How to hire a compliance manager

How to hire a compliance manager, step by step

Here's a step-by-step compliance manager hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a compliance manager job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new compliance manager
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a compliance manager do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your compliance manager job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find a compliance manager for hire on a part-time basis or as a contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   Hiring the perfect compliance manager also involves considering the ideal background you'd like them to have. Depending on what industry or field they have experience in, they'll bring different skills to the job. It's also important to consider what levels of seniority and education the job requires and what kind of salary such a candidate would likely demand.

   The following list breaks down different types of compliance managers and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Compliance Manager	Description	Hourly rate
   Compliance Manager		$31-65
   Manager, Quality Management, Corporate Compliance	Depending on the industry, there are a lot of functions you need to comply with if you want to become a manager of quality management and corporate compliance. Commonly seen in banks, manufacturing, processing, automotive, and textile companies, this job position is responsible for monitoring, implementing, and oversees the quality of a product... Show more	$35-71
   Head Of Ethics And Compliance	A company's head of ethics and compliance is in charge of implementing policies and regulations to ensure a safe and efficient work environment. They typically manage staff, set department goals and timelines, establish guidelines and protocols, and develop strategies to optimize operations... Show more	$42-95

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Oversight
   • Ethics
   • Risk Management
   • Compliance Program
   • Regulatory Compliance
   • Risk Assessments
   • Compliance Issues
   • Customer Service
   • Internal Audit
   • Strong Analytical
   • Internal Controls
   • Gap Analysis
   • Management System
   • Patients

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage due diligence reviews in regard to FCPA.
   • Manage CFPB audit on both servicing and originations units.
   • Lead a team to assess and analyze Dodd-Frank CFTC swap regulations.
   • Promote to manage system development teams charge with performing new product QA.
   • Lead department review presentations on impact of new EU regulations effective Jan-2008.
   • Set up a project PMO team, along with organizing awareness and remediation team leads across every area.

   More compliance manager duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your compliance manager job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A compliance manager salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, compliance managers' average salary in arkansas is 38% less than in california.
   • Seniority. Entry-level compliance managers earn 51% less than senior-level compliance managers.
   • Certifications. A compliance manager with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in a compliance manager's salary.

   Average compliance manager salary

   $95,130yearly

   $45.74 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level compliance manager salary

   $66,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 15, 2025

   Average compliance manager salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$123,348	$59
   2	New York	$108,033	$52
   3	New Jersey	$106,377	$51
   4	District of Columbia	$105,530	$51
   5	Massachusetts	$101,893	$49
   6	Connecticut	$99,881	$48
   7	Washington	$97,845	$47
   8	Maryland	$97,679	$47
   9	Oregon	$97,122	$47
   10	Nevada	$96,909	$47
   11	Arizona	$95,168	$46
   12	North Carolina	$92,912	$45
   13	Virginia	$92,273	$44
   14	Ohio	$90,674	$44
   15	Texas	$85,716	$41
   16	Pennsylvania	$84,862	$41
   17	Iowa	$84,524	$41
   18	Maine	$84,066	$40
   19	Illinois	$83,500	$40
   20	Oklahoma	$82,913	$40

   Average compliance manager salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Meta	$156,323	$75.16	69
   2	McKinsey & Company Inc	$148,790	$71.53	30
   3	PayPal	$148,526	$71.41
   4	Apple	$147,494	$70.91	4
   5	Latham & Watkins	$143,118	$68.81
   6	The Walt Disney Company	$142,869	$68.69	1
   7	ICE Mortgage Technology	$142,629	$68.57
   8	First Republic Bank	$139,447	$67.04
   9	Chegg	$138,692	$66.68
   10	Google	$138,656	$66.66	8
   11	NVIDIA	$138,078	$66.38
   12	Atlassian	$137,870	$66.28
   13	eBay	$137,688	$66.20	1
   14	ZS	$136,097	$65.43
   15	Box	$135,093	$64.95	1
   16	Databricks	$134,795	$64.81
   17	F5	$133,525	$64.19	4
   18	Mayo Clinic	$132,580	$63.74
   19	Wind River	$132,419	$63.66
   20	Bunge	$132,260	$63.59

4. Writing a compliance manager job description

   A job description for a compliance manager role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's a compliance manager job description:

   Compliance manager job description example

   Weatherford is a leading global energy services company. Our world-class experts partner with customers to optimize their resources and realize the full potential of their assets. Across our operating locations, including manufacturing, research and development, service, and training facilities, operators choose us for strategic solutions that add efficiency, flexibility, and responsibility to any energy operation.
   
   We are focused on technology development, digital solutions, and defining our footprint in the new energy space. Our ability to provide integrated solutions across our segments will be critical to growth in our core operations and the energy transition.
   
   Energy producers face unique challenges every day, so it is our job to create solutions that enhance safety, streamline operations, and sustain uptime to meet or exceed their targets. We operate across the global energy landscape employing some of the best diverse talent in the industry. At Weatherford, we understand the value each individual brings to the table. We celebrate diversity in all its forms and are immensely proud of our workforce. We invite you to join our passionate, talented, word-class team.
   
