Salary distribution
Where California compliance officers fall on the wage curve.
Shaded band = interquartile range (where most full-time workers fall)
The middle 50% of workers earn between $67,380 and $121,690, with a median of $92,350.
Compliance Officers in California: actual employer-disclosed pay
Public records from 209 certified H-1B Labor Condition Applications filed with the U.S. Department of Labor. Median offered wage: $104,000. Every figure below is an actual offered salary an employer attested to under federal law.
By DOL wage level
DOL classifies every offer into one of four wage levels based on the role's experience and skill requirements.
| Level | Filings | Median offer |
|---|---|---|
| Level I — entry | 38 | $65,546 |
| Level II — qualified | 63 | $91,270 |
| Level III — experienced | 47 | $112,965 |
| Level IV — fully competent | 40 | $142,365 |
Top employers filing for this role
Companies with the most certified filings for Compliance Officers in California. Median offer is across all of that employer's filings.
| Employer | Most-filed title | Filings | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Intuitive Surgical Operations, Inc. | Regulatory Affairs Specialist | 10 | $120,703 |
| Medtronic, Inc. | Senior Regulatory Affairs Specialist | 6 | $92,040 |
| California Public Utilities Commission | Public Utilities Regulatory Analyst I | 6 | $99,918 |
| ABBOTT CARDIOVASCULAR SYSTEMS INC. | Regulatory Affairs Specialist II | 5 | $91,270 |
| St. Jude Medical, Cardiology Division, Inc. | Senior Regulatory Affairs Specialist | 5 | $105,000 |
| Penumbra, Inc. | Regulatory Affair Specialist | 4 | $108,264 |
| CEPHEID | Senior Scientist II | 4 | $139,328 |
| International Expertise Consulting Corp | Foreign Legal Consultant | 4 | $60,000 |
| Gilead Sciences, Inc. | QA Specialist I | 4 | $84,115 |
| Roche Sequencing Solutions, Inc. | Regulatory Affairs Manager | 3 | $140,504 |
Recent sample filings
A snapshot of recent certified offers. Each line is a real, public, verifiable record.
- Regulatory Affairs Specialist at Populus Group LLC$126,880IrvineDecided Dec 29, 2025I-200-25353-497556
- Foreign Legal Consultant at Hotwire Public Relations Group LLC$136,000San FranciscoDecided Dec 24, 2025I-203-25351-492008
- Regulatory Affairs Expert at Roche Sequencing Solutions, Inc.$151,424Santa ClaraDecided Dec 11, 2025I-200-25339-459603
- Regulatory Affairs (CMC) Data Governance Specialist at NEXINFO SOLUTIONS, INC$115,000TracyDecided Dec 9, 2025I-200-25336-450828
- Manager, PV Standards Quality Training and Compliance at Zenith LifeScience LLC$125,000Union CityDecided Dec 8, 2025I-200-25335-447633
- Principal Regulatory Affairs Specialist at ABBOTT CARDIOVASCULAR SYSTEMS INC.$130,000Santa ClaraDecided Dec 2, 2025I-200-25328-432697
- Lead QA Product Surveillance Specialist at Penumbra, Inc.$112,736El CerritoDecided Nov 24, 2025I-200-25321-414534
- IT Audit Specialist at OSI Systems, Inc.$134,720HawthorneDecided Nov 24, 2025I-200-25321-414712
Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Foreign Labor Certification. Disclosed wages reflect what employers attested to pay; actual paid wages may differ. Only certified filings are shown — denied and withdrawn cases are excluded.
Compliance Officers pay by experience level in California
Each band reflects DOL Wage Levels I-IV mapped onto a four-step ladder. Click a level to see the disclosed-wage range for that segment.
Compliance Officers specialties in California
Real specialty titles employers file for, clustered from 112 certified offers. The most common variant is Regulatory Affairs Specialist at a median of $105,000.
| Specialty | Top employer | Filings | Median offer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Regulatory Affairs Specialist | ABBOTT CARDIOVASCULAR SYSTEMS INC. | 57 | $105,000 |
| Senior Specialist, Quality Assurance | Edwards Lifesciences LLC | 11 | $92,518 |
| Compliance Officer | R&T LOGISTICS INC | 7 | $68,000 |
| Manager, Regulatory Affairs | Zenith LifeScience LLC | 6 | $133,500 |
| Associate Director, Patient Safety Scientist | AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP | 6 | $157,188 |
| Compliance Analyst | Olive Asset Management, LLC | 5 | $95,000 |
| Foreign Legal Consultant | International Expertise Consulting Corp | 4 | $60,000 |
| Public Utilities Regulatory Analyst | California Public Utilities Commission | 4 | $85,062 |
| Regulatory Compliance Specialist | Center For Empowering Refugees and Immigrants | 3 | $66,872 |
| Security Industry Specialist | Amazon.com Services LLC | 3 | $165,800 |
| Senior Regulatory Specialist | PROCEPT BioRobotics | 3 | $123,469 |
| Regulatory Affairs Manager | Roche Sequencing Solutions, Inc. | 3 | $140,504 |
Specialties with 10 or more filings link to a dedicated breakdown.
