# 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.

- Edition: Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition
- Page: https://www.collegesref.com/careers/compliance-officers
- SOC code: 13-1041.00
- Career family: Business and finance
- Median annual pay: $80,730 (10th percentile $48,220, 90th percentile $133,720)
- Projected growth: As fast as average, +3.8%
- Openings a year: 32,700
- Typical entry education: Bachelor's degree
- Bright outlook: no
- Data years: BLS 2025 wages · 2025–35 projections

## Interest profile (code CEI)

| Interest area | Score (0–100) |
| --- | ---: |
| Realistic (R) | 25 |
| Investigative (I) | 35 |
| Artistic (A) | 0 |
| Social (S) | 33 |
| Enterprising (E) | 51 |
| Conventional (C) | 89 |

## What you'd do

- Getting Information (importance 91/100)
- Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards (importance 87/100)
- Documenting/Recording Information (importance 87/100)
- Processing Information (importance 84/100)
- Communicating with People Outside the Organization (importance 84/100)
- Performing for or Working Directly with the Public (importance 81/100)
- Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates (importance 80/100)
- Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events (importance 80/100)
- Working with Computers (importance 80/100)
- Making Decisions and Solving Problems (importance 76/100)

## Skills

Reading Comprehension, Speaking, Active Listening, Writing, Judgment and Decision Making, Critical Thinking, Social Perceptiveness, Monitoring, Complex Problem Solving, Persuasion

## Knowledge

Law and Government, English Language, Customer and Personal Service, Public Safety and Security, Computers and Electronics, Administration and Management, Administrative, Education and Training, Telecommunications, Psychology

## Also called

Air Pollution Compliance Inspector, Certified Driver Examiner (CDE), Certified Driver License Test Administrator, Compliance Administrator (Compliance Admin), Compliance Analyst, Compliance Consultant, Compliance Coordinator, Compliance Examiner, Compliance Investigator, Compliance Officer

## Majors that lead here (NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk, 4-digit CIP)

- [Criminal Justice and Corrections](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/4301) (CIP 4301, 1,742 colleges)
- [Health and Medical Administrative Services](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/5107) (CIP 5107, 1,585 colleges)
- [Natural Resources Conservation and Research](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/0301) (CIP 0301, 1,081 colleges)
- [Public Health](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/5122) (CIP 5122, 836 colleges)
- [Human Resources Management and Services](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/5210) (CIP 5210, 758 colleges)
- [Environmental/Natural Resources Management and Policy](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/0302) (CIP 0302, 204 colleges)
- Environmental Geosciences (CIP 3041, 17 colleges)

## Colleges with strong outcomes (College Scorecard, 2025)

| College | Program | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yrs | Median debt |
| --- | --- | ---: | ---: | ---: |
| [Georgetown University-DC](https://www.collegesref.com/college/georgetown-university-dc-1068) | Health and Medical Administrative Services | not reported | $143,686 | $11,000 |
| [Cornell University-New York](https://www.collegesref.com/college/cornell-university-new-york-710) | Human Resources Management and Services | $74,192 | $112,713 | $12,000 |
| [University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Main Campus](https://www.collegesref.com/college/university-of-north-carolina-at-chapel-hill-main-campus-2990) | Health and Medical Administrative Services | $44,456 | $110,204 | not reported |
| [Northwestern University-Illinois](https://www.collegesref.com/college/northwestern-university-illinois-1966) | Human Resources Management and Services | $98,392 | $108,498 | not reported |
| [Calumet College of Saint Joseph](https://www.collegesref.com/college/calumet-college-of-saint-joseph-380) | Criminal Justice and Corrections | $54,078 | $106,465 | $20,417 |
| [University of Michigan-Ann Arbor Main Campus](https://www.collegesref.com/college/university-of-michigan-ann-arbor-main-campus-2956) | Human Resources Management and Services | $69,663 | $99,594 | $20,596 |
| [George Washington University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/george-washington-university-1066) | Human Resources Management and Services | $58,393 | $97,126 | $20,000 |
| [Brigham Young University-Provo BYU Utah](https://www.collegesref.com/college/brigham-young-university-provo-byu-utah-302) | Human Resources Management and Services | $66,527 | $96,354 | not reported |

## Related careers

- [Compliance Managers](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/compliance-managers): $141,900 median pay
- [Eligibility Interviewers, Government Programs](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/eligibility-interviewers-government-programs): $54,210 median pay
- [Government Property Inspectors and Investigators](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/government-property-inspectors-and-investigators): $80,730 median pay
- [Environmental Compliance Inspectors](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/environmental-compliance-inspectors): $80,730 median pay
- [Regulatory Affairs Specialists](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/regulatory-affairs-specialists): $80,730 median pay
- [Paralegals and Legal Assistants](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/paralegals-and-legal-assistants): $62,890 median pay

## Sources

- [O*NET Database](https://www.onetcenter.org/database.html), version 31.0 (CC BY 4.0)
- [BLS Employment Projections](https://www.bls.gov/emp/tables.htm), version 2025-35, data year 2025 (Public domain (U.S. government work))
- [BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics](https://www.bls.gov/oes/tables.htm), version 2025, data year 2025 (Public domain (U.S. government work))
- [NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk](https://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/cipcode/resources.aspx?y=56), version 2020, data year 2020 (Public domain (U.S. government work))

O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. CollegesRef has modified all or some of this information.