Compliance Directors: How to Become One

If you were to ask a group of compliance directors about how they arrived at their current job, there's a good chance you would get several different answers about the paths and steps that each person took.

That said, there are still ways that you can develop a baseline understanding of the preparation that is necessary to become one.

The Best Adult Colleges and Careers Guide has gathered data to provide you with insight into the type of education that's commonly required for compliance directors to land a job. This page contains information, sourced from real job postings, that describes the experience levels and specific skills that employers of compliance directors expect candidates to have. In the end, this information will help you create an education or professional development plan that aligns with your career aspirations.

Keep reading to learn more about career steps for compliance directors.

What Education & Experience is Needed for Compliance Directors?

Do compliance directors need a degree? What kind of experience do compliance directors typically need? Thanks to data sourced from Lightcast™ from real job postings, we can get some clarity on those questions, as well as the level of education that is commonly required for compliance directors to secure jobs.

Education Level Required in Job Postings for Compliance Directors

A bachelor's degree is the level of education sought the most by employers of compliance directors. According to job data, a bachelor's degree was required for 47% of positions. In 21% of job listings a master's degree was required and in 17% of postings no education level was listed.

Experience Level Required in Job Postings for Compliance Directors

While the amount of required experience will vary based on the responsibility and seniority of the position, an aggregate view of job posting data can help paint a picture of the experience level sought for most job openings for compliance directors. In 34% of job postings for Compliance Directors, employers were looking for candidates with 2-3 years of experience. In 30% of listings employers were looking for candidates with 4-6 years of experience, while 10+ years of experience was sought in 13% of job postings for compliance directors.

What Kind of Degree Do Compliance Directors Need?

So far this page has provided detail into the level of education and the amount of experience required in job openings for compliance directors, but what type of education or degree will help prepare you for a career in the field?

According to occupational data obtained through Lightcast,™ there are 164 key academic programs that can help prepare prospective compliance directors, and in 2023 a total of 1,756,147 of those programs were completed at institutions in the United States.

Check out the information below to learn more about the specific programs that should be considered by prospective compliance directors.

Top Degree Programs for Compliance Directors

What Skills Do Compliance Directors Need?

Education and experience have been covered, so what are the specific skills and traits needed by compliance directors to secure a job?

A good way to understand this is to examine actual job postings for skills commonly sought by employers. Continue reading for a breakdown of specialized skills found in job postings for compliance directors, as well as common skills that can help you thrive in the workplace.

In-Demand Skills for Today's Compliance Directors
Based on 219,632 job postings

Based on 219,632 job postings related to compliance directors, project management was the top specialized skill sought by employers, with 23% of all postings looking for that skillset. Skills for auditing, marketing, finance, social work and process improvement were also highly sought.

As for common skills, communication was the most desired skill found in job postings for compliance directors, followed by management, leadership, program management, operations and planning.

Additional Links

Ready to dig deeper into career information about compliance directors? Visit our other pages focused on salary and education for compliance directors.

What do compliance directors do?
How much do compliance directors make?

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