Compliance Officer Salary
Compliance Officers in Watertown, NY make a median of $91,560 a year, or about $44.02 an hour. The range runs from $56K at the entry level to $109K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 87.69), which stretches that salary to about $104,413 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,453/month, or 25.3% of estimated take-home pay.
Where the paycheck goes
What $92K actually covers in Watertown-Fort Drum, month by month
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Watertown-Fort Drum’s Regional Price Parity (87.69). 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 Watertown-Fort Drum
Watertown-Fort Drum sits well above the national pay line for compliance officers, local pay runs about 13% higher than the U.S. median of $81K. Rent runs $1,453/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 25.5% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Regional Price Parity sits at 87.69 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 12% 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 Watertown-Fort Drum, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City | $101K | $90K |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga | $82K | $86K |
| Albany-Schenectady-Troy | $81K | $82K |
| Rochester | $80K | $83K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Watertown-Fort Drum, NY
Entry-level compliance officers (10th percentile) start around $56K. Mid-career wages sit at $92K. Top earners bring in $109K or more, a $53K 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
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Quick answers
The stuff people actually ask about this job
Can a compliance officer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Watertown-Fort Drum?
Yes — at the median salary of $92K, rent takes 25.5% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,453/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for compliance officers in Watertown-Fort Drum?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new compliance officers typically earn — is $56K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,731/month. At HUD’s $1,453/month FMR, rent would take 39% 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 Watertown-Fort Drum?
Local pay is 13% above the national median — $92K here vs. $81K nationally.
How does Watertown-Fort Drum compare to the national average for compliance officers?
Watertown-Fort Drum pays $92K median vs. the U.S. average of $81K — that’s +13%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 87.69), the purchasing-power equivalent is $104K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do compliance officers make in Watertown-Fort Drum, NY?
The median is $91,560 a year, that works out to about $44 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $56,280, and experienced compliance officers can clear $109,300. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $92K enough to live in Watertown-Fort Drum?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $5,696/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,453/month, which eats 25.5% 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 Watertown-Fort Drum?
Watertown-Fort Drum has a Regional Price Parity of 87.69 (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 $104,413 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.
