Compliance officers
Salary, job outlook, AI risk & career information
Compliance officers in the United States earn a median salary of $80,730 per year — about $39 per hour, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Roughly 418K people work in this occupation nationwide, with projected employment growth of +3%.
AI & Automation Risk
Compliance work is primarily digital and involves analyzing vast amounts of regulatory text, auditing data, and generating reports—all areas where LLMs and automated systems excel. While high-level judgment and interpersonal investigations provide some insulation, the core tasks of monitoring, risk assessment, and documentation are highly susceptible to AI-driven automation and productivity gains.
Salary by City — What You Actually Take Home
Real purchasing power = salary adjusted for cost of living. Higher = more money in your pocket.
| City | Local Salary | Cost of Living | Real Purchasing Power |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brunswick-St. Simons, GABEST VALUE | $106,330 | Below avg (89.9) | $118,306 |
| Brownsville-Harlingen, TX | $97,470 | Below avg (85.7) | $113,735 |
| Laredo, TX | $98,180 | Below avg (88.3) | $111,163 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $123,730 | Above avg (113.1) | $109,438 |
| Idaho Falls, ID | $99,040 | Below avg (90.8) | $109,083 |
| Eagle Pass, TX | $88,100 | Below avg (82.0) | $107,491 |
| El Centro, CA | $106,750 | Average (100.2) | $106,589 |
| Bellingham, WA | $109,550 | Above avg (104.0) | $105,324 |
| Sierra Vista-Douglas, AZ | $90,290 | Below avg (87.3) | $103,434 |
| Minot, ND | $91,560 | Below avg (88.7) | $103,243 |
| Kennewick-Richland, WA | $100,440 | Average (98.9) | $101,573 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $118,890 | Above avg (117.6) | $101,139 |
| Watertown-Fort Drum, NY | $91,560 | Below avg (90.9) | $100,676 |
| Casper, WY | $93,060 | Below avg (92.5) | $100,564 |
| Sheboygan, WI | $90,250 | Below avg (90.9) | $99,289 |