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Compliance Specialist Salary in the United States

How much does a Compliance Specialist make in the United States?

As of September 01, 2026, the average salary for a Compliance Specialist in the United States is $93,506 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $45.

However, a Compliance Specialist's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:

  • Top Earners (90th percentile): $115,413
  • Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $81,058 to $104,973
  • Entry-Level (10th percentile): $69,725
Salary Factors Salary-Boosting Skills Salary by Experience Related Job Salaries Top Paying Cities Explore Related Jobs

Key Factors That Influence Compliance Specialist Salaries

A Compliance Specialist'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.

How Experience Level Affects Compliance Specialist Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of a Compliance Specialist'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:

  • Entry-Level (less than 1 year): $62,444
  • Early Career (1-2 years): $74,614
  • Mid-Level (2-4 years): $92,663
  • Senior-Level (5-8 years): $115,214
  • Expert (over 8 years): $155,966
Levels Salary
Complianc... Level Compliance Specialist$62,444
Complianc... Level Compliance Specialist$74,614
Complianc... Level Compliance Specialist$92,663
Complianc... Level Compliance Specialist$115,214
Complianc... Level Compliance Specialist$155,966
View as Graph

How Do Compliance Specialist Salaries Vary from State to State?

Your salary can change significantly depending on where you work. States with a higher cost of living and strong industrial sectors often pay more to attract Compliance Specialists. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:
  • District of Columbia: $103,530.
  • California: $103,137.
  • Massachusetts: $101,762.

Top Paying Cities for Compliance Specialists

Salaries can also vary between different cities. Major metropolitan areas or cities with a high demand for technicians often offer more competitive pay. Here are a few examples of average annual salaries in different U.S. cities:

  • San Jose: $117,939
  • San Francisco: $116,648
  • Oakland: $114,189

What Skills Can Increase a Compliance Specialist's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

  • Risk Management (Mentioned in 7.03% Job Postings): 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 (Mentioned in 2.02% Job Postings): 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 (Mentioned in 1.63% Job Postings): 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.
Skills Demand Percentage
Risk Management 7.03%
Financial Services 2.02%
PowerPoint 1.63%
See More Skills

What skills can make your compensation higher?

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's salary.

  • Trading: Can increase your salary by up to 8%.
  • Presentation: Can increase your salary by up to 7%.
  • Operational Risk: Can increase your salary by up to 7%.
Skill Salary Salary % Increase
Trading $100,986
8%
Presentation $100,051
7%
Operational Risk $100,051
7%
Get Latest Data

Compliance Specialist Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors

For Compliance Specialist roles, the industry you choose can affect earning potential by as much as 40% (the gap between the highest and lowest paying industries). Data shows that the Biotechnology and Financial Services sectors offer the strongest compensation, at 20% above the average. In contrast, Compliance Specialist positions in Transportation or Retail & Wholesale typically offer lower base pay, as these industries often view Compliance Specialist as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.

The top paying industries for a Compliance Specialist

Industry Sector Average Annual Salary Average Hourly Rate Pay vs.Avg
Biotechnology$112,207$54.020%
Financial Services$112,207$54.020%
Pharmaceuticals$112,207$54.020%
Software & Networking$112,207$54.020%

How Education impacts a Compliance Specialist's Salary?

Your level of education can impact your salary potential. While many Compliance Specialists enter the field with a Bachelor's Degree degree, higher education can lead to more specialized and higher-paying roles.

According to our 100% employer-reported salary data, the median salary for a Compliance Specialist with a Bachelor's Degree is between $93,648 and $99,759).

Compliance Specialist Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for Compliance Specialist
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%
View as Graph

Compliance Specialist Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how a Compliance Specialist'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.

Last Updated on September 01, 2026
$81,058
Average $93,506/year
$104,973
$6,755
Average $7,792/month
$8,748
$1,559
Average $1,798/week
$2,019
$39
Average $45/hour
$50
Annual Salary Monthly Pay Weekly Pay Hourly Wage
75th Percentile $104,973 $8,748 $2,019 $50
Average $93,506 $7,792 $1,798 $45
25th Percentile $81,058 $6,755 $1,559 $39

Most common benefits for Compliance Specialist

  • Social Security
  • 401 (k)
  • Disability
  • Healthcare
  • Pension
  • Time Off (days)

Common company salaries for Compliance Specialist

Here are companies hiring for Compliance Specialist and their salaries, click below for more details.

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FAQ about Compliance Specialist

1. What industry pays the highest salary for Compliance Specialist?

The Biotechnology industry offers the highest average compensation for Compliance Specialist roles, with salaries approximately 20% above the market median.

Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?

Salary.com provides salary estimates, histograms, trends, and comparisons using data from employer job postings and third-party sources.

We offer detailed salary information across multiple percentiles for your reference. (Click here to learn Why the Salary Midpoint Formula Is Crucial for Achieving Pay Equity.)

With the most extensive online, real-time compensation data available, Salary.com helps you pinpoint your exact pay target.

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