Explore
Regulatory & risk
Compliance Officer
Paid to be the person who says no early rather than expensively later.
Typical pay
$70k-$140k
How you get in
Degree plus industry-specific compliance certification
Outlook
Strong; among the more reliable business functions
Compliance officers ensure organizations follow laws and regulations. It is a growth field driven by regulatory expansion, and the work is documentation-heavy with real personal accountability in regulated industries.
A day in the life
- 8:30aReview regulatory updates and assess impact
- 9:30aAudit a business process against policy
- 11:30aInvestigate a reported issue
- 1:00pLunch
- 2:00pDeliver compliance training to a department
- 4:00pWrite the monitoring report for the board committee
How to get in
Industry role into compliance
Duration
2-5 years
Cost
$1,000-$6,000
Credential
CCEP, CAMS or an industry-specific certification
- Work in banking, healthcare, insurance or another regulated field
- Learn the regulations that actually govern your function
- Get a compliance certification appropriate to your industry
- Move into the compliance department with operational credibility
Audit or legal into compliance
Duration
2-4 years
Cost
$0-$6,000
Credential
Compliance certification
- Start in internal audit, risk or as a paralegal
- You already understand controls, evidence and regulation
- Add a compliance certification
- A very common and well-worn transition
Anti-money laundering specialization
Duration
1-3 years
Cost
$1,500-$4,000
Credential
CAMS certification
- Enter financial services in operations or fraud investigation
- Get CAMS certified, the recognized AML credential
- Work in transaction monitoring and investigations
- One of the most consistently in-demand compliance specialties
What people love
- · Growing steadily with regulatory complexity
- · Strong pay, especially in finance and healthcare
- · Recession-resistant — regulation does not pause
- · Remote-friendly in many industries
What wears people down
- · Seen internally as an obstacle
- · Personal liability in some regulated roles
- · Heavy documentation and evidence work
- · Pressure from business leaders to approve things