Equal Opportunity Representatives and Officers
Also called: Equal Opportunity Officers
Monitor and evaluate compliance with equal opportunity laws, guidelines, and policies to ensure that employment practices and contracting arrangements give equal opportunity without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability.
Also called: Action Officer, Affirmative Action Officer (AA Officer), Appeals Coordinator, Civil Rights Investigator, Civil Rights Representative, Civil Rights Specialist
Median pay
$80,730
Pay for the broader BLS group “Compliance Officers”
Pay range (10th–90th)
$48,220 – $133,720
People employed
417,070
Whole BLS group
Holland code
ECS
Enterprising · Conventional · 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.Do you want a job with little physical risk?
- 2.Are you comfortable sitting at a desk most of the day?
- 3.Do you want a lot of freedom to make your own decisions?
- 4.Do you prefer a steady pace without constant deadlines?
The hard parts
- Dealing with conflict is part of the job
- Tight deadlines are common
Equal Opportunity Representatives and Officers 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 “Compliance Officers”.
Equal Opportunity Representatives and Officers salary in every state →
What equal opportunity representatives and officers do
- 01Investigate employment practices or alleged violations of laws to document and correct discriminatory factors.
- 02Prepare reports related to investigations of equal opportunity complaints.
- 03Interview persons involved in equal opportunity complaints to verify case information.
- 04Study equal opportunity complaints to clarify issues.
- 05Interpret civil rights laws and equal opportunity regulations for individuals or employers.
- 06Meet with persons involved in equal opportunity complaints to arbitrate and settle disputes.
Skills that matter most
- Active Listening
- Reading Comprehension
- Speaking
- Critical Thinking
- Writing
- Active Learning
Knowledge
- Law and Government
- English Language
- Personnel and Human Resources
- Customer and Personal Service
- Sociology and Anthropology
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 3 months, up to and including 6 months.
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 equal opportunity representatives and officers
- Compliance Managers93% · group pay
- Human Resources Managers90% · —
- Eligibility Interviewers, Government Programs88% · —
- Social and Community Service Managers83% · —
- Human Resources Assistants, Except Payroll and Timekeeping83% · —
Change into equal opportunity representatives and officers
Jobs whose skills carry over best (skill match, their median pay).
- Arbitrators, Mediators, and Conciliators85% · $75,530
- Compliance Managers83% · $141,900
- Credit Counselors81% · $52,230
- Judicial Law Clerks81% · $64,920
- Social and Community Service Managers79% · $80,390
Majors that lead here
- Environmental Studies
- Environmental Science
- Environmental/Natural Resources Law Enforcement and Protective Services
- Energy and Environmental Policy
- Environmental Geosciences
- Suspension and Debarment Investigation
- Medical Staff Services Technology/Technician
- Regulatory Science/Affairs
- Patient Safety and Healthcare Quality
- Human Resources Management/Personnel Administration, General
- Labor and Industrial Relations
From the NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk.