Compliance Officers
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.
What it pays
Compliance Officers earn a median of $38.81/hr — about $80,500 a year. The lowest-paid 10% earn $23.18/hr; the top 10% earn $64.29/hr. (Annual figures are approximate: hourly × 2,080.)
Compliance Officers earn a median of $38.81/hr — about $80,500 a year. The lowest-paid 10% earn $23.18/hr; the top 10% earn $64.29/hr. (Annual figures are approximate: hourly × 2,080.)
What you'd actually do
- Warn violators of infractions or penalties.
- Evaluate applications, records, or documents to gather information about eligibility or liability issues.
- Advise licensees or other individuals or groups concerning licensing, permit, or passport regulations.
- Prepare reports of activities, evaluations, recommendations, or decisions.
- Report law or regulation violations to appropriate boards or agencies.
- Confer with or interview officials, technical or professional specialists, or applicants to obtain information or to clarify facts relevant to licensing decisions.
How you get there
Typical entry-level education: Bachelor's degree. Overall preparation: considerable preparation (Job Zone 4 of 5).
The feel of the work
Much of the work happens outdoors; you're around people constantly. (Compared against the other 818 careers in the guide.)
Working for yourself
About 0.4% of compliance officers are self-employed.
Who it tends to fit
This work tends to fit people who are organized and detail-focused, take-charge and analytical.
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Quick questions
- How much does a compliance officer make?
- The median pay is $38.81 per hour — roughly $80,500 a year, with the real range running from about $23.18/hr (10th percentile) to $64.29/hr (90th percentile). Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
- Do you need a degree to be a compliance officer?
- The typical entry-level education is: Bachelor's degree. Overall preparation level: considerable preparation (Job Zone 4 of 5).
- What does a compliance officer actually do all day?
- Warn violators of infractions or penalties. Evaluate applications, records, or documents to gather information about eligibility or liability issues. Advise licensees or other individuals or groups concerning licensing, permit, or passport regulations.
Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS. Tasks & interests: O*NET. Career pathways shown in the app are draft archetypes — verify before relying on them. Trailhead is a free career guide for students — honest numbers, no hype.
Trailhead is operated by FLEXVermont LLC. It is intended for high-school students age 13 and older, and the educators and families who support them, and is not directed to children under 13. Trailhead is provided for general informational and educational purposes only. It does not offer professional, financial, or career advice, and its wage figures and pathways are estimates that may not fit your situation — they should not be relied on as the sole basis for any decision.
Trailhead is operated by FLEXVermont LLC. It is intended for high-school students age 13 and older, and the educators and families who support them, and is not directed to children under 13. Trailhead is provided for general informational and educational purposes only. It does not offer professional, financial, or career advice, and its wage figures and pathways are estimates that may not fit your situation — they should not be relied on as the sole basis for any decision.