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Average Compliance Officer Salary in United Kingdom for 2026

A compliance officer in United Kingdom earns about 59,200 GBP a year. That's 15% below the national average of 69,700 GBP.

Pay ranges widely from country to country and from role to role. The lowest reported salaries in United Kingdom sit around 28,800 GBP a year, while the very top stretches to 95,300 GBP. Everything on this page is in British pound (GBP, symbol £), which lets you compare numbers like-for-like without worrying about exchange rates.

The numbers here are pulled together from official government wage data, large independent salary surveys, and aggregated worker-reported pay. Most reported salaries include the benefits that are common in United Kingdom, such as housing or transport allowances, which is worth keeping in mind if you're comparing against a country where those are usually paid on top.

To turn a gross salary in United Kingdom into a take-home figure, use our United Kingdom salary after tax calculator, which works the latest tax brackets and contributions through the math for you.

How much does a compliance officer make in United Kingdom?

Average salary
59,200 GBP
4,933 GBP per month
Lowest reported
28,800 GBP
2,400 GBP per month
Highest reported
95,300 GBP
7,941 GBP per month

A typical compliance officer working in United Kingdom brings home around 4,933 GBP a month before tax. Entry-level pay starts near 28,800 GBP, and the top of the ladder reaches roughly 95,300 GBP for the most experienced and specialised people in the role.

The wide gap between low end and top end reflects how much pay can vary inside the same job title. A junior compliance officer working at a small local employer earns very different money from a senior at a multinational. Skills, employer, city and years in the seat all push the number around. For a cross-country comparison, see the compliance officer salary in Guernsey or Jersey, both of which pay in the same currency.

How compliance officer pay ranges in United Kingdom

A good way to think about salary in United Kingdom is to look at the distribution rather than the headline average. Half of all compliance officers in United Kingdom earn less than 63,800 GBP a year, and the other half earn more. That middle number is the median, and it is usually more useful than the average for answering "is my pay normal here".

Looking at the quartiles fills in the picture. A quarter of earners take home less than 40,200 GBP (the 25th percentile), and a quarter clear 84,600 GBP (the 75th percentile). The middle 50% of compliance officers sit somewhere inside that band, which is where the typical reader of this page probably lives.

The very lowest reported salaries sit around 28,800 GBP. The highest stretch to 95,300 GBP, though only a small fraction of earners ever reach that level. If you are deciding whether your own offer or current pay is reasonable, work out which of those four bands you would fall into and use that as your reference point.

28,800
Low
63,800
Median
95,300
High
40,200
25th
84,600
75th
The middle 50% sit between the 25th and 75th percentile Tails are the lowest and highest reported All figures in GBP

Compliance officer pay by experience in United Kingdom

Years of experience is the single biggest lever on pay for a compliance officer in United Kingdom, ahead of education and almost any other single factor. The longer you have been in the role, the more your employer can trust you to handle complexity, mentor others and act independently, all of which command higher pay. The chart below shows how the typical compliance officer salary changes as you move through the career ladder.

  • 0-2 Years
    29,400 GBP
  • 2-5 Years
    +44% from previous
    42,400 GBP
  • 5-10 Years
    +47% from previous
    62,500 GBP
  • 10-15 Years
    +19% from previous
    74,100 GBP
  • 15-20 Years
    +8% from previous
    80,300 GBP
  • 20+ Years
    +11% from previous
    89,300 GBP

The single largest jump on the ladder is from 2 - 5 Years to 5 - 10 Years, where pay rises by about 47%. That is the point at which a compliance officer typically goes from "competent in the role" to "the person other people in the team learn from", and the market pays well for that step.

Compliance officer pay by education in United Kingdom

Education sits alongside experience as one of the biggest factors driving compliance officer pay in United Kingdom. Higher qualifications consistently pull higher salaries, but the size of the gap tends to be smallest at junior levels and widens as people move up. Two people in the same role with the same years of experience but different degrees can end up earning very different money once they reach mid-career.

Below is the average compliance officer salary in United Kingdom broken down by the highest level of education a worker has completed.

  • Certificate or Diploma
    34,300 GBP
  • Bachelor's Degree
    +58% from previous
    54,100 GBP
  • Master's Degree
    +71% from previous
    92,500 GBP

Compliance officer gender pay gap in United Kingdom

The gender pay gap is a stubborn feature of almost every labour market, and United Kingdom is no exception. Male compliance officers in United Kingdom earn an average of 61,300 GBP a year, while female compliance officers earn around 58,500 GBP. That works out to a 5% gap in favour of men, even when comparing people doing the same work.

A pay gap of this size has a real long-term cost. Over a typical thirty-year career it can add up to several years of pay, and it compounds through pensions, retirement contributions and bonus-linked stock. Some of the gap is explained by women being more likely to work part-time, take career breaks, or be steered toward lower-paying specialisations. Some of it is straightforward unequal pay for the same job, which is harder to defend.

