How to become a Compliance Manager

Official title: Compliance Managers

Also called: Accreditation Lieutenant, Accreditation Manager, Compliance Director, Compliance Manager, Compliance Operations Manager, Environmental Health and Safety Director, Environmental Manager, Environmental Program Manager, Health, Safety, and Environmental Manager (HSE Manager), Risk Manager

Plan, direct, or coordinate activities of an organization to ensure compliance with ethical or regulatory standards.

Main tasks

• Report violations of compliance or regulatory standards to duly authorized enforcement agencies as appropriate or required.
• Identify compliance issues that require follow-up or investigation.
• Discuss emerging compliance issues to ensure that management and employees are informed about compliance reporting systems, policies, and practices.
• File appropriate compliance reports with regulatory agencies.
• Maintain documentation of compliance activities, such as complaints received or investigation outcomes.
• Consult with corporate attorneys as necessary to address difficult legal compliance issues.
• Conduct or direct the internal investigation of compliance issues.
• Provide employee training on compliance related topics, policies, or procedures.

How to become one

Typical education to start: Bachelor's degree

Ways in

• Apprenticeship: Health Information Management Privacy and Security Officer.
• College: Business & Commerce degrees, Offered by 35 universities in the US
• College: Arts & Humanities degrees, Offered by 35 universities in the US

Pay · Outlook · AI and this job

• Median pay: $141,900 a year The middle half earn $102,880 to $186,300.
• About 1,338,800 people work in this job now, and about 1,404,400 are projected by 2035. (+4.9%)
• People use generative AI for relatively little of this work so far. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as low.

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Questions people ask

How do I become a Compliance Manager?

Ways in include: Business & Commerce degrees; Arts & Humanities degrees; Health Information Management Privacy and Security Officer.

How much does a Compliance Manager earn in the US?

Median full-time pay is $141,900 a year (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). The middle half earn $102,880 to $186,300.

Is a Compliance Manager a growing career in the US?

Yes. Employment is projected to grow 5% by 2035, from about 1,338,800 to about 1,404,400 people (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).

Do you need a degree to become a Compliance Manager?

Not always. 58% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher. Ways in include: Business & Commerce degrees; Arts & Humanities degrees; Health Information Management Privacy and Security Officer.

Will AI change the work of a Compliance Manager?

People use generative AI for relatively little of this work so far. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as low.

Sources

• Microsoft Research: Working with AI: AI applicability by occupation (2025-12-22 (built on O*NET 29.0)), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Employment Projections (2025-35 (released 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03

Updated 2026-10-03

This page includes information from the 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. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.