Side-by-side distribution
Compliance
$144,000
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 36.9%
- Live roles
- 756
Lawyer
$177,500
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 45%
- Live roles
- 1,468
Highest-paying jobs
Compliance Advisory Manager
Chief Compliance Officer
Engineering Manager, GRC Platform
Engineering Manager, Fraud & Compliance
GRC Program Manager, US Government Compliance
Trade Import / Export Compliance Manager – Technology & SaaS Industry Experience
Chief Compliance Officer - NLG Capital
Staff Product Manager, Security and Compliance (Public Sector)
Senior Payments Compliance Manager
Group Product Manager, Compliance Agent Experience
Highest-paying jobs
Senior Legal Counsel
Employment Law Attorney
Employment Law Attorney
Employment Law Attorney
Trial Attorney
Trial Attorney
Employment Law Attorney
Trial Attorney
Workers' Compensation Attorney
Employment Law Attorney
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
The Symicor Group
|
$90,000 | 13 |
|
Coinbase
|
$188,700 | 10 |
Anduril Industries
|
$150,000 | 6 |
Brex
|
$178,500 | 4 |
Upstart
|
$155,525 | 4 |
| SE Sezzle | $24,600 | 4 |
|
OpenAI
|
$234,000 | 3 |
Block
|
$214,700 | 3 |
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| WE Wilson Elser - Attorneys | $182,500 | 82 |
|
Axiom Talent Platform
|
$190,500 | 59 |
Parnalllaw
|
$300,000 | 44 |
The United Firm | La Liga Defensora, APC
|
$100,000 | 41 |
Modern Family Law
|
$151,000 | 36 |
| TM Tyson & Mendes LLP | $133,750 | 24 |
|
Morgan & Morgan, P.A.
|
$292,500 | 21 |
micro1
|
$249,600 | 21 |
Compliance salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| Seattle | $196,600 | 12 |
| Denver | $183,850 | 4 |
| San Francisco | $178,500 | 45 |
| Austin | $168,000 | 3 |
| New York | $157,375 | 50 |
| Atlanta | $155,500 | 3 |
| Los Angeles | $139,500 | 4 |
| Chicago | $135,000 | 12 |
| Boston | $112,000 | 5 |
| London | $99,000 | 7 |
Lawyer salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| Singapore | $249,600 | 21 |
| San Francisco | $190,500 | 41 |
| Atlanta | $190,500 | 34 |
| New York | $190,000 | 110 |
| Boston | $182,750 | 6 |
| Seattle | $175,000 | 15 |
| Chicago | $175,000 | 34 |
| Los Angeles | $170,000 | 58 |
| Denver | $170,000 | 13 |
| Austin | $145,000 | 14 |
Compliance vs Lawyer: which pays more?
The median for Compliance is $144,000 per year (typically $102,500–$172,500), versus $177,500 for Lawyer ($135,547–$207,500). That puts Lawyer about 23% ahead at the median.
Both figures are computed live from active listings on JobsRadar and normalized to annualized USD, so Compliance and Lawyer are compared on equal terms regardless of the currency each role was originally posted in. Only roles that publish a salary range feed the medians; numbers refresh every few hours as new roles post and older ones close, so this comparison reflects the market right now rather than a fixed survey. Use it as a directional benchmark when weighing one path against the other.