Compliance Officer gender pay gap

5%

Men earn this much more than women on average in United Kingdom.

Men 61,300 GBP
Women 58,500 GBP

Pay raises for a compliance officer in United Kingdom

Most countries hand out at least some kind of pay raise every year, typically when an employee's contract is reviewed or as a cost-of-living adjustment to keep wages roughly in step with inflation. The rhythm and size of those raises varies hugely between industries.

A typical worker doing this role in United Kingdom sees a raise of about 11% every 15 months, which works out to roughly 9% on an annual basis. That figure is the typical underlying rate; in years where inflation runs high you can usually expect a bit more, and in flat-economy years a bit less.

Across all jobs in United Kingdom, the national average raise is around 9% every 15 months.

By industry

Industries with the highest pay raises in United Kingdom:

  • Banking
  • Energy
  • Information Technology
  • Healthcare
  • Travel
  • Construction
  • Education

By experience level

Experienced workers tend to see larger raises. Retaining a senior is cheaper than replacing them, so employers fight harder for them.

  • Junior Level
    3% - 5%
  • Mid-Career
  • Senior Level
  • Top Management

Compliance officer bonus rates in United Kingdom

Bonuses are the other half of total compensation, and they vary a lot between jobs and industries. Some roles are paid almost entirely in base salary; others lean heavily on bonus structures tied to revenue, project completion or company performance. Whether a job pays a bonus, how big it is, and how often it lands all factor into whether the headline salary is actually a good offer.

36%

36% of compliance officers in United Kingdom reported a bonus of some kind in the past twelve months. That makes a compliance officer a low-bonus role overall, which is useful context when you're weighing up a job offer where the base is below market.

Among those who did receive a bonus, the size of the payment varied substantially. Reported bonuses ranged from 0% to 4% of base salary. The remaining 64% of compliance officers reported no bonus at all over the same period.

Which careers pay bonuses in United Kingdom

Revenue-facing roles tend to pay the biggest bonuses. Operational and support roles tend toward smaller, more predictable ones.

  • Finance
  • Architecture
  • Sales
  • Business Development
  • Marketing / Advertising
  • Information Technology
  • Healthcare
  • Insurance
  • Customer Service
  • Human Resources
  • Construction
  • Transport
  • Hospitality

Compliance officer: public vs private sector pay

Public-sector pay in United Kingdom is about 7% more than private-sector pay for similar work. The private sector typically offers stronger upside and bigger bonuses; the public sector typically offers better benefits and stability.

Public vs private pay gap

6%

Public-sector workers earn this much more than private-sector workers in United Kingdom on average.

Public sector 72,700 GBP
Private sector 68,200 GBP

Compliance officer salary by city and region in United Kingdom

Compliance officer pay is not even across United Kingdom. The chart below shows the highest-paying cities and regions in the dataset, followed by the full location table.

