Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between compliance officers and risk managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a risk manager has an average salary of $116,072, 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 risk manager are oversight, risk assessments, and project management.
| Compliance Officer | Risk Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $64,058 | $116,072 |
| Hourly rate | $30.80 | $55.80 |
| Growth rate | - | 17% |
| Number of jobs | 69,161 | 75,795 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 61% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Years of experience | - | 8 |
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.
A risk manager is responsible for analyzing potential risks that may affect the organization's operations, reputation, and market credibility. Risk managers identify risk controls and discuss business contingency plans for unforeseen circumstances to prevent delays in operational services. They also develop compliance training and programs for all the employees to provide them the awareness of the safety and security regulations within the company premises. A risk manager must have excellent communication and leadership skills, especially on handling and investigating cases that might compromise the business stability and financial status.
Compliance officers and risk managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Compliance Officer | Risk Manager | |
| Average salary | $64,058 | $116,072 |
| Salary range | Between $42,000 And $96,000 | Between $84,000 And $160,000 |
| Highest paying City | Wilmington, DE | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Delaware | California |
| Best paying company | Meta | Credit Karma |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Technology |
There are a few differences between a compliance officer and a risk manager in terms of educational background:
| Compliance Officer | Risk Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 61% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Harvard University | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between compliance officers' and risk managers' demographics:
| Compliance Officer | Risk Manager | |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 48.8% Female, 51.2% | Male, 59.3% Female, 40.7% |
| 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, 7.5% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 14.4% Asian, 10.1% White, 63.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 12% | 11% |