (49,880), Texas (42,900) and Florida (29,680). The occupation is most concentrated in Virgin Islands, where its share of all jobs is 2.7 times the national share.
No state matches.
| State | Jobs | Median a year | Average a year | Median an hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | 4,380 | $111,030 | $113,410 | $53.38 |
| Massachusetts | 13,190 | $102,060 | $108,310 | $49.07 |
| New Jersey | 13,310 | $100,000 | $103,950 | $48.08 |
| California | 49,880 | $96,980 | $102,490 | $46.63 |
| Connecticut | 3,610 | $91,810 | $96,120 | $44.14 |
| Delaware | 2,150 | $91,050 | $92,020 | $43.78 |
| Vermont | 1,960 | $90,420 | $88,490 | $43.47 |
| New York | 23,500 | $90,080 | $96,120 | $43.31 |
| Washington | 11,130 | $88,790 | $96,870 | $42.69 |
| Rhode Island | 970 | $87,620 | $93,810 | $42.13 |
| Minnesota | 6,140 | $85,920 | $91,820 | $41.31 |
| Pennsylvania | 19,810 | $85,580 | $93,230 | $41.15 |
| Maryland | 10,100 | $84,720 | $91,660 | $40.73 |
| Maine | 1,790 | $83,740 | $86,600 | $40.26 |
| Oregon | 5,360 | $82,990 | $86,570 | $39.90 |
| New Hampshire | 1,730 | $82,800 | $86,540 | $39.81 |
| Hawaii | 1,270 | $82,590 | $84,920 | $39.71 |
| Colorado | 7,740 | $82,450 | $92,360 | $39.64 |
| Illinois | 10,650 | $80,550 | $87,900 | $38.73 |
| Virginia | 15,190 | $80,380 | $87,230 | $38.65 |
| Wyoming | 580 | $79,890 | $85,940 | $38.41 |
| North Dakota | 990 | $79,440 | $83,830 | $38.19 |
| Wisconsin | 5,710 | $78,800 | $84,320 | $37.89 |
| Indiana | 5,120 | $78,770 | $85,720 | $37.87 |
| North Carolina | 11,320 | $78,500 | $84,660 | $37.74 |
| Nevada | 4,400 | $78,290 | $82,690 | $37.64 |
| Michigan | 9,720 | $77,390 | $85,810 | $37.21 |
| Alaska | 920 | $76,430 | $83,430 | $36.75 |
| Iowa | 3,660 | $75,620 | $79,990 | $36.36 |
| South Carolina | 4,760 | $75,460 | $83,140 | $36.28 |
| Idaho | 1,660 | $75,450 | $82,690 | $36.27 |
| Texas | 42,900 | $75,370 | $81,400 | $36.24 |
| Ohio | 11,240 | $75,030 | $80,320 | $36.07 |
| Arizona | 12,430 | $74,920 | $82,240 | $36.02 |
| Florida | 29,680 | $74,920 | $81,070 | $36.02 |
| Nebraska | 3,470 | $73,920 | $77,850 | $35.54 |
| Alabama | 3,770 | $72,990 | $78,330 | $35.09 |
| South Dakota | 1,130 | $72,630 | $80,090 | $34.92 |
| Guam | 260 | $71,930 | $73,980 | $34.58 |
| Louisiana | 3,970 | $70,290 | $75,450 | $33.80 |
| Georgia | 14,390 | $70,200 | $79,860 | $33.75 |
| Kansas | 3,560 | $69,740 | $76,420 | $33.53 |
| Kentucky | 4,360 | $69,240 | $72,580 | $33.29 |
| New Mexico | 2,400 | $67,990 | $76,920 | $32.69 |
| Virgin Islands | 230 | $67,990 | $77,920 | $32.69 |
| Mississippi | 1,720 | $67,450 | $71,430 | $32.43 |
| Utah | 3,760 | $67,370 | $75,160 | $32.39 |
| Missouri | 7,000 | $67,270 | $74,910 | $32.34 |
| Montana | 1,480 | $66,660 | $75,270 | $32.05 |
| Arkansas | 3,120 | $64,680 | $75,510 | $31.10 |
| West Virginia | 1,720 | $64,270 | $74,330 | $30.90 |
| Tennessee | 7,990 | $63,960 | $73,980 | $30.75 |
| Oklahoma | 4,230 | $63,000 | $70,410 | $30.29 |
| Puerto Rico | 5,470 | $48,950 | $57,160 | $23.53 |
Sorted by median pay, highest first. "Not published" means BLS did not release that figure for the state, usually because too few employers were surveyed. "$239,200 or more" is the highest value BLS reports in the state tables.
Similar occupations by pay
- Logisticians$82,320 a year
- Insurance Underwriters$81,370 a year
- Financial Specialists, All Other$81,100 a year
- Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists$78,760 a year
- Cost Estimators$78,740 a year
- Insurance Appraisers, Auto Damage$78,240 a year
Common questions
How much do Compliance Officers earn in the United States?
The median pay was $80,730 a year in May 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $48,220 and the highest-paid 10% more than $133,720.
How many people work as Compliance Officers?
About 417,070 jobs in the United States in May 2025, not counting the self-employed.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Checked in November 2026. Figures are for employees, before tax, and leave out overtime pay and benefits. They are official statistics, not advice or a pay offer; see bls.gov/oes for the original tables.