How to become an Equal Opportunity Representative or Officer
Official title: Equal Opportunity Representatives and Officers
Also called: Affirmative Action Officer (AA Officer), Civil Rights Investigator, Civil Rights Representative, Complaint Investigations Officer, Equal Employment Opportunity Officer (EEO Officer), Equal Employment Opportunity Representative (EEO Representative), Equal Opportunity Specialist
Monitor and evaluate compliance with equal opportunity laws, guidelines, and policies to ensure that employment practices and contracting arrangements give equal opportunity without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability.
Main tasks
- Investigate employment practices or alleged violations of laws to document and correct discriminatory factors.
- Prepare reports related to investigations of equal opportunity complaints.
- Interview persons involved in equal opportunity complaints to verify case information.
- Study equal opportunity complaints to clarify issues.
- Interpret civil rights laws and equal opportunity regulations for individuals or employers.
- Meet with persons involved in equal opportunity complaints to arbitrate and settle disputes.
- Develop guidelines for nondiscriminatory employment practices.
- Monitor the implementation and impact of guidelines for nondiscriminatory employment practices.
How to become one
Compliance officers typically need a bachelor's degree to enter the occupation. They often receive training on the job. Employers may prefer or require candidates to have experience related to the position.
Typical education to start: Bachelor's degree
Read the full guide from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Ways in
- Apprenticeship: Human Resources Equal Opportunity Specialist.
- College: Medicine & Dentistry degrees, Offered by 23 universities in the US
- College: Science degrees, Offered by 36 universities in the US
Pay · Outlook · AI and this job
- Median pay: $80,730 a year The middle half earn $61,280 to $109,010.
- About 436,400 people work in this job now, and about 453,100 are projected by 2035. (+3.8%)
- People already use generative AI for some of this work. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as medium.
Related jobs
- Government Property Inspectors and Investigators
- Compliance Officers
- Environmental Compliance Inspectors
- Coroners
- Regulatory Affairs Specialists
- Customs Brokers
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Questions people ask
How do I become an Equal Opportunity Representative or Officer?
Compliance officers typically need a bachelor's degree to enter the occupation. They often receive training on the job. Employers may prefer or require candidates to have experience related to the position.
How much does an Equal Opportunity Representative or Officer earn in the US?
Median full-time pay is $80,730 a year (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). The middle half earn $61,280 to $109,010.
Is an Equal Opportunity Representative or Officer a growing career in the US?
Yes. Employment is projected to grow 4% by 2035, from about 436,400 to about 453,100 people (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).
Do you need a degree to become an Equal Opportunity Representative or Officer?
Usually. 65% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Will AI change the work of an Equal Opportunity Representative or Officer?
People already use generative AI for some of this work. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as medium.
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 Outlook Handbook (2025-35 edition (published 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS); photographs excluded, 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.