Compliance Officers
Compliance Officers (SOC 13-1041) earn a median $80,730 a year ($38.81 an hour) in the United States, with 417,070 employed as of May 2025; the highest-paying state is District of Columbia.
What compliance officers do
Compliance officers examine whether people, businesses, and organizations are meeting the laws, regulations, and conditions attached to licenses, permits, and contracts. The group is broad, and O*NET specialties under it include environmental compliance inspectors, equal opportunity representatives and officers, government property inspectors and investigators, coroners, regulatory affairs specialists, and customs brokers. Typical tasks are evaluating applications, records, and documents to find out whether someone is eligible for a license or permit, advising licensees and other groups about the requirements they must meet, and warning violators of infractions or penalties. Compliance officers write reports of their activities, evaluations, and recommendations or decisions. Financial examiners, tax examiners and collectors, revenue agents, and occupational health and safety specialists belong to other occupations. They also report law or regulation violations to the appropriate boards or agencies and interview officials and specialists to clarify facts relevant to licensing decisions.
Also called: Air Pollution Compliance Inspector, Certified Driver Examiner (CDE), Certified Driver License Test Administrator, Compliance Analyst, Compliance Coordinator.
National wage percentiles, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $23.18 | $29.46 | $38.81 | $52.41 | $64.29 | $42.50 | 417,070 |
| Annual | $48,220 | $61,280 | $80,730 | $109,010 | $133,720 | $88,400 | ||
Employment per 1,000 jobs and the location quotient are area measures; they appear in the state and metro tables below. To see what a wage in this range leaves after tax, use FastCalc's take-home pay calculator.
Where compliance officers earn and work most
Five highest-paying states
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| District of Columbia | Hourly | $33.24 | $40.67 | $53.38 | $63.92 | $75.36 | $54.53 | 4,380 | 6.25 | 2.33 |
| Annual | $69,140 | $84,590 | $111,030 | $132,960 | $156,750 | $113,410 | ||||
| Massachusetts | Hourly | $30.45 | $37.69 | $49.07 | $62.61 | $77.84 | $52.07 | 13,190 | 3.63 | 1.35 |
| Annual | $63,340 | $78,390 | $102,060 | $130,230 | $161,920 | $108,310 | ||||
| New Jersey | Hourly | $28.30 | $36.62 | $48.08 | $61.92 | $76.22 | $49.98 | 13,310 | 3.11 | 1.16 |
| Annual | $58,860 | $76,180 | $100,000 | $128,790 | $158,540 | $103,950 | ||||
| California | Hourly | $27.66 | $34.25 | $46.63 | $61.24 | $76.09 | $49.27 | 49,880 | 2.74 | 1.02 |
| Annual | $57,530 | $71,240 | $96,980 | $127,380 | $158,280 | $102,490 | ||||
| Connecticut | Hourly | $28.87 | $34.53 | $44.14 | $52.88 | $66.20 | $46.21 | 3,610 | 2.13 | 0.79 |
| Annual | $60,050 | $71,810 | $91,810 | $109,990 | $137,690 | $96,120 | ||||
Five states with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| California | Hourly | $27.66 | $34.25 | $46.63 | $61.24 | $76.09 | $49.27 | 49,880 | 2.74 | 1.02 |
| Annual | $57,530 | $71,240 | $96,980 | $127,380 | $158,280 | $102,490 | ||||
| Texas | Hourly | $21.71 | $26.30 | $36.24 | $49.87 | $61.02 | $39.14 | 42,900 | 3.05 | 1.14 |
| Annual | $45,170 | $54,700 | $75,370 | $103,730 | $126,920 | $81,400 | ||||
| Florida | Hourly | $21.21 | $24.93 | $36.02 | $49.40 | $61.26 | $38.98 | 29,680 | 2.99 | 1.11 |
| Annual | $44,130 | $51,850 | $74,920 | $102,740 | $127,420 | $81,070 | ||||
| New York | Hourly | $25.64 | $32.06 | $43.31 | $57.42 | $68.45 | $46.21 | 23,500 | 2.43 | 0.90 |
| Annual | $53,330 | $66,670 | $90,080 | $119,430 | $142,370 | $96,120 | ||||
| Pennsylvania | Hourly | $24.00 | $30.43 | $41.15 | $62.98 | $62.98 | $44.82 | 19,810 | 3.27 | 1.22 |
| Annual | $49,910 | $63,280 | $85,580 | $130,990 | $130,990 | $93,230 | ||||
Five highest-paying metropolitan areas
