Compliance Officers Salary
Compliance Officers in Trenton-Princeton, NJ make a median of $87,970 a year, or about $42.29 an hour. The range runs from $54K at the entry level to $129K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 103.18), that's roughly $85,259 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,950/month, about 35.3% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $88K get you in Trenton-Princeton?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Trenton-Princeton’s Regional Price Parity (103.18). 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 Trenton-Princeton
Compliance officers pay in Trenton-Princeton tracks closely to the national median, $88K locally vs. $81K nationwide, a 9% difference. Rent runs $1,950/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 35% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Cost of living (RPP 103.18) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Pay and costs are both near average, leaving limited margin for savings at the median wage.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for compliance officers in metros near Trenton-Princeton, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Atlantic City-Hammonton | $79K | $80K |
| Vineland | $74K | $77K |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City | $101K | $90K |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington | $83K | $81K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Trenton-Princeton, NJ
Entry-level compliance officers (10th percentile) start around $54K. Mid-career wages sit at $88K. Top earners bring in $129K or more, a $74K 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)
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Frequently asked questions
Can a compliance officer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Trenton-Princeton?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $88K, rent takes 35% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,950/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,700/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for compliance officers in Trenton-Princeton?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new compliance officers typically earn — is $54K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,260/month. At HUD’s $1,950/month FMR, rent would take 60% 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 Trenton-Princeton?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $88K locally vs. $81K nationally, a 9% difference.
How does Trenton-Princeton compare to the national average for compliance officers?
Trenton-Princeton pays $88K median vs. the U.S. average of $81K — that’s +9%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 103.18), the purchasing-power equivalent is $85K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do compliance officers make in Trenton-Princeton, NJ?
The median is $87,970 a year, that works out to about $42 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $54,340, and experienced compliance officers can clear $128,710. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $88K enough to live in Trenton-Princeton?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $5,566/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,950/month, which eats 35% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a compliance officers salary go in Trenton-Princeton?
Trenton-Princeton has a Regional Price Parity of 103.18 (100 is the national average). Prices are above average here, so your dollar buys less than the same salary would in a cheaper metro. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median compliance officers salary is worth about $85,259 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.