Compliance officer vs internal auditor

The differences between compliance officers and internal auditors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a compliance officer has an average salary of $64,058, which is higher than the $63,013 average annual salary of an internal auditor.

The top three skills for a compliance officer include oversight, risk management and compliance program. The most important skills for an internal auditor are CPA, risk management, and SOX.

Compliance officer vs internal auditor overview

	Compliance Officer	Internal Auditor
Yearly salary	$64,058	$63,013
Hourly rate	$30.80	$30.29
Growth rate	-	6%
Number of jobs	69,161	25,571
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 61%	Bachelor's Degree, 75%
Average age	46	44
Years of experience	-	-

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 an internal auditor do?

An internal auditor is an individual who takes responsibility for crucial accounting functions in an organization. Internal auditors have trusted consultants who advise upper management on how to handle corporate goals and risks. They review the business operations and processes of organizations. They have to assess the efficacy of the company's risk management procedures. They are expected to have superb communication skills, IT knowledge, and math aptitude. Also, they help protect the organization from potential theft and fraud of its assets.

Compliance officer vs internal auditor salary

Compliance officers and internal auditors have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Compliance Officer	Internal Auditor
Average salary	$64,058	$63,013
Salary range	Between $42,000 And $96,000	Between $45,000 And $86,000
Highest paying City	Wilmington, DE	Washington, DC
Highest paying state	Delaware	New York
Best paying company	Meta	Meta
Best paying industry	Finance	Manufacturing

Differences between compliance officer and internal auditor education

There are a few differences between a compliance officer and an internal auditor in terms of educational background:

	Compliance Officer	Internal Auditor
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 61%	Bachelor's Degree, 75%
Most common major	Business	Accounting
Most common college	Harvard University	University of Pennsylvania

Compliance officer vs internal auditor demographics

Here are the differences between compliance officers' and internal auditors' demographics:

	Compliance Officer	Internal Auditor
Average age	46	44
Gender ratio	Male, 48.8% Female, 51.2%	Male, 54.6% Female, 45.4%
Race ratio	Black 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, 8.6% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 11.0% Asian, 12.9% White, 63.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage	12%	7%

Differences between compliance officer and internal auditor 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.

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Internal auditor example responsibilities.

Manage and coordinate annual external business evaluation in conjunction with CPA consultants.
Work with department analyst to create measurement tools and methods for communicating results and managing QA analysis in compiling/reporting results.
Conduct complex performance audits, fraud investigations, special projects and routine follow-up reviews in accordance with IIA standards.
Perform tests of critical controls in compliance with Sarbanes-Oxley legislation and report results utilizing company compliance tool to validate SOX checklist.
Develop company FDA policy & procedures for liquid oxygen small bulk delivery vessels.
Perform planning, compliance testing, substantive analysis and testing in accordance with GAAS.

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Compliance officer vs internal auditor skills

Common compliance officer skills

Oversight, 7%
Risk Management, 7%
Compliance Program, 6%
Compliance Issues, 5%
Risk Assessments, 4%
PowerPoint, 4%

Common internal auditor skills

CPA, 8%
Risk Management, 5%
SOX, 5%
Audit Findings, 5%
Audit Procedures, 5%
Internal Audit Function, 5%

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Updated January 8, 2025

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