How to hire a corporate compliance officer

How to hire a corporate compliance officer, step by step

Here's a step-by-step corporate compliance officer hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a corporate compliance officer job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new corporate compliance officer
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the corporate compliance officer you need to hire. Certain corporate compliance officer roles might require a full-time employee, whereas others can be done by part-time workers or contractors.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   A corporate compliance officer's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, corporate compliance officers from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   This list presents corporate compliance officer salaries for various positions.

   Type of Corporate Compliance Officer	Description	Hourly rate
   Corporate Compliance Officer		$25-62
   Compliance Investigator	A compliance investigator is primarily responsible for ensuring all aspects of a facility or company complies with its policies and regulations, including government laws and standards. Their responsibilities revolve around conducting regular inspections, gathering and assessing documentation, and conducting interviews and assessments... Show more	$20-38
   Compliance Coordinator	A compliance coordinator specializes in ensuring that every aspect of a company adheres to its policies and regulations, including the state laws. Their responsibilities revolve around maintaining an active communication line with different departments to gather and analyze data, identifying vulnerable areas and risks, conducting internal investigations and inspections on compliance violations, assessing workforce performance, and reviewing product and systems documentation... Show more	$16-34

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Oversight
   • HIPAA
   • Ethics
   • Risk Management
   • Regulatory Compliance
   • Medicaid
   • Corporate Compliance
   • Compliance Policies
   • Risk Assessments
   • Direct Compliance Issues
   • Internal Audit
   • OSHA
   • Corrective Action
   • Legal Compliance

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage successful litigation, arbitration and mediation proceedings, including commercial disputes, product liability, employment and intellectual property.
   • Develop and maintain corporate training program for AML and BSA.
   • Interpret laws, rules and regulations relate to Medicare, Medicaid, HIPAA and HITECH.
   • Advise business partners and senior managers on OFAC, AML, and BSA compliance strategies.
   • Direct oversight of facility-base quality, compliance and risk management directors.
   • Provide information and training within region regarding ethics and compliance policies.

   More corporate compliance officer duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your corporate compliance officer job description helps attract top candidates to the position. A corporate compliance officer salary can be affected by several factors, such as geography, experience, seniority, certifications, and the prestige of the hiring company.

   For example, the average salary for a corporate compliance officer in Indiana may be lower than in Delaware, and an entry-level corporate compliance officer usually earns less than a senior-level corporate compliance officer. Additionally, a corporate compliance officer with certifications may command a higher salary, and working for a well-known company or start-up may also impact an employee's pay.

   Average corporate compliance officer salary

   $83,841yearly

   $40.31 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level corporate compliance officer salary

   $53,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 16, 2025

   Average corporate compliance officer salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Connecticut	$108,758	$52
   2	California	$98,357	$47
   3	New Jersey	$94,399	$45
   4	Michigan	$85,642	$41
   5	Ohio	$85,003	$41
   6	Pennsylvania	$83,080	$40
   7	Illinois	$82,196	$40
   8	New York	$81,254	$39
   9	Texas	$79,335	$38
   10	Florida	$64,885	$31
   11	Missouri	$64,347	$31
   12	Georgia	$57,222	$28

   Average corporate compliance officer salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	BNY Mellon	$112,898	$54.28	28
   2	JPMorgan Chase & Co.	$100,088	$48.12	195
   3	Pinnacle Technical Resources	$93,359	$44.88	2
   4	Masonite	$90,389	$43.46
   5	Qualcomm	$90,315	$43.42	2
   6	Garnet Health	$78,923	$37.94	2
   7	Grandbridge Real Estate Capital	$78,841	$37.90	129
   8	Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings	$78,536	$37.76	2
   9	True Care Home Care	$77,997	$37.50
   10	Fair Haven Community Health Care	$74,872	$36.00
   11	Atrium Health Floyd	$73,543	$35.36	31
   12	New York Congregational Nursing and Rehabilitation Center	$69,251	$33.29
   13	Summit Educational Group	$63,088	$30.33	1
   14	Regency Health Services Inc	$62,045	$29.83
   15	EQUITAS HEALTH	$56,615	$27.22
   16	AHRC New York City Foundation	$45,803	$22.02
   17	Goodwill Industries International	$37,115	$17.84	2

