Compliance Manager job description: duties, skills and qualifications.

Core duties

16

O*NET task statements

Preparation

Job Zone 4 of 5

considerable preparation

Typical entry education

Bachelor's degree

BLS 2025–35 · broader occupation

Median pay

$141,900

BLS May 2025 · broader occupation

1. Report violations of compliance or regulatory standards to duly authorized enforcement agencies as appropriate or required. importance 4.5 of 5
2. Identify compliance issues that require follow-up or investigation. importance 4.4 of 5
3. Discuss emerging compliance issues to ensure that management and employees are informed about compliance reporting systems, policies, and practices. importance 4.4 of 5
4. File appropriate compliance reports with regulatory agencies. importance 4.3 of 5
5. Maintain documentation of compliance activities, such as complaints received or investigation outcomes. importance 4.2 of 5
6. Consult with corporate attorneys as necessary to address difficult legal compliance issues. importance 4.2 of 5
7. Conduct or direct the internal investigation of compliance issues. importance 4.1 of 5
8. Provide employee training on compliance related topics, policies, or procedures. importance 4.1 of 5
9. Serve as a confidential point of contact for employees to communicate with management, seek clarification on issues or dilemmas, or report irregularities. importance 4.1 of 5
10. Verify that all regulatory policies and procedures have been documented, implemented, and communicated. importance 4.1 of 5
11. Disseminate written policies and procedures related to compliance activities. importance 4.0 of 5
12. Prepare management reports regarding compliance operations and progress. importance 4.0 of 5
13. Conduct periodic internal reviews or audits to ensure that compliance procedures are followed. importance 4.0 of 5
14. Keep informed regarding pending industry changes, trends, or best practices. importance 4.0 of 5
15. Monitor compliance systems to ensure their effectiveness. importance 4.0 of 5
16. Direct the development or implementation of policies and procedures related to compliance throughout an organization. importance 4.0 of 5

Work activities O*NET rates most important here: Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards, Getting Information, Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates, Working with Computers and Documenting/Recording Information.

Also part of the job

Supplemental tasks O*NET lists for this occupation: less central than the core duties above, and not done in every job.

• Develop risk management strategies based on assessment of product, compliance, or operational risks.
• Advise technical professionals on the development or use of environmental compliance or reporting tools.
• Conduct environmental audits to ensure adherence to environmental standards.
• Evaluate testing procedures to meet the specifications of environmental monitoring programs.
• Review or modify policies or operating guidelines to comply with changes to environmental standards or regulations.
• Review communications such as securities sales advertising to ensure there are no violations of standards or regulations.

Knowledge areas: Law and Government, English Language, Administration and Management, Customer and Personal Service and Personnel and Human Resources.

Software O*NET lists for this occupation: Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Office software, Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft PowerPoint, Microsoft Visio, Adobe Acrobat. These are examples O*NET records for the job, not a list of tools every employer uses or a checklist of what you must know.

• Education: BLS lists a bachelor's degree as the typical entry-level education for the broader occupation.
• Experience: BLS lists less than 5 years of work experience in a related occupation as typical.
• Training on the job: BLS lists no typical on-the-job training once hired.
• Preparation: O*NET places the job in Job Zone 4 of 5 (considerable preparation). A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations.
• Licenses and certifications: not listed here. A license is a legal requirement set by a state; a certification is a credential from a private or professional body. Rules vary by state and employer, and a missing entry on this page does not mean none is required: check with your state's licensing board and see how to become a compliance manager.

Most compliance managers surveyed by O*NET (63%) name a bachelor's degree as the education the job requires.

Job title: Compliance Manager
[Company] · [City, State] · [Full-time or part-time] · [Pay range, where your state requires one]

About the role
[Company] is hiring a Compliance Manager to plan, direct, or coordinate activities of an organization to ensure compliance with ethical or regulatory standards.
[One sentence on your team and why this role matters.]

What you will do
- Report violations of compliance or regulatory standards to duly authorized enforcement agencies as appropriate or required.
- Identify compliance issues that require follow-up or investigation.
- Discuss emerging compliance issues to ensure that management and employees are informed about compliance reporting systems, policies, and practices.
- File appropriate compliance reports with regulatory agencies.
- Maintain documentation of compliance activities, such as complaints received or investigation outcomes.
- Consult with corporate attorneys as necessary to address difficult legal compliance issues.
- Conduct or direct the internal investigation of compliance issues.
- Provide employee training on compliance related topics, policies, or procedures.

What we are looking for
- [Education: BLS lists a bachelor's degree as typical for this occupation; set the level this role truly needs]
- [Experience: BLS lists less than 5 years in a related occupation as typical; adjust to this role]
- Strength in reading comprehension, critical thinking and active listening
- Working knowledge of Law and Government and English Language
- [Software your team uses, e.g. Microsoft Excel or Microsoft Office software]
- [Any license or certification your state or company requires]

[Schedule, benefits and how to apply]

Illustrative: every name, employer, school, date and number in these samples is fictional or a bracketed placeholder. Replace each bracket with your own true details; never copy a result you did not achieve.

Not a real job posting. This template is TryHired's illustration built from government occupational data. It is not an opening at any employer, and no employer wrote it.

For the broader BLS occupation Managers, All Other, the median annual wage was $141,900 in May 2025. The broader occupation's median hourly wage was $68.22.

BLS counts the O*NET occupation Compliance Managers within Managers, All Other and publishes no separate wage for it, so the figure is for that broader occupation.

BLS projects employment in the broader occupation Managers, all other to grow 4.9% from 2025 to 2035, with about 100,900 openings a year over that period, including openings to replace workers who leave.

See the full compliance manager salary breakdown by percentile, state and metro.

• Read a real compliance manager posting next to the core duties above. Duties it repeats, such as “Report violations of compliance or regulatory standards to duly…”, tell you what that employer weighs most; anything it adds is specific to that team.
• Tailor your resume to the posting, not to this page: describe only compliance manager work you have actually done, with your own results.
• Prepare a story for each of the top-rated skills (reading comprehension and critical thinking); compliance manager interview questions turns them into practice questions.