Best states for a compliance specialist

Q: What is the best state for compliance specialists?

The best state to be a compliance specialist is Delaware based on compliance specialist salaries and job opportunities.

Q: What is the highest paying state for compliance specialists?

The highest paying state for compliance specialists is Arkansas based on Zippia’s salary database.

Q: What is the worst state for compliance specialists?

The worst state for compliance specialists is Mississippi, due to a combination of low salaries and few job opportunities.

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Compliance specialist opportunities vary in different parts of the country. In order to help you determine the best states for compliance specialists, we ranked all fifty states from best to worst for compliance specialists.Although there are abundant compliance specialist jobs in the United States, a large number of them are in the South. Delaware is the best state in the country for compliance specialist jobs.

To do that, we looked at the most recent data we have available for the following criteria -- average annual wages, and availability of jobs for compliance specialists.We found that Delaware is the best state for compliance specialist jobs, whereas Mississippi is the worst.

10 best states for compliance specialists in 2026

1. Delaware
Total compliance specialist jobs: 111
Average annual salary: $77,096
Lowest 10 percent earn: $51,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $115,000
Location Quotient:
1.37
Compliance specialist jobs in Delaware
2. District of Columbia
Total compliance specialist jobs: 203
Average annual salary: $74,008
Lowest 10 percent earn: $48,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $112,000
Location Quotient:
1.87
Compliance specialist jobs in District of Columbia
3. Massachusetts
Total compliance specialist jobs: 661
Average annual salary: $68,650
Lowest 10 percent earn: $46,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $100,000
Location Quotient:
1.11
Compliance specialist jobs in Massachusetts
4. Rhode Island
Total compliance specialist jobs: 69
Average annual salary: $76,180
Lowest 10 percent earn: $51,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $111,000
Location Quotient:
0.88
Compliance specialist jobs in Rhode Island
5. North Dakota
Total compliance specialist jobs: 61
Average annual salary: $65,242
Lowest 10 percent earn: $44,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $94,000
Location Quotient:
1.01
Compliance specialist jobs in North Dakota
6. Connecticut
Total compliance specialist jobs: 205
Average annual salary: $68,925
Lowest 10 percent earn: $46,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $101,000
Location Quotient:
0.96
Compliance specialist jobs in Connecticut
7. California
Total compliance specialist jobs: 2,335
Average annual salary: $68,834
Lowest 10 percent earn: $43,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $108,000
Location Quotient:
1.24
Compliance specialist jobs in California
8. New Jersey
Total compliance specialist jobs: 459
Average annual salary: $69,405
Lowest 10 percent earn: $46,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $103,000
Location Quotient:
0.89
Compliance specialist jobs in New Jersey
9. Pennsylvania
Total compliance specialist jobs: 700
Average annual salary: $61,664
Lowest 10 percent earn: $41,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $92,000
Location Quotient:
0.93
Compliance specialist jobs in Pennsylvania
10. Hawaii
Total compliance specialist jobs: 82
Average annual salary: $67,855
Lowest 10 percent earn: $51,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $89,000
Location Quotient:
1.51
Compliance specialist jobs in Hawaii

Compliance specialist jobsNear Columbus, OH

How Zippia determines the best states to be a compliance specialist

You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.