4. Writing a corporate compliance officer job description

   A job description for a corporate compliance officer role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's a corporate compliance officer job description:

   Corporate compliance officer job description example

   Be at a great place to work with MissionSquare Retirement, a FINANCIAL SERVICES LEADER in public sector employee retirement products and services. Headquartered in Washington, DC, MissionSquare Retirement was founded to provide portable retirement benefits for city and county managers, enabling accumulated retirement assets to be transferred between employers. Today, MissionSquare Retirement serves more than 1.5 million participant accounts, and more than 9,000 retirement plans across the country. We have an extraordinary talent base and invite you to consider joining MissionSquare Retirement's Corporate Affairs Team.
   
   Responsible for helping to ensure that MissionSquare Retirement's regulated entities operate in compliance with applicable securities laws, rules and regulations of self-regulatory agencies and internal policies and procedures of MissionSquare Retirement. Responsibilities will include assisting in the development, maintenance, oversight and testing of the compliance policy and procedural framework.
   Essential Functions for this role include:
   
   Develop, implement, monitor, and report on internal compliance systems and processes designed to reasonably ensure compliance with applicable securities laws and rules of self-regulatory agencies. Conduct compliance reviews in regulated entities as necessary to evaluate and test for compliance with applicable rules and regulations, policies and procedures. Provide written reports of findings. Maintain and operate internal compliance functions including but not limited to: i) Code of Ethics and Insider Trading Policy of MissionSquare Retirement; ii) Form BD, ADV and state registrations filings; iii) marketing materials compliance; iv) branch office review and oversight; and v) in coordination with Human Resources, compliance training and education and the annual training plan for MissionSquare Retirement. Maintain and update as necessary compliance and supervisory manuals and internal Compliance Department policies and procedures. In consultation with manager, develop and recommend workable action plans for correcting material weaknesses identified in compliance policies and procedures. Keep abreast of changes and new developments in the financial services industry and the impacts these changes have on compliance policies and procedures.
   
   If you have the following credentials, we encourage you to apply:
   
   Prior work experience in investment company, investment adviser, broker/dealer or other financial services organization. Knowledge and experience with Federal and State securities laws and rules and regulations of self-regulatory organizations. Knowledge of Federal Securities Laws, rules of self-regulatory agencies and internal policies and procedures governing mutual funds, investment advisers and broker/dealers is necessary. Results oriented with the ability to work independently and make sound decisions on the basis of available information. Capable of working effectively with all levels of staff and develop collaborative relationships. Excellent written and oral communications skills. Ability to interact effectively with external "clients" including regulatory authorities, vendors, and others. Above average computer skills set and ability to work with multiple applications. Solid research and interpretive skills
   
   To benefit your career and support your wellbeing, we offer:
   
   Competitive Total Rewards (compensation and benefits) package, including 401(k) Plan with matching contributions Varied incentive plans Flexible/Hybrid work schedules Wellness programs Tuition reimbursement Professional and career development courses Mentoring programs Volunteerism program
   
   As a company, MissionSquare Retirement is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We strive to create an environment that reflects the value and diversity of our employees and fosters respect among them. We believe that talent from diverse backgrounds will further enhance our ability, and mission, to serve those who serve their communities.
   
   Positions at this location require a COVID-19 vaccination. Offers of employment are conditioned upon the successful candidate providing proper proof of vaccination status prior to employment and pursuant to applicable law.

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5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right corporate compliance officer for your business:

   • Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your corporate compliance officer job on Zippia to find and recruit corporate compliance officer candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting corporate compliance officers requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new corporate compliance officer

   Once you have selected a candidate for the corporate compliance officer position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize the agreement with a contract.

   It's also important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new corporate compliance officer. Human Resources should complete Employee Action Forms and ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc. They should also ensure that new employee files are created for internal recordkeeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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