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | Hourly | $33.36 | $43.65 | $59.49 | $75.05 | $96.91 | $61.77 | 2,690 | 2.37 | 0.88 |
| Annual | $69,380 | $90,790 | $123,730 | $156,100 | $201,570 | $128,490 | ||||
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | Hourly | $31.18 | $40.39 | $57.16 | $72.44 | $86.13 | $58.72 | 7,500 | 3.16 | 1.18 |
| Annual | $64,850 | $84,000 | $118,890 | $150,670 | $179,150 | $122,140 | ||||
| Bellingham, WA | Hourly | $29.89 | $39.67 | $52.67 | $59.06 | $60.66 | $49.23 | 640 | 6.97 | 2.60 |
| Annual | $62,170 | $82,510 | $109,550 | $122,840 | $126,170 | $102,400 | ||||
| El Centro, CA | Hourly | $26.37 | $34.25 | $51.32 | $61.26 | $62.91 | $48.86 | 840 | 12.90 | 4.81 |
| Annual | $54,850 | $71,240 | $106,750 | $127,420 | $130,850 | $101,630 | ||||
| Brunswick-St. Simons, GA | Hourly | $29.68 | $46.86 | $51.12 | $55.73 | $64.17 | $50.46 | 670 | 14.37 | 5.36 |
| Annual | $61,740 | $97,470 | $106,330 | $115,920 | $133,470 | $104,960 | ||||
Five metropolitan areas with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | Hourly | $28.36 | $36.37 | $48.58 | $61.92 | $77.25 | $50.32 | 23,380 | 2.46 | 0.92 |
| Annual | $58,990 | $75,660 | $101,050 | $128,790 | $160,670 | $104,670 | ||||
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | Hourly | $26.80 | $34.24 | $45.58 | $59.72 | $70.36 | $47.47 | 17,700 | 2.82 | 1.05 |
| Annual | $55,740 | $71,230 | $94,810 | $124,210 | $146,350 | $98,740 | ||||
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | Hourly | $29.19 | $37.25 | $48.17 | $61.53 | $71.49 | $50.06 | 13,820 | 4.41 | 1.64 |
| Annual | $60,710 | $77,470 | $100,200 | $127,980 | $148,700 | $104,120 | ||||
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | Hourly | $22.75 | $27.56 | $37.38 | $50.75 | $63.86 | $40.43 | 12,530 | 3.10 | 1.15 |
| Annual | $47,320 | $57,320 | $77,760 | $105,570 | $132,830 | $84,090 | ||||
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | Hourly | $31.27 | $38.77 | $49.97 | $63.19 | $78.07 | $53.29 | 10,920 | 4.04 | 1.51 |
| Annual | $65,040 | $80,640 | $103,940 | $131,430 | $162,390 | $110,840 | ||||
Top industries employing compliance officers
Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation) employ 16.0% of compliance officers nationally (66,840 jobs) at a median $105,660 a year ($50.80 an hour), followed by State Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) (10.6%) and Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) (7.6%).
| Industry | Employment | Share of occupation | Median annual | Median hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation) NAICS 999100 | 66,840 | 16.0% | $105,660 | $50.80 |
| State Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) NAICS 999200 | 44,300 | 10.6% | $67,390 | $32.40 |
| Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) NAICS 999300 | 31,750 | 7.6% | $68,650 | $33.00 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises NAICS 551100 | 23,550 | 5.6% | $88,660 | $42.63 |
| Credit Intermediation and Related Activities (5221 and 5223 only) NAICS 5220A1 | 15,140 | 3.6% | $84,590 | $40.67 |
Share is the industry's employment over the occupation's national employment (417,070). Industries whose employment BLS withheld are not ranked.
Published medians, May 2021 to May 2025
BLS published a median annual wage of $71,650 for compliance officers in May 2021 and $80,730 in May 2025, with employment of 334,340 and 417,070.
| Release | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2021 | $71,650 | $34.45 | 334,340 |
| May 2022 | $71,690 | $34.47 | 359,640 |
| May 2023 | $75,670 | $36.38 | 383,620 |
| May 2024 | $78,420 | $37.70 | 397,770 |
| May 2025 | $80,730 | $38.81 | 417,070 |
BLS does not design OEWS as a time series: each release pools three years of samples, and occupational classifications, area definitions and estimation methods change between releases, so a difference between two releases is not a measure of change over time. The figures are shown as published, side by side, and nothing is computed from them. See how often OEWS is updated.
