A UK compliance officer salary varies by level and specialism. Adverts on our board that show pay run from £25,000 at the low end to £150,000 for director level, and the two compliance officer adverts list £60,000 and £70,000 or more. This guide uses the live adverts on the Direct Compliance board on 17 October 2026, not survey averages. Most adverts don't show pay at all, so read the figures as a sample.
One in eight compliance adverts on our board shows pay
The board had 348 live roles that day. Of those, 43 give an annual salary in pounds, about one in eight. We've left out one legal role, so the figures below come from 42 adverts. Employers that publish pay may not be typical of the market. Some firms also post two versions of the same role, so a few ranges below appear more than once.
Compliance salary by level, from live adverts
The table groups adverts by the seniority in the job title and shows the pay ranges they gave.
| Level | Example roles | Advertised pay |
|---|---|---|
| Entry level and junior | Graduate KYC analyst, compliance coordinator (temporary), counter fraud investigator, risk and compliance apprenticeship | About £26,000 to £36,000. Several adverts show a starting figure only |
| Analyst, officer and specialist | KYC and admin analyst, compliance business partner, international investigations associate, KYC specialist | Mostly £45,000 to £85,000 |
| Manager | Financial crime risk manager, senior manager for governance and compliance, group regulatory compliance manager | Mostly £49,000 to £92,000. Outliers include a financial crime team manager at £38,300 to £49,000 and a compliance manager at £101,000 to £149,000 |
| Head and director | Head of risk, head of financial crime control governance, director of compliance and risk, regulatory compliance director | Mostly £80,000 to £150,000. A remote head of compliance lists £55,000 to £75,000 |
Compliance officer salary in the UK: two adverts list £60,000 and £70,000+
Two adverts on our board use the title compliance officer and show pay. A financial promotions compliance officer on a three-month contract lists £60,000. A privacy risk and compliance officer lists £70,000 or more. Two adverts can't give you an average. Officer, adviser, analyst and specialist can describe similar work at different firms, so check the duties before you compare the pay.
Financial crime and KYC pay, from fraud investigator to head of financial crime
At analyst level, KYC and financial crime adverts that show pay start at £45,000 for a KYC and admin analyst and reach £85,000 for a senior product analyst in financial crime. Two fraud investigator adverts show less, at £30,000 to £34,000 and £26,350 to £34,800. At the top, the head of financial crime control governance and head of financial crime risk assessment adverts both list £89,000 to £127,000.
Why does the same compliance job title show different pay?
A remote head of compliance lists £55,000 to £75,000. A head of compliance and risk lists £100,000 to £150,000. Two compliance manager adverts list £68,000 to £92,000 and £101,000 to £149,000. The adverts don't say why. Firm size, how many people the role manages and the regulation it covers could all play a part, but we can't confirm that from the adverts. Treat a gap as a question to ask the employer.
How to use these salary figures when you apply
Match the range to the duties and the number of people you'd manage, not to the job title alone. When an advert shows no pay, ask at the first conversation. On our board you usually apply straight to the employer, so the person you speak to is likely to know the budget. You can browse compliance manager jobs and compliance analyst jobs, or read our guide to changing career into compliance.
Compliance officer salary FAQs
What is the average compliance officer salary in the UK?
We don't publish an average. Only about one in eight adverts on our board shows pay, and a mean of those would mislead. The two compliance officer adverts that show pay list £60,000 and £70,000 or more. Most officer, analyst and specialist adverts that show pay sit between £45,000 and £85,000.
How much does a head of compliance earn in the UK?
On our board on 17 October 2026, a remote head of compliance listed £55,000 to £75,000 and a head of compliance and risk listed £100,000 to £150,000. Most head and director adverts listed £80,000 to £150,000.
Do remote compliance jobs pay less?
Not in any clear way in the adverts we checked. Remote roles show ranges as wide as the rest, from £25,000 for a crypto fraud investigator to £101,000 to £149,000 for a compliance manager. Our guide to remote compliance jobs in the UK covers where to find them.
How much does a graduate compliance analyst earn?
A graduate KYC compliance analyst advert on our board lists £28,000 or more, and so does a London risk and compliance apprenticeship. Our guide to getting your first compliance job explains how people get started.
Pay data comes from adverts on the Direct Compliance board on 17 October 2026. Advertised pay isn't the same as what people earn, and figures change as roles come and go. This is general information, not careers or financial advice.
Read next: Highest Paying Remote Jobs UK: Including Compliance (2026), Why Sanctions Specialists Are Becoming Compliance's Best-Paid Niche in 2026 and How to Prepare for an AML or Financial Crime Interview.