Detailed list of the best states for a compliance specialist

Rank	State	Average salary	Lowest 10% earn	Population	Job count
1	Delaware	$77,096	$51,000	961,939	111
2	District of Columbia	$74,008	$48,000	693,972	203
3	Massachusetts	$68,650	$46,000	6,859,819	661
4	Rhode Island	$76,180	$51,000	1,059,639	69
5	North Dakota	$65,242	$44,000	755,393	61
6	Connecticut	$68,925	$46,000	3,588,184	205
7	California	$68,834	$43,000	39,536,653	2,335
8	New Jersey	$69,405	$46,000	9,005,644	459
9	Pennsylvania	$61,664	$41,000	12,805,537	700
10	Hawaii	$67,855	$51,000	1,427,538	82
11	Vermont	$63,383	$43,000	623,657	45
12	Wyoming	$56,709	$38,000	579,315	57
13	New Hampshire	$70,269	$48,000	1,342,795	83
14	New York	$61,978	$41,000	19,849,399	1,002
15	Illinois	$59,928	$40,000	12,802,023	819
16	North Carolina	$57,130	$37,000	10,273,419	660
17	Minnesota	$61,192	$41,000	5,576,606	373
18	Oregon	$60,213	$39,000	4,142,776	270
19	Nevada	$57,245	$36,000	2,998,039	136
20	Iowa	$54,210	$36,000	3,145,711	301
21	Nebraska	$55,276	$37,000	1,920,076	150
22	Washington	$58,023	$37,000	7,405,743	484
23	Maryland	$61,827	$40,000	6,052,177	370
24	Virginia	$58,063	$38,000	8,470,020	608
25	Alaska	$55,851	$43,000	739,795	73
26	Michigan	$55,335	$37,000	9,962,311	406
27	Indiana	$54,992	$36,000	6,666,818	349
28	Texas	$54,662	$35,000	28,304,596	1,289
29	Missouri	$57,300	$38,000	6,113,532	302
30	Ohio	$55,119	$36,000	11,658,609	505
31	Montana	$53,105	$36,000	1,050,493	69
32	Arizona	$50,744	$33,000	7,016,270	475
33	West Virginia	$53,065	$35,000	1,815,857	71
34	Colorado	$54,022	$36,000	5,607,154	351
35	Wisconsin	$52,652	$35,000	5,795,483	292
36	South Dakota	$50,060	$34,000	869,666	60
37	Florida	$47,042	$29,000	20,984,400	1,249
38	Louisiana	$50,656	$32,000	4,684,333	180
39	Kentucky	$51,506	$34,000	4,454,189	162
40	Maine	$51,797	$35,000	1,335,907	68
41	Tennessee	$48,446	$32,000	6,715,984	304
42	Kansas	$49,762	$33,000	2,913,123	157
43	Utah	$44,554	$29,000	3,101,833	221
44	Georgia	$43,789	$28,000	10,429,379	693
45	South Carolina	$48,729	$31,000	5,024,369	190
46	Alabama	$46,464	$30,000	4,874,747	229
47	Arkansas	$41,940	$27,000	3,004,279	157
48	Oklahoma	$46,586	$31,000	3,930,864	138
49	New Mexico	$46,960	$31,000	2,088,070	80
50	Idaho	$42,599	$28,000	1,716,943	89
51	Mississippi	$44,919	$29,000	2,984,100	62

Highest paying states for compliance specialists

Rank	State	Avg. Compliance Specialist Salary
1	Delaware	$77,096
2	District of Columbia	$74,008
3	Massachusetts	$68,650
4	Rhode Island	$76,180
5	North Dakota	$65,242
6	Connecticut	$68,925
7	California	$68,834
8	New Jersey	$69,405
9	Pennsylvania	$61,664
10	Hawaii	$67,855
11	Vermont	$63,383
12	Wyoming	$56,709
13	New Hampshire	$70,269
14	New York	$61,978
15	Illinois	$59,928
16	North Carolina	$57,130
17	Minnesota	$61,192
18	Oregon	$60,213
19	Nevada	$57,245
20	Iowa	$54,210
21	Nebraska	$55,276
22	Washington	$58,023
23	Maryland	$61,827
24	Virginia	$58,063
25	Alaska	$55,851
26	Michigan	$55,335
27	Indiana	$54,992
28	Texas	$54,662
29	Missouri	$57,300
30	Ohio	$55,119
31	Montana	$53,105
32	Arizona	$50,744
33	West Virginia	$53,065
34	Colorado	$54,022
35	Wisconsin	$52,652
36	South Dakota	$50,060
37	Florida	$47,042
38	Louisiana	$50,656
39	Kentucky	$51,506
40	Maine	$51,797
41	Tennessee	$48,446
42	Kansas	$49,762
43	Utah	$44,554
44	Georgia	$43,789
45	South Carolina	$48,729
46	Alabama	$46,464
47	Arkansas	$41,940
48	Oklahoma	$46,586
49	New Mexico	$46,960
50	Idaho	$42,599
51	Mississippi	$44,919

Compliance specialist best states FAQs

What is the best state for compliance specialists?

What is the highest paying state for compliance specialists?

What is the worst state for compliance specialists?

Have more questions? See all answers to common business and financial questions.

Search for compliance specialist jobs

Updated January 8, 2025

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Total compliance specialist jobs:	111
Average annual salary:	$77,096
Lowest 10 percent earn:	$51,000
Highest 10 percent earn:	$115,000
Location Quotient:	1.37

Best states for a compliance specialist

10 best states for compliance specialists in 2026

1. Delaware

2. District of Columbia

3. Massachusetts

4. Rhode Island

5. North Dakota

6. Connecticut

7. California

8. New Jersey

9. Pennsylvania

10. Hawaii