Every state, by median wage
51 states and DC publish a row for this occupation. A linked state has its own page with the within-state metro table and comparison; the others appear here only.
| Rank | State | Median hourly | Median annual | 10th pct (annual) | 90th pct (annual) | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia profile | $53.38 | $111,030 | $69,140 | $156,750 | 4,380 | 6.25 | 2.33 |
| 2 | Massachusetts profile | $49.07 | $102,060 | $63,340 | $161,920 | 13,190 | 3.63 | 1.35 |
| 3 | New Jersey profile | $48.08 | $100,000 | $58,860 | $158,540 | 13,310 | 3.11 | 1.16 |
| 4 | California profile | $46.63 | $96,980 | $57,530 | $158,280 | 49,880 | 2.74 | 1.02 |
| 5 | Connecticut profile | $44.14 | $91,810 | $60,050 | $137,690 | 3,610 | 2.13 | 0.79 |
| 6 | Delaware profile | $43.78 | $91,050 | $51,930 | $137,540 | 2,150 | 4.43 | 1.65 |
| 7 | Vermont profile | $43.47 | $90,420 | $53,570 | $118,270 | 1,960 | 6.44 | 2.40 |
| 8 | New York profile | $43.31 | $90,080 | $53,330 | $142,370 | 23,500 | 2.43 | 0.90 |
| 9 | Washington profile | $42.69 | $88,790 | $60,650 | $142,350 | 11,130 | 3.14 | 1.17 |
| 10 | Rhode Island profile | $42.13 | $87,620 | $60,000 | $135,260 | 970 | 1.93 | 0.72 |
| 11 | Minnesota profile | $41.31 | $85,920 | $55,830 | $134,040 | 6,140 | 2.08 | 0.78 |
| 12 | Pennsylvania profile | $41.15 | $85,580 | $49,910 | $130,990 | 19,810 | 3.27 | 1.22 |
| 13 | Maryland profile | $40.73 | $84,720 | $56,310 | $132,620 | 10,100 | 3.65 | 1.36 |
| 14 | Maine profile | $40.26 | $83,740 | $50,480 | $118,060 | 1,790 | 2.80 | 1.04 |
| 15 | Oregon profile | $39.90 | $82,990 | $55,200 | $120,950 | 5,360 | 2.73 | 1.02 |
| 16 | New Hampshire profile | $39.81 | $82,800 | $54,980 | $123,020 | 1,730 | 2.54 | 0.95 |
| 17 | Hawaii profile | $39.71 | $82,590 | $53,270 | $117,350 | 1,270 | 2.02 | 0.75 |
| 18 | Colorado profile | $39.64 | $82,450 | $57,990 | $133,520 | 7,740 | 2.69 | 1.00 |
| 19 | Illinois profile | $38.73 | $80,550 | $50,040 | $132,290 | 10,650 | 1.75 | 0.65 |
| 20 | Virginia profile | $38.65 | $80,380 | $48,640 | $133,620 | 15,190 | 3.70 | 1.38 |
| 21 | Wyoming profile | $38.41 | $79,890 | $51,110 | $132,360 | 580 | 2.07 | 0.77 |
| 22 | North Dakota profile | $38.19 | $79,440 | $56,260 | $116,370 | 990 | 2.32 | 0.86 |
| 23 | Wisconsin profile | $37.89 | $78,800 | $56,010 | $125,160 | 5,710 | 1.94 | 0.72 |
| 24 | Indiana profile | $37.87 | $78,770 | $47,650 | $134,820 | 5,120 | 1.60 | 0.60 |
| 25 | North Carolina profile | $37.74 | $78,500 | $45,690 | $131,180 | 11,320 | 2.29 | 0.85 |
| 26 | Nevada profile | $37.64 | $78,290 | $43,120 | $124,280 | 4,400 | 2.84 | 1.06 |
| 27 | Michigan profile | $37.21 | $77,390 | $46,290 | $120,560 | 9,720 | 2.21 | 0.82 |
| 28 | Alaska profile | $36.75 | $76,430 | $47,290 | $126,920 | 920 | 2.82 | 1.05 |
| 29 | Iowa profile | $36.36 | $75,620 | $49,940 | $114,460 | 3,660 | 2.35 | 0.88 |
| 30 | South Carolina profile | $36.28 | $75,460 | $44,990 | $133,820 | 4,760 | 2.07 | 0.77 |
| 31 | Idaho profile | $36.27 | $75,450 | $42,080 | $128,750 | 1,660 | 1.93 | 0.72 |
| 32 | Texas profile | $36.24 | $75,370 | $45,170 | $126,920 | 42,900 | 3.05 | 1.14 |
| 33 | Ohio profile | $36.07 | $75,030 | $47,230 | $124,230 | 11,240 | 2.03 | 0.76 |
| 34 | Arizona profile | $36.02 | $74,920 | $47,630 | $132,620 | 12,430 | 3.84 | 1.43 |
| 35 | Florida profile | $36.02 | $74,920 | $44,130 | $127,420 | 29,680 | 2.99 | 1.11 |