Compliance Officers in California, by industry
Median offered wage across 208 certified filings, grouped by NAICS industry sector. Manufacturing leads with a median of $115,877.
| Industry | Largest employer | Filings | Median offer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | Intuitive Surgical Operations, Inc. | 93 | $115,877 |
| Professional services | International Expertise Consulting Corp | 50 | $93,759 |
| Technology and software | Google LLC | 25 | $110,000 |
| Retail and wholesale | Amazon.com Services LLC | 13 | $110,000 |
| Finance and insurance | Olive Asset Management, LLC | 6 | $79,773 |
| Government and public sector | California Public Utilities Commission | 6 | $99,918 |
| Healthcare | Welbe Health LLC | 6 | $70,252 |
| Education | The University of Southern California | 4 | $75,123 |
| Nonprofit and civic | Center For Empowering Refugees and Immigrants | 3 | $66,872 |
| Transportation and logistics | SKY EXPRESS WORLD COURIER, INC. | 2 | $69,451 |
Sectors with at least 25 filings link to a dedicated page with full distribution and sample employer breakdown.
Wage trend
Median annual wage in California over the past 2 BLS OES releases. Real values are CPI-adjusted to 2024 dollars.
Typical entry
Education
Bachelor's degree
Experience
None
On-the-job training
Moderate-term on-the-job training
Top skills (O*NET)
- 4.1 / 5
Law and Government
Knowledge
- 4.0 / 5
Oral Expression
Ability
- 4.0 / 5
Written Comprehension
Ability
- 4.0 / 5
Active Listening
Basic skill
- 4.0 / 5
Oral Comprehension
Ability
- 4.0 / 5
English Language
Knowledge
- 3.9 / 5
Customer and Personal Service
Knowledge
- 3.9 / 5
Reading Comprehension
Basic skill
Common tasks (O*NET)
- 01
Issue licenses to individuals meeting standards.
- 02
Collect fees for licenses.
- 03
Warn violators of infractions or penalties.
- 04
Administer oral, written, road, or flight tests to license applicants.
- 05
Evaluate applications, records, or documents to gather information about eligibility or liability issues.
- 06
Visit establishments to verify that valid licenses or permits are displayed and that licensing standards are being upheld.
- 07
Advise licensees or other individuals or groups concerning licensing, permit, or passport regulations.
- 08
Prepare reports of activities, evaluations, recommendations, or decisions.
10-year outlook
Growth 2024 → 2034
+2.9%
Projected annual openings
—
BLS outlook
Average growth
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2024–2034 cycle.
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Metro-level salary data for compliance officers in major California metropolitan areas.
- San Jose$118,490
- San Francisco$104,000
- San Diego$98,190
- Los Angeles$90,370
- Sacramento$89,010
- Riverside$79,130
Compare Compliance Officers pay across nearby states
Frequently asked questions
- What is the median salary for Compliance Officers in California?
- According to BLS Occupational Employment Statistics, the median annual wage for Compliance Officers in California is $92,350.
- How does California compare to the national median for Compliance Officers?
- The California median is +17.8% versus the BLS national figure of $78,411.
- What is the salary range for Compliance Officers in California?
- BLS reports the 10th-percentile annual wage at $53,990 and the 90th-percentile at $149,040, which captures most full-time workers in the role.
- Is Compliance Officers a growing field?
- BLS Employment Projections show employment growing by 2.9% over the projection cycle. See the 10-year outlook section above for details.
- What education is required for Compliance Officers?
- BLS lists the typical entry-level education as Bachelor's degree. Many employers also weigh prior experience and credentials.
Information on this page is for general educational purposes only. It is not career, financial, or tax advice. Wage data reflects BLS estimates for the reference year shown and may not match individual offers, employer-specific ranges, or current market conditions. Confirm with a licensed professional before making career or compensation decisions.