Accounting and finance

How to become a financial compliance officer

Official title: Financial compliance officer

Also called: Audit officer, Inland Revenue investigation team leader, Internal audit manager, Audit and debt officer, Compliance auditor, Investigation and collections officer, Compliance evaluator

Financial compliance officers make sure the finances of banks and other financial organisations comply with laws and regulations.

Main tasks

Check businesses follow financial rules
Make sure financial compliance laws are followed
Review financial records for mistakes or risks
Investigate reports of rule-breaking
Teach staff about financial rules and laws
Update company policies to meet new laws
Report findings to managers and authorities
Research changes in financial regulations

How to become one

You usually need a qualification and experience to become a financial compliance officer. You usually need NCEA Level 3 to do the study or training for this job. Other requirements: a relevant tertiary qualification in banking and finance, accountancy, business and management, law studies or similar area; experience in similar work.

See the full Tahatū profile

Ways in

Certificates and diplomas: Advanced certificates and diplomas in accounting. TEC links this job to study in accountancy. Qualifications: Dip in Commerce, NZ Dip in Business, Cert in Business Studies, Pathway Cert for MPA Entry. Usually 1 year. Graduates of these qualifications earn a median $53,000 a year one year after study and $60,000 five years after; 54% are employed one year after (TEC, from Stats NZ IDI data).; Advanced certificates and diplomas in banking and finance. TEC links this job to study in banking and finance. Qualifications: NZ Cert in Financial Services, Cert in Financial Advice. Usually 6 to 11 months. Graduates of these qualifications earn a median $75,000 a year one year after study; 81% are employed one year after (TEC, from Stats NZ IDI data).; Advanced certificates and diplomas in legal practice. TEC links this job to study in law studies. Qualifications: NZ Dip in Legal Executive Studies, NZ Dip in Conveyancing. Usually 9 months to 1 year. Graduates of these qualifications earn a median $63,000 a year one year after study and $71,000 five years after; 89% are employed one year after (TEC, from Stats NZ IDI data).; Advanced certificates and diplomas in management and business studies. TEC links this job to study in business and management. Qualifications: NZ Dip in Business, Dip in Business Studies, Cert in Business Studies, Dip in Business, Dip in Commerce. Usually 1 year. Graduates of these qualifications earn a median $52,000 a year one year after study and $61,000 five years after; 61% are employed one year after (TEC, from Stats NZ IDI data).

Pay · Past change

Most common pay: $72,000 to $133,000 a year (median $96,000), a TEC estimate before tax.
Lower: $55,000 a year · Upper: $178,000 a year
TEC's pay figures are estimates only. TEC says they must not be used to set pay, in pay negotiations or in visa applications.
Change in the number of people doing this job between the 2018 and 2023 Censuses: Strong increase (TEC). This is past change, not a forecast.

Who does this work

About 1,100 people did this job at the 2023 Census (TEC).

Questions people ask

How do I become a financial compliance officer?

How much does a financial compliance officer earn in New Zealand?

The Tertiary Education Commission estimates median pay at $96,000 a year, before tax. Most common pay is $72,000 to $133,000 a year.

Has the number of people working as a financial compliance officer grown in New Zealand?

It has grown strongly: TEC records a strong increase in the number of people doing this job between the 2018 and 2023 Censuses. This is past change, not a forecast.

Sources

Tertiary Education Commission (Tahatu Career Navigator): Tahatu career ideas: descriptions, tasks, pay estimates, people employed, employment change 2018 to 2023, entry requirements, registration, interest scores (Site scrape 2026-10 (816 career ideas, sitemap lastmod 2026-10-01)), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 4 October 2026

This content is sourced from the Tertiary Education Commission through the Tahatū Career Navigator website (www.tahatu.govt.nz) and used under the CC BY 4.0 licence. All or some of the information has been modified by Peernovo. TEC has not approved, endorsed or tested these modifications. TEC will not be held accountable for any errors within this content.

Qualification information from NZQA, used under CC BY 3.0 NZ.

This work is based on/includes Stats NZ's data which are licensed by Stats NZ for reuse under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence. Census data via Figure.NZ.

Includes information from O*NET OnLine by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.

Sources: Tertiary Education Commission, Tahatū Career Navigator (career ideas, pay estimates, entry requirements and study options, CC BY 4.0, modified by Peernovo); Stats NZ, 2023 Census (via Figure.NZ) and the National Occupation List (CC BY 4.0); NZQA qualification information (CC BY 3.0 NZ); O*NET interest scores (CC BY 4.0); ILO global generative AI exposure index (CC BY 4.0). Links between career ideas and ANZSCO groups, degree fields and broad job groups are Peernovo's.

These results are not official statistics. They have been created for research purposes from the Integrated Data Infrastructure (IDI), which is carefully managed by Stats NZ.

Graduate outcomes: these results are not official statistics. They have been created for research purposes from the Integrated Data Infrastructure (IDI), which is carefully managed by Stats NZ.

Updated 4 October 2026