Post job

Compliance officer vs compliance director

The differences between compliance officers and compliance directors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a compliance director has an average salary of $103,517, which is higher than the $64,058 average annual salary of a compliance officer.

The top three skills for a compliance officer include oversight, risk management and compliance program. The most important skills for a compliance director are compliance program, oversight, and ethics.

Compliance officer vs compliance director overview

Compliance OfficerCompliance Director
Yearly salary$64,058$103,517
Hourly rate$30.80$49.77
Growth rate--
Number of jobs69,16120,942
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 61%Bachelor's Degree, 63%
Average age4647
Years of experience-4

What does a compliance officer do?

A compliance officer is responsible for monitoring company operations, ensuring that all the processes and members are adhering to the regulatory and procedural policies set by the company. Compliance officers' duties also include proposing compliance programs, reviewing and updating existing company policies with management approval, taking immediate actions for policy violations, and mitigating risks. A compliance officer must have extensive knowledge of legal procedures and regulatory standards to manage and evaluate problems, providing meaningful solutions, and keep the company's positive reputation.

What does a compliance director do?

Compliance Directors oversee the adherence of different business units to company policies. They are considered experts on the different processes, policies, and regulatory systems that govern the business's operations, be it internal or external. They also keep themselves updated on the different external regulations and compliance procedures from governing bodies. This helps them ensure that the company is following the current guidelines. Compliance Directors have a say in the different internal company policies while overseeing the compliance to finance, human resources, and other related procedures.

Compliance officer vs compliance director salary

Compliance officers and compliance directors have different pay scales, as shown below.

Compliance OfficerCompliance Director
Average salary$64,058$103,517
Salary rangeBetween $42,000 And $96,000Between $72,000 And $147,000
Highest paying CityWilmington, DESan Francisco, CA
Highest paying stateDelawareCalifornia
Best paying companyMetaMcKinsey & Company Inc
Best paying industryFinanceFinance

Differences between compliance officer and compliance director education

There are a few differences between a compliance officer and a compliance director in terms of educational background:

Compliance OfficerCompliance Director
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 61%Bachelor's Degree, 63%
Most common majorBusinessBusiness
Most common collegeHarvard UniversityStanford University

Compliance officer vs compliance director demographics

Here are the differences between compliance officers' and compliance directors' demographics:

Compliance OfficerCompliance Director
Average age4647
Gender ratioMale, 48.8% Female, 51.2%Male, 53.9% Female, 46.1%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 11.1% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 15.9% Asian, 8.3% White, 59.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%Black or African American, 7.8% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 13.0% Asian, 8.6% White, 65.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage12%10%

Differences between compliance officer and compliance director duties and responsibilities

Compliance officer example responsibilities.

  • Achieve millions of dollars in possible FDA fines and remediation costs by eliminating regulatory risk.
  • Lead a team to review new HCBS final rules settings as outlined by CMS for all contract provider agencies.
  • Participate in OCC exam preparation and review including research and presentation of documentation to achieve compliance with federal examiner requests.
  • Track and coordinate CAPA to ensure effectiveness in root cause remediation.
  • Support senior compliance staff and legal counsel in all phases of investigation and litigation.
  • Use the Internet, Lexis Nexis and Accuity as necessary to perform EDD QA processes.
  • Show more

Compliance director example responsibilities.

  • Manage monthly FINRA registration fee allocations and departmental expenses.
  • Manage Sarbanes-Oxley financial reporting and CAMP+ coverage, and certification process.
  • Develop strategy to integrate acquired/new operations to achieve company ethics & compliance standards.
  • Manage senior and junior surveillance/investigation analysts responsible for conducting AML surveillance and investigations.
  • Develop, manage and implement program governance and structure to ensure major programs are strategically align with organizational objectives.
  • Provide explanations to families on Medicare and Medicaid billing and benefits.
  • Show more

Compliance officer vs compliance director skills

Common compliance officer skills
  • Oversight, 7%
  • Risk Management, 7%
  • Compliance Program, 6%
  • Compliance Issues, 5%
  • Risk Assessments, 4%
  • PowerPoint, 4%
Common compliance director skills
  • Compliance Program, 8%
  • Oversight, 8%
  • Ethics, 8%
  • Risk Management, 6%
  • Compliance Issues, 5%
  • Risk Assessments, 4%

Browse business and financial jobs