Compliance Officer salary in Seattle: $203,000
Compliance officers in Seattle, WA earn a median of $203,000 in total compensation — about +13.4% versus the national median of $179,000 for this title. The typical range runs $158,000 to $276,000, with roughly $146,000 of that as base salary and the remainder in bonus and equity.
Median total comp
$203,000
base + bonus + equity
Typical base salary
$146,000
cash only
Cost-of-living adjusted
$134,000
COL index 152
Market movement
+6.3%
772 open legal roles
What a compliance officer role package looks like in Seattle
Compliance Officer roles run the control side of legal risk: policy design, training, monitoring and testing, hotline intake, third-party diligence and regulator reporting. A JD is common but not required, which widens the candidate pool and holds the median below counsel titles at equivalent seniority.
Seattle carries a cost-of-living index of 152 against a national baseline of 100, so the $203,000 median is worth about $134,000 in national purchasing power. Legal hiring in the metro is running +6.3% year over year across roughly 772 tracked openings, and demand scores 79 out of 100 in our benchmark set.
- Regulated industry — banking, healthcare, insurance and pharma pay a distinct premium
- Whether the seat is a designated CCO with personal regulatory accountability
- AML/BSA, FCPA or HIPAA program ownership
- Certifications (CCEP, CAMS) and audit or examination track record
Seattle versus other metros for compliance officers
| Metro | Median total | vs Seattle | COL adjusted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seattle, WA | $203,000 | — | $134,000 |
| San Francisco, CA | $223,000 | +9.9% | $123,000 |
| New York, NY | $209,000 | +3.0% | $124,000 |
| Boston, MA | $191,000 | -5.9% | $129,000 |
| Los Angeles, CA | $186,000 | -8.4% | $127,000 |
| Washington, DC | $185,000 | -8.9% | $129,000 |
| Austin, TX | $175,000 | -13.8% | $162,000 |
| Denver, CO | $171,000 | -15.8% | $147,000 |
| Chicago, IL | $170,000 | -16.3% | $152,000 |
| Dallas, TX | $165,000 | -18.7% | $162,000 |
| Atlanta, GA | $163,000 | -19.7% | $158,000 |
| Raleigh, NC | $158,000 | -22.2% | $160,000 |
| Phoenix, AZ | $156,000 | -23.2% | $150,000 |
| Tampa, FL | $153,000 | -24.6% | $151,000 |
Total compensation medians as of August 2026. Directional market estimates, not offers.
Compliance Officer pay in Seattle: common questions
- How much does a compliance officer role pay in Seattle?
- The median total compensation for compliance officers in Seattle, WA is $203,000 as of August 2026, with a typical range of $158,000 to $276,000. Roughly $146,000 of the median is base salary, with the remainder in bonus and equity.
- Is Compliance Officer pay in Seattle above or below the national average?
- Seattle pays above the national median for this title — $203,000 versus $179,000 nationally, a difference of about 13.4%. Adjusted for Seattle's cost-of-living index of 152, the package is worth about $134,000 in national purchasing power.
- What is the base salary versus bonus and equity split for compliance officers in Seattle?
- Base salary typically accounts for about $146,000 of the $203,000 median, or roughly 72%. The balance comes from annual bonus and equity, and the equity share rises sharply at venture-backed and public companies.
- Which US metro pays compliance officers the most?
- San Francisco, CA leads our benchmark set at $223,000 median total compensation for compliance officers. Cost of living offsets part of that advantage — on a cost-adjusted basis the ranking changes materially.
- What drives Compliance Officer compensation the most?
- Regulated industry — banking, healthcare, insurance and pharma pay a distinct premium; Whether the seat is a designated CCO with personal regulatory accountability; AML/BSA, FCPA or HIPAA program ownership; Certifications (CCEP, CAMS) and audit or examination track record.
What would your profile earn in Seattle?
Medians describe the market, not you. MaxMyPay builds a personalized valuation range from your own resume and experience, then scales it across every metro we track.