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The differences between audit managers and compliance managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 6-8 years to become an audit manager, becoming a compliance manager takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, an audit manager has an average salary of $121,419, which is higher than the $95,130 average annual salary of a compliance manager.
The top three skills for an audit manager include CPA, internal audit and audit reports. The most important skills for a compliance manager are oversight, ethics, and risk management.
| Audit Manager | Compliance Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $121,419 | $95,130 |
| Hourly rate | $58.37 | $45.74 |
| Growth rate | 17% | - |
| Number of jobs | 70,168 | 19,088 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 75% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Average age | 46 | 47 |
| Years of experience | 8 | 4 |
An audit manager is responsible for the complete audit process of finances in an organization. They work for banks and report directly to the audit committee. Based on findings gathered, a financial institution can gain vision into their variance and overall performance. They are also responsible for scheduling audits, initiating departmental audits, consolidation, and analysis of audit reports, and reviewing accounting procedures. Moreover, part of their tasks is to create audit finding presentations to be presented to the audit committee. It requires a high amount of accountability to be an effective audit manager.
Compliance managers are professionals who maintain the ethical and legal integrity of an organization. They establish and oversee control systems to deal with and prevent violations against internal policies and legal guidelines. It is their responsibility to assess the efficiency of controls and improve their continuity. They are professionals with exceptional analytical skills as they design control systems, execute regular audits, and enforce organizational policies. The skills necessary for this job include strong communication skills and knowledge of industry regulations and procedures.
Audit managers and compliance managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Audit Manager | Compliance Manager | |
| Average salary | $121,419 | $95,130 |
| Salary range | Between $82,000 And $178,000 | Between $66,000 And $136,000 |
| Highest paying City | Portland, ME | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Maine | California |
| Best paying company | Meta | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Finance |
There are a few differences between an audit manager and a compliance manager in terms of educational background:
| Audit Manager | Compliance Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 75% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Most common major | Accounting | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between audit managers' and compliance managers' demographics:
| Audit Manager | Compliance Manager | |
| Average age | 46 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 66.0% Female, 34.0% | Male, 48.6% Female, 51.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 7.6% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 14.5% Asian, 10.2% White, 63.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% | Black or African American, 7.6% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 12.8% Asian, 8.8% White, 65.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 10% |