| 36 | Nebraska profile | $35.54 | $73,920 | $48,060 | $115,920 | 3,470 | 3.39 | 1.26 |
| 37 | Alabama profile | $35.09 | $72,990 | $41,620 | $126,870 | 3,770 | 1.79 | 0.67 |
| 38 | South Dakota profile | $34.92 | $72,630 | $57,140 | $115,920 | 1,130 | 2.47 | 0.92 |
| 39 | Louisiana profile | $33.80 | $70,290 | $39,850 | $119,990 | 3,970 | 2.05 | 0.77 |
| 40 | Georgia profile | $33.75 | $70,200 | $42,500 | $131,210 | 14,390 | 2.94 | 1.10 |
| 41 | Kansas profile | $33.53 | $69,740 | $42,620 | $121,370 | 3,560 | 2.48 | 0.92 |
| 42 | Kentucky profile | $33.29 | $69,240 | $43,120 | $109,300 | 4,360 | 2.18 | 0.81 |
| 43 | New Mexico profile | $32.69 | $67,990 | $44,550 | $120,760 | 2,400 | 2.76 | 1.03 |
| 44 | Mississippi profile | $32.43 | $67,450 | $37,040 | $109,300 | 1,720 | 1.48 | 0.55 |
| 45 | Utah profile | $32.39 | $67,370 | $41,230 | $120,520 | 3,760 | 2.17 | 0.81 |
| 46 | Missouri profile | $32.34 | $67,270 | $44,060 | $118,850 | 7,000 | 2.39 | 0.89 |
| 47 | Montana profile | $32.05 | $66,660 | $50,350 | $109,300 | 1,480 | 2.89 | 1.08 |
| 48 | Arkansas profile | $31.10 | $64,680 | $43,160 | $132,760 | 3,120 | 2.39 | 0.89 |
| 49 | West Virginia profile | $30.90 | $64,270 | $44,420 | $115,210 | 1,720 | 2.45 | 0.91 |
| 50 | Tennessee profile | $30.75 | $63,960 | $41,460 | $117,250 | 7,990 | 2.44 | 0.91 |
| 51 | Oklahoma profile | $30.29 | $63,000 | $42,340 | $105,360 | 4,230 | 2.48 | 0.92 |
Part of Business and Financial Operations Occupations. Compare any area in the wage explorer.
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS 13-1041 Compliance Officers.
- Annual wages assume 2,080 hours a year at the hourly rate; occupations BLS publishes on one basis only show an en dash (–) on the other.
- Employment is rounded to the nearest 10 by BLS. Where BLS withholds a cell, nothing is estimated in its place.
- Top industries: nat4d_M2025_dl.xlsx in oesm25in4.zip (BLS OEWS May 2025, national, 4-digit NAICS, cross-ownership). Employment is the industry's rounded total for this occupation; industries whose employment BLS withheld (**) are not ranked.
- Published medians: national_M2021_dl.xlsx to national_M2024_dl.xlsx in oesm21nat.zip to oesm24nat.zip (BLS OEWS May 2021 to May 2024, national, cross-industry, all ownerships) and the May 2025 spine. Each release is shown as published; nothing is computed between them.
Sources
- BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018, definition of 13-1041, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- O*NET 30.1 Database, 13-1041.00, National Center for O*NET Development, USDOL/ETA (CC BY 4.0).
- OEWS May 2025 national industry-specific estimates, 4-digit NAICS (oesm25in4.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2021 national estimates (oesm21nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2022 national estimates (oesm22nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2023 national estimates (oesm23nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2024 national estimates (oesm24nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2025 national estimates (oesm25nat.zip), the site's data spine, US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
Includes information from O*NET 30.1 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, used under the CC BY 4.0 license.
Description written 2026-10-17 in our own words from the sources above.