  • England
  • Scotland
  • Liverpool
  • Birmingham
  • Sheffield
  • Bradford
  • Leeds
  • Edinburgh
  • Somerset
  • Plymouth
LocationTypeAverageMedianRange
EnglandRegion114,900 GBP124,500 GBP53,300-183,900 GBP
ScotlandRegion84,800 GBP86,300 GBP42,500-132,000 GBP
LiverpoolCity69,800 GBP66,700 GBP36,500-105,800 GBP
BirminghamCity69,100 GBP72,300 GBP31,800-109,700 GBP
SheffieldCity67,800 GBP72,800 GBP30,100-105,800 GBP
BradfordCity67,600 GBP67,500 GBP32,600-102,700 GBP
LeedsCity67,200 GBP66,000 GBP35,300-103,600 GBP
EdinburghCity66,400 GBP68,400 GBP33,300-105,800 GBP
SomersetCity65,400 GBP61,200 GBP35,400-99,700 GBP
PlymouthCity64,800 GBP65,400 GBP30,600-99,700 GBP
LondonCity64,800 GBP68,800 GBP31,300-103,600 GBP
CoventryCity64,600 GBP64,400 GBP31,800-100,700 GBP
SwanseaCity64,500 GBP59,900 GBP35,100-99,100 GBP
NottinghamCity64,300 GBP63,500 GBP29,600-98,900 GBP
GlasgowCity64,300 GBP62,500 GBP33,300-95,900 GBP
DerbyCity64,300 GBP62,600 GBP33,300-95,900 GBP
BelfastCity64,200 GBP69,700 GBP29,100-105,200 GBP
LeicesterCity64,200 GBP69,700 GBP29,100-105,200 GBP
ManchesterCity63,900 GBP64,900 GBP32,900-100,300 GBP
CardiffCity63,500 GBP63,700 GBP34,000-100,500 GBP
BrightonCity63,500 GBP63,000 GBP34,000-98,900 GBP
NewcastleCity63,200 GBP58,500 GBP31,400-93,900 GBP
PeterboroughCity63,200 GBP66,100 GBP27,200-99,100 GBP
SouthamptonCity63,000 GBP64,300 GBP30,100-95,600 GBP
ArmaghCity62,600 GBP59,800 GBP30,200-95,100 GBP
BristolCity62,600 GBP70,000 GBP30,800-100,700 GBP
AberdeenCity62,100 GBP58,400 GBP32,200-94,800 GBP
OxfordCity62,100 GBP58,500 GBP30,200-92,100 GBP
Kingston upon HullCity61,700 GBP64,500 GBP29,100-96,800 GBP
YorkCity61,400 GBP62,600 GBP30,100-95,100 GBP
NewportCity61,400 GBP63,700 GBP25,800-95,100 GBP
DundeeCity60,200 GBP63,500 GBP27,400-94,000 GBP
WolverhamptonCity59,800 GBP65,100 GBP29,600-96,500 GBP
LincolnCity58,800 GBP59,800 GBP30,800-92,500 GBP
PortsmouthCity58,200 GBP64,900 GBP27,300-92,900 GBP
WalesRegion58,200 GBP55,400 GBP30,100-84,300 GBP
NorwichCity57,900 GBP61,600 GBP24,800-92,300 GBP
DurhamCity57,100 GBP62,600 GBP26,600-89,200 GBP
CambridgeCity56,100 GBP57,800 GBP26,900-87,700 GBP
ChesterCity56,100 GBP59,200 GBP26,500-86,600 GBP
StirlingCity56,100 GBP54,300 GBP29,300-85,100 GBP
ExeterCity55,700 GBP54,900 GBP27,000-83,300 GBP
GloucesterCity55,100 GBP53,300 GBP27,200-83,000 GBP
NewryCity54,700 GBP58,700 GBP25,700-88,400 GBP
TruroCity54,700 GBP50,600 GBP27,200-83,000 GBP
PooleCity54,100 GBP52,300 GBP27,700-85,400 GBP
WakefieldCity53,600 GBP58,200 GBP22,400-83,800 GBP
DerryCity53,500 GBP56,100 GBP27,300-85,500 GBP
CanterburyCity53,300 GBP49,200 GBP28,800-79,800 GBP
WinchesterCity53,300 GBP49,200 GBP28,800-80,800 GBP
SalisburyCity52,800 GBP51,400 GBP29,600-80,500 GBP
HartlepoolCity52,800 GBP58,200 GBP23,600-87,400 GBP
Northern IrelandRegion52,300 GBP46,900 GBP27,300-78,500 GBP
InvernessCity52,000 GBP54,900 GBP22,000-83,700 GBP
StrontianCity51,800 GBP51,500 GBP23,600-80,700 GBP
LisburnCity51,800 GBP52,300 GBP25,800-80,000 GBP
RiponCity51,800 GBP51,500 GBP23,600-80,700 GBP
KirkwallCity51,600 GBP52,000 GBP22,800-80,200 GBP
BangorCity51,300 GBP54,300 GBP25,700-79,500 GBP
St DavidsCity51,300 GBP53,500 GBP24,200-83,300 GBP
AbingdonCity50,600 GBP51,900 GBP27,600-81,600 GBP
StromnessCity49,700 GBP54,700 GBP23,100-82,300 GBP
WellsCity49,200 GBP51,300 GBP26,200-76,900 GBP

Compliance Officer in United Kingdom: FAQs

  • How much does a compliance officer make per month in United Kingdom?

    A compliance officer in United Kingdom earns about 4,933 GBP a month before tax, based on an annual average of 59,200 GBP.

  • What's the salary range for a compliance officer in United Kingdom?

    Entry-level compliance officers in United Kingdom start near 28,800 GBP. Top-end pay reaches around 95,300 GBP. The middle 50% of earners sit between 40,200 and 84,600 GBP.

  • Is the median compliance officer salary in United Kingdom higher or lower than the average?

    The median is 63,800 GBP, higher than the average of 59,200 GBP. Half of compliance officers in United Kingdom earn below the median, half earn above it.

  • What's the gender pay gap for compliance officers in United Kingdom?

    Men working as a compliance officer in United Kingdom earn around 5% more than women on average (61,300 vs 58,500 GBP a year).

  • Do compliance officers in United Kingdom get bonuses?

    About 36% of compliance officers in United Kingdom reported a bonus in the past 12 months. Reported bonuses ranged from 0% to 4% of base salary.

  • Do compliance officers earn more in the public or private sector in United Kingdom?

    In United Kingdom, the public sector pays a compliance officer about 7% more on average. Public-sector pay tends to be steadier; private-sector pay tends to offer bigger upside.

  • How often do compliance officers in United Kingdom get a pay raise?

    A compliance officer in United Kingdom sees a raise of around 11% every 15 months, equivalent to roughly 9% a year.