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The differences between compliance specialists and chief compliance officers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a chief compliance officer has an average salary of $102,166, which is higher than the $57,330 average annual salary of a compliance specialist.
The top three skills for a compliance specialist include patients, regulatory compliance and strong analytical. The most important skills for a chief compliance officer are oversight, compliance issues, and risk management.
| Compliance Specialist | Chief Compliance Officer | |
| Yearly salary | $57,330 | $102,166 |
| Hourly rate | $27.56 | $49.12 |
| Growth rate | 6% | - |
| Number of jobs | 34,610 | 76,701 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 61% | Bachelor's Degree, 60% |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Years of experience | - | - |
The role of compliance specialists is to ensure that companies comply with relevant industry standards and regulations. Their duties may vary depending on the industry they work in, such as healthcare or banking. Tasks include reviewing their company's business practices to ensure they follow specific regulations, resolving compliance issues that may arise, and being up-to-date with regulatory changes. As a compliance specialist, you should have industry expertise, in-depth knowledge of regulations, and auditing skills.
A CCO or Chief Compliance Officer's primary responsibility is to ensure all procedures or activities are compliant with the company's overall policy and adhering to legal protocols with state and federal laws. Thus, the CCO drafts, proposes and develops compliance programs for the company to implement. Through the chief compliance officer's work, the company can lessen its liabilities and issues that may cause disruptions in production. The CCO is also part of the team that ensures quality in all company processes and activities.
Compliance specialists and chief compliance officers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Compliance Specialist | Chief Compliance Officer | |
| Average salary | $57,330 | $102,166 |
| Salary range | Between $38,000 And $85,000 | Between $65,000 And $159,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | Delaware | Delaware |
| Best paying company | Meta | McKinsey & Company Inc |
| Best paying industry | Pharmaceutical | Finance |
There are a few differences between a compliance specialist and a chief compliance officer in terms of educational background:
| Compliance Specialist | Chief Compliance Officer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 61% | Bachelor's Degree, 60% |
| Most common major | Business | Law |
| Most common college | Harvard University | Harvard University |
Here are the differences between compliance specialists' and chief compliance officers' demographics:
| Compliance Specialist | Chief Compliance Officer | |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 38.4% Female, 61.6% | Male, 64.7% Female, 35.3% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.9% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 15.7% Asian, 8.2% White, 59.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% | Black or African American, 11.1% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 15.7% Asian, 8.2% White, 59.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 12% | 12% |