Compliance Managers
Plan, direct, or coordinate activities of an organization to ensure compliance with ethical or regulatory standards.
Also called: Accreditation Lieutenant, Accreditation Manager, Anti Money Laundering Compliance Manager (AML Compliance Manager), Audit Manager, Compliance Audit Manager, Compliance Coordinator
Median pay
$141,900
Pay for the broader BLS group “Managers, All Other”
Pay range (10th–90th)
$74,300 – $238,270
People employed
622,190
Whole BLS group
Holland code
CES
Conventional · Enterprising · Social
Updated October 2026 · Data: O*NET 31.0 and BLS OEWS May 2025 · How we match careers
Is this career right for you?
These are the things that stand out in this job compared with other U.S. jobs (O*NET 31.0 work context). Answer honestly.
- 1.Are you OK working more than 40 hours a week?
- 2.Do you want to lead or coordinate other people’s work?
- 3.Do you work well under tight deadlines?
- 4.Are you OK repeating the same tasks most of the day?
- 5.Do you want a job with little physical risk?
The hard parts
- Tight deadlines are common
Compliance Managers pay by state
Highest-paying states
Annual median pay by state (50 states and DC with published data). Source: BLS OEWS May 2025, for the broader group “Managers, All Other”.
What compliance managers do
- 01Report violations of compliance or regulatory standards to duly authorized enforcement agencies as appropriate or required.
- 02Identify compliance issues that require follow-up or investigation.
- 03Discuss emerging compliance issues to ensure that management and employees are informed about compliance reporting systems, policies, and practices.
- 04File appropriate compliance reports with regulatory agencies.
- 05Maintain documentation of compliance activities, such as complaints received or investigation outcomes.
- 06Consult with corporate attorneys as necessary to address difficult legal compliance issues.
Skills that matter most
- Critical Thinking
- Reading Comprehension
- Active Listening
- Writing
- Speaking
- Active Learning
Knowledge
- Law and Government
- English Language
- Administration and Management
- Customer and Personal Service
- Personnel and Human Resources
Education and first steps
Share of workers by required education, as reported to O*NET.
How people get started
- Usually needs a bachelor's degree (O*NET Job Zone 4).
- Related work experience: over 2 years, up to and including 4 years.
- On-the-job training: over 1 month, up to and including 3 months.
- A certification can help.
Most common answers from O*NET 31.0 Education, Training and Experience.
Interest fit (Holland code)
O*NET occupational interest scores, scale 1–7. Take the Free Career Test to compare with your own.
Career changes
Change from compliance managers
- Compliance Officers92% · —
- Management Analysts90% · —
- Regulatory Affairs Specialists89% · group pay
- Compensation, Benefits, and Job Analysis Specialists87% · —
- Security Managers86% · group pay
Change into compliance managers
Jobs whose skills carry over best (skill match, their median pay).
- Equal Opportunity Representatives and Officers93% · $80,730
- Business Continuity Planners92% · $83,050
- Compliance Officers92% · $80,730
- Financial Examiners91% · $94,160
- Fraud Examiners, Investigators and Analysts91% · $81,100
Majors that lead here
- Environmental/Natural Resource Economics
- Digital Communication and Media/Multimedia
- Information Technology Project Management
- Library and Information Science
- Archives/Archival Administration
- Systems Science and Theory
- Cultural Resource Management and Policy Analysis
- Economics and Computer Science
- Economics and Foreign Language/Literature
- Geoarcheaology
- History and Language/Literature
- History and Political Science
From the NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk.