Average Compliance Specialist Salary in United Kingdom for 2024

In this article, we will look at the average Compliance Specialist salary for 2024 in United Kingdom and how that compares to other countries and professions. We'll also look at interesting salary data points like median salary, 25th and 75th percentile salaries, salary amounts based on experience, bonus ranges and more!

The data in this article has been compiled using official government salary data, salary surveys, and other sources such as job postings which contain salary information.

All salary information is in the local currency, which is the British pound. To keep things simple, we are using the GBP currency code instead of the currency symbol £.

How Much Does a Compliance Specialist Make in United Kingdom?

A Compliance Specialist working in United Kingdom will typically earn around 100,700 GBP per year, and this can range from the lowest average salary of about 51,300 GBP to the highest average salary of 153,700 GBP.

Average Annual Salary
100,700 GBP
Average Monthly Salary
8,391 GBP

Lowest Annual Salary
51,300 GBP
Lowest Monthly Salary
4,275 GBP

Highest Annual Salary
153,700 GBP
Highest Monthly Salary
12,808 GBP

These are average salaries for a Compliance Specialist in United Kingdom and include benefits such as housing and transport. It's also possible for a Compliance Specialist to earn more or less than the average salaries shown above.

Compliance Specialist salaries will vary a lot based on your experience, location, skills, and gender. Keep reading below to research more data on each of these areas.

Distribution of Compliance Specialist Salaries in United Kingdom

So we've looked at the average salaries a Compliance Specialist will earn in United Kingdom. The next interesting data point is the distribution of salaries.

Salary ranges

We already know that a Compliance Specialist can earn between 51,300 GBP and 153,700 GBP on average in United Kingdom. This is known as the range in statistics.

The difference between the maximum and minimum values is a good indicator of variability in salaries, and can be used by employers to figure out how much they can expect to pay, and for employees to know how much they can earn.

Median salary

The median salary for a Compliance Specialist in United Kingdom is 95,600 GBP. This is the middle value in the distribution of salaries.

What this means is that approximately 50% of the population earn less than 95,600 GBP, and 50% of the population earn more than 95,600 GBP.

If you are earning more than the median salary, that's a good indicator that you are being paid well.

If you're not earning more than the median salary, your objective should be to increase your earnings to be at least as high as the median salary (which you can do by asking for a pay rise, looking for a better paying job, etc).

Percentiles

Percentiles are similar to the median salary, but instead of looking at the middle value, they look at the values in the top and bottom half of the distribution.

For the average Compliance Specialist salary in United Kingdom, 25% of the population are earning less than 65,700 GBP while 75% of the population earn more than 65,700 GBP.

75% of the population earn less than 121,800 GBP, and 25% of the population earn more than 121,800 GBP.

Like the median salary, the 25th and 75th percentile salaries can be used to determine which quartile you fall into so that you know whether you are being paid well enough compared to others in your profession and location.

The difference between a median and an average salary

The median and average salary are both indicators you can use to see if you are being paid fairly based on the overall population.

  • If your salary is higher than the average and the median salary, you are earning well compared to others.
  • If your salary is lower than the average and the median salary, it could indicate you are not being paid well enough.
  • If you are somewhere in between then it's tricky to determine if you are being paid well enough and you might need to research more closely.

Compliance Specialist Salary by Experience Level in United Kingdom

The most important factor in determining your salary after the specific profession is the number of years experience you have. It stands to reason that more years of experience will result in a higher wage.

We have researched the average compliance specialist salary based on years of experience to give you an idea of how the average changes once you've worked for a certain amount of time.

  • 0 - 2 Years Experience. A Compliance Specialist in United Kingdom that has less than two years of experience can expect to earn somewhere in the region of 61,400 GBP.
  • 2 - 5 Years Experience. With two to five years of experience the average Compliance Specialist salary would increase to 79,800 GBP.
  • 5 - 10 Years Experience. From five to ten years of experience as a Compliance Specialist, the average salary would be 105,200 GBP.
  • 10 - 15 Years Experience. Once you have more than ten years of experience the average salary reaches around 127,700 GBP.
  • 15 - 20 Years Experience. A Compliance Specialist with 15 to 20 years of experience can earn an average of 139,100 GBP.
  • 20+ Years Experience. For a Compliance Specialist with more than 20 years, the expected average salary increases to 146,700 GBP.

Average Salary by Experience Chart

0-2 Years
61,400 GBP
2-5 Years +34%
79,800 GBP
5-10 Years +30%
105,200 GBP
10-15 Years +21%
127,700 GBP
15-20 Years +9%
139,100 GBP
20+ Years +5%
146,700 GBP

Compliance Specialist Salary by Education Level in United Kingdom

As well as experience in a job, your education plays a big role in how much you can earn. A lot of higher paying positions require a high level of education, but how much can a degree increase your salary?

In our research we have compared the salaries of employees in the same job and career level with different levels of education to see how much more you can earn at each education level.

The salary you can earn based on your education is very specific to both your location and the career path you choose.

In our research, we looked at the average salary for a Compliance Specialist in United Kingdom based on the education level of the employees in order to find out whether a better education level would increase your salary.

  • Bachelor's Degree. A Compliance Specialist in United Kingdom with a bachelor's degree education can earn an average salary of 85,100 GBP.

  • Master's Degree. A Compliance Specialist in United Kingdom with a master's degree education can earn an average salary of 115,600 GBP.

Average Salary by Education Chart

Bachelor's Degree
85,100 GBP
Master's Degree +39%
115,600 GBP

How Much is a Master's Degree or MBA Program?

The approximate cost of a master's degree or post-graduate program like an MBA in United Kingdom is around 29,600 to 88,700 GBP and takes two years to complete.

As you can see above, there are financial benefits from reaching master's degree level, but don't expect to see much of a salary increase until you have completed the degree.

It's common for people to pursue an MBA or other post-graduate program in order to switch to a a job that pays more. On average, you can expect to earn around 10% more when switching to a new company.

Whether you decide to pursue a master's degree depends on many factors. If you are able to afford it, the numbers suggest that the return on investment is worth it and you could recover the costs in a few years from the salary increase you would receive.

Compliance Specialist Salary Compared by Gender

In the modern age, we know that there should never be a pay gap between men and women. Unfortunately, in many professions, there is still a significant difference between the salaries earned by men when compared to the salary of women in the same job.

In United Kingdom, a male compliance specialist will earn an average of 105,200 GBP, while a female compliance specialist will earn around 99,900 GBP.

This means that a male compliance specialist earns approximately 5% more than a female compliance specialist for performing the same job.

Average Salary by Gender Chart in United Kingdom

Male
105,200 GBP
Female -5%
99,900 GBP

Compliance Specialist Average Pay Raise in United Kingdom

In many countries, an annual pay raise is often given to employees to reward their service with a salary increase.

From our research, we can see that the average pay raise for a Compliance Specialist in United Kingdom is around 12% every 16 months.

The national average pay raise across all professions and industries in United Kingdom is around 9% every 15 months.

In this case, we can see that the number of months between the average pay raise is higher than the typical 12 months.

To make the data more meaningful, we can calculate what the approximate annual pay raise would be using a simple formula:

Annual Increase = ( Increase Rate ÷ Months ) × 12

So for this example, it would be:

Annual Increase = ( 12 ÷ 16 ) × 12  = 9%

What this means is that a Compliance Specialist in United Kingdom can expect to receive an average pay raise of around 9% every 12 months.

Annual Pay Raise by Industry in United Kingdom for 2024

In the chart below, you can see the average annual pay raise percentages for each of the major industries in United Kingdom.

You will see that companies in bigger and more lucrative industries tend to have the higher annual pay raises.

Banking
3%
Energy
6%
Information Technology
9%
Healthcare
3%
Travel
6%
Construction
9%
Education
3%

Compliance Specialist Bonus and Incentive Rates in United Kingdom

Another part of your overall compensation in a job is how much bonus you receive. Some job roles will be more likely to pay a bonus than others and also more likely to have higher bonus rates.

Generally speaking, jobs that are more involved with direct revenue generation will receive higher bonuses based on the performance towards revenue goals.

A Compliance Specialist is a moderate bonus based job, with 56% of employees reporting at least one bonus in the last 12 months.

44% reported that they had not received any bonuses in the previous 12 months.

For the employees that did receive a bonus in the previous 12 months, the reported bonuses ranged from 3% to 5%.

Received Bonus
56%
No Bonus
44%

What are the Types of Bonus?

There are a number of difference types of bonus you can receive in a job. Including:

  • Individual performance bonus - This is a bonus that is awarded to an individual employee for general performance in the job. It's the most common type of bonus.
  • Company performance bonus - This is a bonus that is awarded to a company employees to share profit with the staff.
  • Goal based bonus - This is a bonus that is awarded to an individual employee (or a team) for achieving specific goals, objectives, or milestones.
  • Holiday bonus - This type of bonus is usually paid around the holidays, often the end of the year, and is a token of appreciation for the hard work throughout the year.

Government vs Private Sector Salaries

Another commonly asked question is whether you get paid a higher salary working in the public (government) sector or the private sector.

Public sector employees in United Kingdom earn approximately 7% more than private sector employees in the same role.

Public Sector
72,700 GBP
Private Sector -7%
68,200 GBP

Salaries for Jobs Similar to a Compliance Specialist

In the table below, we have salary information for jobs that are similar to a Compliance Specialist in United Kingdom.

Job Title Category Salary
Assistant Pharmacist Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology 64,500 GBP
Assistant Pharmacy Director Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology 116,400 GBP
Associate Medical Affairs Director Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology 158,700 GBP
Bioinformatics Scientist Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology 142,100 GBP
Bioinformatics Technician Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology 65,900 GBP
Biological Scientist Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology 146,700 GBP
Biological Technician Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology 65,500 GBP
Biomedical Engineer Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology 65,200 GBP
Biomedical Engineering Director Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology 114,300 GBP
Biostatistician Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology 94,800 GBP
Biotechnologist Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology 98,700 GBP
Biotechnology Lead Data Manager Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology 72,400 GBP
Chemical Process Technician Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology 68,200 GBP
Clinical Consultant Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology 93,100 GBP
Clinical Data Manager Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology 94,300 GBP
Clinical Data Specialist Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology 83,300 GBP
Clinical Informatics Specialist Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology 73,800 GBP
Clinical Operations Manager Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology 130,500 GBP
Clinical Pharmacist Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology 88,700 GBP
Clinical Pharmacy Specialist Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology 108,200 GBP
Clinical Programmer Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology 49,800 GBP
Clinical Project Manager Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology 83,300 GBP
Clinical Research Associate Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology 84,600 GBP
Clinical Research Manager Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology 140,700 GBP
Clinical Study Manager Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology 117,100 GBP
Cytology Laboratory Technologist Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology 79,000 GBP
Cytotechnologist Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology 74,100 GBP
GCP Auditor Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology 79,600 GBP
Hospital Pharmacy Technician Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology 73,100 GBP
Manufacturing Engineer Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology 78,900 GBP
Medical Affairs Director Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology 142,300 GBP
Medical Representative Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology 65,400 GBP
Medical Science Liaison Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology 102,700 GBP
Molecular and Cellular Biologist Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology 151,800 GBP
Nuclear Pharmacist Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology 100,200 GBP
Pharmaceutical Manager Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology 157,600 GBP
Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Lead Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology 175,100 GBP
Pharmaceutical Operations Excellence Manager Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology 151,800 GBP
Pharmaceutical Process Engineer Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology 82,200 GBP
Pharmaceutical Production Assistant Manager Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology 107,700 GBP
Pharmaceutical Project Manager Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology 93,800 GBP
Pharmaceutical Quality Auditor Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology 107,300 GBP
Pharmaceutical Regulatory Affairs Assistant Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology 78,700 GBP
Pharmaceutical Regulatory Affairs Manager Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology 103,600 GBP
Pharmaceutical Regulatory Affairs Specialist Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology 80,500 GBP
Pharmaceutical Representative Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology 60,600 GBP
Pharmaceutical Research Associate Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology 98,700 GBP
Pharmaceutical Research Scientist Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology 146,700 GBP
Pharmaceutical Researcher Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology 132,000 GBP
Pharmaceutical Sales and Marketing Manager Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology 112,700 GBP
Pharmaceutical Sales Manager Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology 142,100 GBP
Pharmaceutical Sales Representative Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology 62,600 GBP
Pharmaceutical Supply Chain Manager Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology 151,800 GBP
Pharmaceutical Team Leader Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology 107,300 GBP
Pharmaceutical Technologist Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology 73,100 GBP
Pharmacist Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology 86,800 GBP
Pharmacy Aide Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology 63,500 GBP
Pharmacy Manager Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology 128,200 GBP
Pharmacy Stock Controller Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology 54,600 GBP
Pharmacy Technician Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology 55,200 GBP
Records Management Coordinator Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology 53,300 GBP
Shift Encapsulator Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology 57,100 GBP
Staff Pharmacist Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology 92,100 GBP

Salary Comparison by City

If you want to compare salaries with different cities in United Kingdom, you can use the links below to explore the data for each specific city we have researched.

City Average Salary
Aberdeen 82,250 GBP
Abingdon 67,550 GBP
Armagh 80,350 GBP
Bangor 71,900 GBP
Belfast 78,550 GBP
Birmingham 87,000 GBP
Bradford 87,350 GBP
Brighton 84,500 GBP
Bristol 92,300 GBP
Cambridge 75,900 GBP
Canterbury 69,550 GBP
Cardiff 85,400 GBP
Chester 71,050 GBP
Coventry 85,000 GBP
Derby 82,400 GBP
Derry 73,450 GBP
Dundee 80,350 GBP
Durham 72,850 GBP
Edinburgh 89,250 GBP
Exeter 75,750 GBP
Glasgow 88,900 GBP
Gloucester 79,100 GBP
Hartlepool 69,950 GBP
Inverness 69,400 GBP
Kingston upon Hull 83,950 GBP
Kirkwall 67,250 GBP
Leeds 87,000 GBP
Leicester 85,450 GBP
Lincoln 76,600 GBP
Lisburn 73,350 GBP
Liverpool 89,500 GBP
London 92,700 GBP
Manchester 84,300 GBP
Newcastle 82,050 GBP
Newport 80,700 GBP
Newry 74,150 GBP
Norwich 76,000 GBP
Nottingham 86,350 GBP
Oxford 79,400 GBP
Peterborough 83,050 GBP
Plymouth 83,050 GBP
Poole 76,300 GBP
Portsmouth 76,300 GBP
Ripon 68,850 GBP
Salisbury 69,600 GBP
Sheffield 87,900 GBP
Somerset 84,500 GBP
Southampton 80,050 GBP
St Davids 64,600 GBP
Stirling 72,800 GBP
Stromness 70,150 GBP
Strontian 67,050 GBP
Swansea 80,100 GBP
Truro 72,100 GBP
Wakefield 69,050 GBP
Wells 66,750 GBP
Winchester 70,650 GBP
Wolverhampton 81,000 GBP
York 80,950 GBP

Salary Comparison by State

The table below includes links to the average salary for each state in United Kingdom.

City Average Salary
England 143,900 GBP
Northern Ireland 68,800 GBP
Scotland 105,100 GBP
Wales 73,950 GBP

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