   When you join Weatherford, you instantly feel connected to something bigger - a community that is grounded by our core values and driven to create innovative solutions for our customers. We celebrate each other's successes, grow together, and learn from each other constantly. Individually, we are impressive. Together, we are unstoppable. We are One Weatherford.
   
   Weatherford offers competitive compensation, a comprehensive benefits program and provides you a challenging and enriching career path, with a healthy balance of structure and flexibility to chart your own course. We are focused on providing a challenging and enriching career path with a healthy balance of structure and flexibility to chart your own course. We are an innovative, global company with wide-ranging opportunities that include career-enhancing talent rotations. Our structured career paths will ensure that you know what it takes to build your ideal career at Weatherford when you join our Company. We also offer a comprehensive benefits program, including health insurance coverage, income protection plans, a 401(k) savings plan, Company paid holidays, and paid time off for vacation.
   
   Weatherford is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, religion, national or ethnic origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability, protected veteran status or other characteristics protected by law.
   Responsibilities The Trade Compliance Team is responsible for a wide breadth of programs including: classification data management; system holds; denied party screening; drafting issuing and training on formal trade guidance and standards; creating and auditing trade procedures; providing oversight to all trade-related government inquiries; and mitigating trade risk. The Trade Compliance Manager will review Weatherford's oilfield tools for assignment of appropriate import and export classifications, and will review matters for US deemed export and technology control concerns in the countries in which Weatherford operates. Subject matter expert for export/import trade matters including HTS and ECCN classifications, deemed export reviews, country of origin, anti-boycott monitoring, sanctions, daily monitoring of restricted party screening modules. Ensures continual compliance with government rules and regulations, changes in policy, and other government matters . Drafts export licenses as appropriate. Strong experience with submitting licenses to the US Department of Commerce. Drafts, delivers, and/or participates in training of Weatherford personnel on trade compliance matters. Responsible for coordinating, communicating and documenting compliance activities and programs. Interprets trade regulations and provides guidance for the Weatherford segment and associated manufacturing and R&D facilities on their application. Anticipate problems, recommend solutions, and diffuse situations. Strategically identifies, plans, and recommends projects and innovative solutions relating to trade compliance as appropriate. Leads and/or manages specialized working groups across the Weatherford Product Lines to promote and ensure consistency throughout the business on trade compliance topics, and rulings and inquiries from customs administrations worldwide. Assists facilities in implementing trade compliance standards and performs audits of the facilities implementation to support the efforts of the Product Lines, Manufacturing and R&D facilities. Manages special programs and daily needs of Weatherford relating to import/export requirements, including classification, documentation requirements, country of origin determinations, and application of free trade agreements, duty drawback, and other duty savings opportunities. Participate in compliance audits of: imports, exports, forwarders and customs brokers. Other duties as assigned including working on additional enterprise projects as manager deems necessary. Qualifications 5+ years' experience in trade compliance (a combination of export, import, and sanctions) Knowledge of the rules of origin and document requirements relating to FTA/FTZs Experience with export classification including ECCN and HTS classifications. Familiarity with JD Edwards, SAP or equivalent ERP systems. Must be product, process, and systems oriented. Ability to create and maintain strong business relationships. Expert knowledge of US export and sanctions regulations. Ability to interpret non-US trade regulations as needed. Expert English language communication skills (both oral and written). Expert ability to assist with trade-related investigation reports and disclosures in English with minimal coaching or editing. Excellent organizational skills and presentation skills. Experience presenting to senior leaders. Ability to handle sensitive, confidential matters and exercise sound discretion and judgment. Capable of working independently, assuming significant responsibility, and being a self-starter. Ability to effectively interact with a diverse group of individuals in addressing complex issues. Periodic international and domestic travel required (10%) Role is based in Houston and reports to the Director of Trade Compliance. To conform to U.S. export control regulations, applicant should be eligible to review U.S.- origin technology for any required authorizations from the U.S. Government. PREFERENCES Logistics and supply chain experience strongly preferred. Experience in the oilfield and/or oil and gas industry strongly preferred. Significant knowledge of customs regulations strongly preferred. Licensed customs broker is a plus. Certified Customs Specialist is a plus. Undergraduate degree in business administration, engineering, supply chain, logistics or related field or equivalent work experience Experience with IT development and implementation of trade software Working knowledge of JD Edwards, Microsoft Office, and SharePoint.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right compliance manager for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with compliance managers they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit compliance managers who meet your education requirements.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your compliance manager job on Zippia to find and recruit compliance manager candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting compliance managers requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new compliance manager

   Once you have selected a candidate for the compliance manager position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize the agreement with a contract.

   It's also good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new compliance manager. Human Resources and the hiring manager should complete Employee Action Forms. Human Resources should also ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc., and that new employee files are created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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How much does it cost to hire a compliance manager?