Compliance Officers Salary
Compliance Officers in Ames, IA make a median of $80,370 a year, or about $38.64 an hour. The range runs from $52K at the entry level to $113K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 88.83), which stretches that salary to about $90,476 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,153/month, or 22.7% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $80K get you in Ames?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Ames’s Regional Price Parity (88.83). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About compliance officers
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What this looks like in Ames
Compliance officers pay in Ames tracks closely to the national median, $80K locally vs. $81K nationwide, a 0% difference. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,153/month, 22.8% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Regional Price Parity sits at 88.83 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 11% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for compliance officers in metros near Ames, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Des Moines-West Des Moines | $85K | $92K |
| Davenport-Moline-Rock Island | $75K | $84K |
| Cedar Rapids | $68K | $77K |
| Iowa City | $79K | $86K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Ames, IA
Entry-level compliance officers (10th percentile) start around $52K. Mid-career wages sit at $80K. Top earners bring in $113K or more, a $61K spread from bottom to top.
Compliance Officers pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Compliance Officers salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $111K | +38% | 4,380 |
| Massachusetts | $102K | +26% | 13,190 |
| New Jersey | $100K | +24% | 13,310 |
| California | $97K | +20% | 49,880 |
| Connecticut | $92K | +14% | 3,610 |
| Delaware | $91K | +13% | 2,150 |
| Vermont | $90K | +12% | 1,960 |
| New York | $90K | +12% | 23,500 |
| Washington | $89K | +10% | 11,130 |
| Rhode Island | $88K | +9% | 970 |
| Minnesota | $86K | +6% | 6,140 |
| Pennsylvania | $86K | +6% | 19,810 |
| Maryland | $85K | +5% | 10,100 |
| Maine | $84K | +4% | 1,790 |
| Oregon | $83K | +3% | 5,360 |
| New Hampshire | $83K | +3% | 1,730 |
| Hawaii | $83K | +2% | 1,270 |
| Colorado | $82K | +2% | 7,740 |
| Illinois | $81K | -0% | 10,650 |
| Virginia | $80K | -0% | 15,190 |
| Wyoming | $80K | -1% | 580 |
| North Dakota | $79K | -2% | 990 |
| Wisconsin | $79K | -2% | 5,710 |
| Indiana | $79K | -2% | 5,120 |
| North Carolina | $79K | -3% | 11,320 |
| Nevada | $78K | -3% | 4,400 |
| Michigan | $77K | -4% | 9,720 |
| Alaska | $76K | -5% | 920 |
| Iowa | $76K | -6% | 3,660 |
| South Carolina | $75K | -7% | 4,760 |
| Idaho | $75K | -7% | 1,660 |
| Texas | $75K | -7% | 42,900 |
| Ohio | $75K | -7% | 11,240 |
| Florida | $75K | -7% | 29,680 |
| Arizona | $75K | -7% | 12,430 |
| Nebraska | $74K | -8% | 3,470 |
| Alabama | $73K | -10% | 3,770 |
| South Dakota | $73K | -10% | 1,130 |
| Louisiana | $70K | -13% | 3,970 |
| Georgia | $70K | -13% | 14,390 |
| Kansas | $70K | -14% | 3,560 |
| Kentucky | $69K | -14% | 4,360 |
| New Mexico | $68K | -16% | 2,400 |
| Mississippi | $67K | -16% | 1,720 |
| Utah | $67K | -17% | 3,760 |
| Missouri | $67K | -17% | 7,000 |
| Montana | $67K | -17% | 1,480 |
| Arkansas | $65K | -20% | 3,120 |
| West Virginia | $64K | -20% | 1,720 |
| Tennessee | $64K | -21% | 7,990 |
| Oklahoma | $63K | -22% | 4,230 |
Showing 1–10 of 51 (all 50 states + DC)
Track compliance officers salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Ames numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a compliance officer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Ames?
Yes — at the median salary of $80K, rent takes 22.8% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,153/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for compliance officers in Ames?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new compliance officers typically earn — is $52K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,107/month. At HUD’s $1,153/month FMR, rent would take 37% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is compliance officer a high-paying job in Ames?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $80K locally vs. $81K nationally, a 0% difference.
How does Ames compare to the national average for compliance officers?
Ames pays $80K median vs. the U.S. average of $81K — that’s +0%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 88.83), the purchasing-power equivalent is $90K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do compliance officers make in Ames, IA?
The median is $80,370 a year, that works out to about $39 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $51,790, and experienced compliance officers can clear $112,900. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $80K enough to live in Ames?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $5,064/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,153/month, which eats 22.8% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.
How far does a compliance officers salary go in Ames?
Ames has a Regional Price Parity of 88.83 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median compliance officers salary is worth about $90,476 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do compliance officers get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.