Compliance Officer Job Outlook
The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects employment of compliance officers to grow 3.8% from 2025 to 2035 (about 16,700 more jobs), with about 32,700 openings a year, and the May 2025 median pay of $80,730 a year ranks 214th of 825 occupations.
- Projected change
- +3.8%
- Openings a year
- 32,700
- Median pay
- $80,730
- Pay rank
- 214th of 825
Is employment of compliance officers growing or shrinking?
Growing: BLS projects employment of compliance officers to rise 3.8% (about 16,700 more jobs) from 2025 to 2035, about the same as the 3.5% projected across all occupations. That is slower than the +5.5% summed from BLS's employment levels across the 32 business and financial operations occupations with a projection. That change ranks 323rd of 830 projected occupations.
| Measure | Figure |
|---|---|
| Employment, 2025 | 436,400 |
| Employment, 2035 | 453,100 |
| Projected change | +3.8% |
| Openings a year | 32,700 |
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035. A projection is a BLS estimate, not a count. The 436,400 jobs here differ from the 417,070 on the salary page because Employment Projections also counts the self-employed and a wider set of workers, while OEWS counts wage and salary jobs in May 2025. BLS published these projections on August 27, 2026; checked November 10, 2026. Confirm any figure in the BLS Employment Projections tables.
BLS's reasons for this projection are at the Occupational Outlook Handbook. State projections are at Projections Central; projections by industry are left to BLS. Education, licensing and work context at O*NET.
How many job openings are there each year?
About 32,700 openings a year, from job growth and from workers leaving the occupation, the 115th most of 830 occupations. About 95% of them replace workers who change occupations or leave the labor force; the rest come from the 1,670 jobs added in an average year.
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035.
How does pay for compliance officers rank?
The median of $80,730 a year ranks 214th of 825 occupations with a published median. It sits in the upper half of occupations on both pay and openings.
Source: BLS OEWS national file, May 2025. Wage and salary jobs only; the self-employed are not counted. OEWS pay excludes overtime, shift differentials and non-production bonuses. Ranks count only the occupations with that published figure: 830 for projected change, 830 for openings, 825 for median pay, which is why the totals differ.
What does it take to start?
- Typical entry-level education: bachelor's degree.
- Typical on-the-job training: moderate-term on-the-job training.
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035, education and training assignments.
How do related jobs compare on outlook?
| Occupation | Change | Openings a year | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Labor Relations Specialists | +2.1% | 4,800 | $95,420 |
| Human Resources Specialists | +6.4% | 73,700 | $75,940 |
| Claims Adjusters, Examiners, and Investigators | -5.5% | 20,900 | $78,000 |
| Compensation, Benefits, and Job Analysis Specialists | +6.0% | 9,000 | $78,210 |
| Management Analysts | +10.1% | 94,100 | $101,860 |
| Logisticians | +17.6% | 26,600 | $82,320 |
| Financial Risk Specialists | +7.4% | 4,800 | $117,330 |
| Project Management Specialists | +6.7% | 76,500 | $102,320 |
Related occupations from O*NET; projections from BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035; pay from BLS OEWS, May 2025.