What Is a Compliance Analyst? Job Role, Skills, and Salaries

Key takeaways

A compliance analyst helps companies comply with industry laws and regulations and offers suggestions for how to make necessary modifications.

• The annual median total salary for compliance officers is $120,000, according to Glassdoor [1]. 

• Essential technical and human skills to target as a compliance analyst include auditing, data visualization, critical thinking, and problem-solving. 

• You can start working toward a career as a compliance analyst by earning a bachelor's degree.

Gain insights into the job responsibilities, earning potential, and possible career paths of a compliance analyst. Afterward, if you’re ready to build essential job skills to succeed in this role, enroll in the Google Cybersecurity Professional Certificate. You’ll have the opportunity to learn how to identify common risks, threats, and vulnerabilities impacting organizations. 

What is a compliance analyst?

A compliance analyst's primary goal is to ensure a company complies with the industry's laws and regulations. In your work, you may examine practices and policies within the business, identify areas where they are out of compliance, and offer suggestions for how to make necessary modifications. This requires regular review and research into governing authorities' current rules and regulations.

What does a compliance analyst do?

A compliance analyst's responsibilities vary depending on the industry they work in and the company's design. For example, a compliance analyst working in the health care field may focus on how well the company protects patient privacy. A compliance analyst in the financial services industry may review transactions to ensure employees follow the laws regulating money and securities transfers. They may be asked to do any of the following:

• Develop solutions for practices that are out of compliance

• Monitor departments to ensure compliance with company policy and industry regulations

• Prepare reports for management

• Provide updates to team members and management when regulations change

• Review current practices to ensure they stay within the boundaries of the law

• Review data security

• Train team members to use best practices that align with regulations

Where do compliance analysts work?

According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the industries employing the greatest number of compliance analysts include government agencies; finance and insurance; professional, scientific, and technical services; health care and social assistance; and manufacturing [2]. However, you can find compliance professionals in almost every field and in companies of all sizes. They work in construction, finance, health care, human resources, information security, technology, and more.

Importance of compliance professionals

Compliance professionals provide a valuable service to companies by helping them avoid costly fees and legal problems. Regulatory agencies may levy fees and other penalties for violations. Depending on the nature of the violation, the business may need to pay back taxes and interest or face an audit of the company's resources. Sometimes, a violation leads to the business owner accepting personal responsibility or being forced to close the business. A violation can also affect the company's reputation and damage the trust of its customers and vendors.

How to become a compliance analyst

You need at least a bachelor's degree to become a compliance analyst. According to Zippia, 66.5 percent of professionals have a bachelor's degree, and 12.2 percent have a master's [3]. However, colleges and universities typically don't offer a degree program with compliance analysis as a major. Instead, compliance analysts tend to earn a degree in a field related to the industry they want to work in. This is why you should spend some time thinking about your career goals before you select a major.

For example, if you want to work as a compliance analyst in the health care industry, you may choose to major in health care administration or nursing. If your plans involve working in the technology industry, you may opt for a degree in computer science. Similarly, you may major in accounting or finance if you want to work in financial services.

In addition to a degree, you should have industry job experience. You may even start working in an entry-level position while still earning your degree. This allows you to learn how the company or the industry operates and familiarize yourself with industry regulations. Understanding standard operating procedures can help you identify practices that don't comply.

Your training as a compliance analyst will likely continue even after you've worked in the field for years. You may pursue industry certificates or related licenses to deepen your knowledge or return to school to earn a master's degree. You'll also spend time researching and staying up to date with the latest regulations, including taking classes and attending professional learning events.

Read more: Your Guide to Master's Programs

What skills do you need for a compliance analyst career?

Compliance analysts need technical and human skills, including communicating clearly and conducting research. The specific technical skills, like software proficiency, you need depend on your industry.

However, the following list of skills encompasses some of the ones you may frequently use in your work:

• Attention to detail

• Auditing

• Communication

• Critical thinking

• Data visualization

• Diplomacy

• Presentation

• Problem-solving

• Research

• Time management

Job outlook and career prospects for compliance analysts

As long as companies must follow regulations, they will likely rely on compliance analysts to ensure they do what the law requires. Demand for compliance professionals appears to be growing, following increased regulation in key industries to protect the public from fraud.

Alternative job titles for compliance analysts (with salaries)

Compliance analysts may have a variety of job titles, including terms like examiner, auditor, manager, and screener. Job titles can vary, but you may see compliance analyst jobs in the US listed as follows:

• Building inspector: $92,000 

• Director of corporate compliance: $198,000

• Ethics officer: $183,000

• Financial compliance officer: $122,000

• Food safety auditor: $87,000

• Fraud investigator: $61,000

• Information technology security specialist: $135,000

• Occupational health and safety technician: $90,000

All salary information represents the median total pay from Glassdoor as of March 2026. These figures include base salary and additional pay, which may represent profit-sharing, commissions, bonuses, or other forms of compensation.

Compliance analyst salary and career path

Your career path as a compliance analyst can follow many directions because the roles tend to be industry-specific. The education requirements for compliance analysts may also differ. For example, hands-on experience at job sites may be more valuable than a formal education if you're working in the construction industry. On the other hand, financial auditors may need a master's degree.

You may start your career working in a specific industry to learn how it operates, and in some cases, you may be able to shadow managers and compliance professionals to learn what they do. The career path may include the following roles, titles, and US salaries:

All salary information represents the median total pay from Glassdoor as of March 2026. These figures include base salary and additional pay, which may represent profit-sharing, commissions, bonuses, or other compensation.

Compliance specialist

Median total annual salary: $85,000 [4]

As a compliance specialist, you may work in a specific area, like auditing or patient records, compared to an entry-level compliance position.

Compliance manager

Median total annual salary: $140,000 [5]

As a compliance manager, your role may be implementing and monitoring how employees follow company policies and industry regulations.

Compliance officer

Median total annual salary: $120,000 [1]

Compliance officers can take on various responsibilities, from creating company compliance policies to monitoring and enforcing them.

Senior compliance officer

Median total annual salary: $153,000 [6]

A senior compliance officer has duties similar to a compliance officer, but they tend to have more work experience and may have additional certifications.

Chief compliance officer

Median total annual salary: $305,000 [7]

You are the company's top compliance analyst and chief compliance officer, and you report directly to the company's chief executive officer.

Explore our free resources for compliance analysts

Subscribe to Career Chat on LinkedIn to keep track of popular skills, tools, and certifications. Learn more about cybersecurity with our other free digital resources:

• Watch on YouTube: 4 Cybersecurity Skills You'll Learn in the Google Certificate

• Learn the terminology: Cybersecurity Glossary: Key Terms & Definitions

• Discover AI trends: How AI is changing cybercrime and cybersecurity

Accelerate your career growth with a Coursera Plus subscription. When you enroll in either the monthly or annual option, you’ll get access to over 10,000 courses.

Build job-ready skills with Coursera Plus

Start 7-day free trial

• 
• 
• 
• 

Start 7-day free trial