As of October 01, 2026, the average hourly rate for a Compliance Specialist III in the United States is $46, which translates to an annual salary of about $94,959.
However, the hourly wage can vary significantly based on several factors. Here’s a detailed look at the typical pay range per hour:
Compliance Specialist III Salaries by Percentile
| Annual Salary |
Monthly Pay |
Weekly Pay |
Hourly Wage |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 75th Percentile | $106,537 | $8,878 | $2,049 | $51 |
| Average | $94,959 | $7,913 | $1,826 | $46 |
| 25th Percentile | $81,894 | $6,825 | $1,575 | $39 |
A Compliance Specialist III's salary isn't a fixed number. It's shaped by several important factors. Below, we'll explore how your years of experience, geographic location, education and company size can directly affect your earning potential.
Experience is a primary driver of a Compliance Specialist III's salary. As you build your skills and take on more complex tasks, your compensation generally increases. Here's how the average salary grows at different career stages:
| Job Role | Years of Experience | Average Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Compliance Specialist I | 0-2 years | $63,985 |
| Compliance Specialist II | 2-4 years | $76,455 |
| Compliance Specialist III | 4-7 years | $94,959 |
| Compliance Specialist IV | 7+ years | $121,122 |
| Compliance Specialist V | 7-10 years | $159,824 |
Demanded Skills for the Role:
| Skills | Demand Percentage |
|---|---|
| Risk Management | 7.03% |
| Financial Services | 2.02% |
| PowerPoint | 1.63% |
Mastering certain specialized skills can lead to a significant increase in pay. Here are examples of skills and the potential impact they can have on a Compliance Specialist III's salary.
| Skill | Salary | Salary % Increase |
|---|---|---|
| Trading | $102,556 | |
| Presentation | $101,606 | |
| Operational Risk | $101,606 |
Compliance Specialist III salary potential scales significantly with company size. Data shows that Enterprise companies (5,000+ employees) pay the highest average salary at around $106,012. While startup companies pay approximate $89,765.
| Company Size | Employees | Average Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Startup | 1~50 | $89,765 |
| Growth Stage | 51~500 | $94,915 |
| Established | 501~5000 | $102,363 |
| Enterprise | 5000+ | $106,012 |
Your level of education can impact your salary potential. While many Compliance Specialist III enter the field with a Bachelor's Degree, higher education can lead to more specialized and higher-paying roles.
According to our 100% employer-reported salary data, the median salary for an Compliance Specialist III with a Bachelor's Degree is between $93,648 and $99,759.
| Typical Education for Compliance Specialist III | |
|---|---|
| Degree Level | % of user with this level of education |
| No Diploma | 0.9% |
| High School | 11.3% |
| Associates | 7.0% |
| Bachelors | 46.6% |
| Masters | 20.7% |
| Doctorate | 13.4% |
Understanding how a Compliance Specialist III's annual salary breaks down can help with budgeting. Below, you can see the average hourly rate, weekly pay, and monthly pay for this role. Use the buttons to switch between different pay periods.
| Annual Salary | Monthly Pay | Weekly Pay | Hourly Wage | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 75th Percentile | $106,537 | $8,878 | $2,049 | $51 |
| Average | $94,959 | $7,913 | $1,826 | $46 |
| 25th Percentile | $81,894 | $6,825 | $1,575 | $39 |
Salaries for a Compliance Specialist III can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary decreased from $92,895 in 2023 to around $91,867 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of Compliance Specialist III salary trends, .
| Year | Average Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| 2022 | View More |
| 2023 | $92,895 |
| 2024 | $92,812 |
| 2025 | $91,867 |
| 2026 |
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|
| 2027 |
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|
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Supports the development and implementation of compliance programs, policies, reporting, and practices for an organization or business. Monitors activities impacted by regulatory requirements related to the organization's governance and any industry-specific or location-specific laws. Utilizes established internal controls and auditing systems to identify, detect, and correct noncompliance. Implements changes to compliance processes due to new or amended regulations. Prepares and updates communication materials. Assists with training initiatives that inform stakeholders about compliance requirements. Requires a bachelor's degree or equivalent. Typically reports to a supervisor or manager. Work is generally independent and collaborative in nature. Contributes to moderately complex aspects of a project. Typically requires 4-7 years of related experience.
Specify the abilities and skills that a person needs in order to carry out the specified job duties. Each competency has five to ten behavioral assertions that can be observed, each with a corresponding performance level (from one to five) that is required for a particular job.
Risk Management: Risk management is the identification, evaluation, and prioritization of risks (defined in ISO 31000 as the effect of uncertainty on objectives) followed by coordinated and economical application of resources to minimize, monitor, and control the probability or impact of unfortunate events or to maximize the realization of opportunities. Risks can come from various sources including uncertainty in financial markets, threats from project failures (at any phase in design, development, production, or sustainment life-cycles), legal liabilities, credit risk, accidents, natural causes and disasters, deliberate attack from an adversary, or events of uncertain or unpredictable root-cause. There are two types of events i.e. negative events can be classified as risks while positive events are classified as opportunities. Several risk management standards have been developed including the Project Management Institute, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, actuarial societies, and ISO standards. Methods, definitions and goals vary widely according to whether the risk management method is in the context of project management, security, engineering, industrial processes, financial portfolios, actuarial assessments, or public health and safety.
Financial Services: A services provided by the finance industry, which encompasses a broad range of businesses that manage money. These services involve banking, brokerage, mortgages, credit cards, payment services, real estate, investment funds, taxes and accounting.
PowerPoint: A computer software created by Microsoft which allows the user to create slides with recordings, narrations, transitions and other features in order to present information.
Salary.com salary estimates, histograms, trends, and comparisons are derived from both employer job postings and third-party data sources. We also provide multiple percentiles of salary information for your reference, click here to know Why the Salary Midpoint Formula Is Crucial to Getting Pay Equity Right. With more online, real-time compensation data than any other website, Salary.com helps you determine your exact pay target.
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