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The differences between internal auditors and compliance auditors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a compliance auditor has an average salary of $64,606, which is higher than the $63,013 average annual salary of an internal auditor.
The top three skills for an internal auditor include CPA, risk management and SOX. The most important skills for a compliance auditor are audit findings, compliance audits, and audit reports.
| Internal Auditor | Compliance Auditor | |
| Yearly salary | $63,013 | $64,606 |
| Hourly rate | $30.29 | $31.06 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 25,571 | 33,704 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 75% | Bachelor's Degree, 63% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | - | - |
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.
A compliance auditor is responsible for reviewing the company's policies and procedures, ensuring the organization's adherence to state and federal regulations. Compliance auditors inspect the operations of each department, adjusting internal guidelines as needed. They also inspect the condition of all facilities, including tools and equipment, network systems, and business operations. A compliance auditor mitigates risks by analyzing the operational processes and conducting a risk assessment study to prevent compliance issues that may pose a negative effect on the company's performance and stability.
Internal auditors and compliance auditors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Internal Auditor | Compliance Auditor | |
| Average salary | $63,013 | $64,606 |
| Salary range | Between $45,000 And $86,000 | Between $45,000 And $92,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | New York | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | Meta | PayPal |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Finance |
There are a few differences between an internal auditor and a compliance auditor in terms of educational background:
| Internal Auditor | Compliance Auditor | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 75% | Bachelor's Degree, 63% |
| Most common major | Accounting | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between internal auditors' and compliance auditors' demographics:
| Internal Auditor | Compliance Auditor | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 54.6% Female, 45.4% | Male, 38.9% Female, 61.1% |
| Race ratio | 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% | Black or African American, 8.5% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 10.8% Asian, 12.2% White, 64.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 7% |