Massachusetts·Business and Financial Operations Occupations·SOC 13-1041

Best Compliance Officer programs in Massachusetts, ranked by enrollment

Examine, evaluate, and investigate eligibility for or conformity with laws and regulations governing contract compliance of licenses and permits, and perform other compliance and enforcement inspection and analysis activities not.

47 schools in Massachusetts run programs that feed this job, graduating 1,183 people a year. The job pays a median of $102,060 in Massachusetts across about 13,190 jobs (BLS OEWS May 2025).

Also calledCoronerCustoms BrokerLicense ExaminerMedical ExaminerHousing InspectorEnforcement OfficerMotor Vehicle ClerkRegulatory Engineer
Graduates / yr
1,183
in Massachusetts
Median pay · Massachusetts
$102,060
BLS OEWS May 2025
Jobs in state
13,190
people employed
Schools
47
with a feeder program
Avg graduation rate
63%
across those schools
Median net price
$24,206
per year, IPEDS

Fields of study in Massachusetts that lead to this job

Grouped at the 4-digit CIP level. Numbers are graduates per year in this state.

5 programs in Massachusetts that lead to this job

Ranked by graduates per year in Massachusetts (IPEDS completions). Graduate earnings and debt are national College Scorecard figures reported at the 4-digit CIP level, so specializations within one field share a figure. Each program also links to its own Massachusetts page.

Degree programs that lead to this occupation, ranked by graduates per year
#ProgramGraduates / yrShare of pipelineSchoolsGrad earnings (1 yr)Median debt
1488
41.3%
28$34,020$23,032
2444
37.5%
20$34,020$23,032
3210
17.8%
12$49,084$26,536
435
3.0%
1$37,946$24,125
56
0.5%
1$49,084$26,536

Top 25 schools in Massachusetts

Ranked by graduates per year into this job. Graduate earnings are reported for 15 of the 47 schools in this state.

Schools ranked by graduates per year into this occupation
#SchoolGraduates / yrTop feeder programGrad earnings (1 yr)Grad rateNet priceAcceptance
1Northeastern University
Boston, MA Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs
160Environmental Science$51,13791%$18,9255%
2Harvard University
Cambridge, MA Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs
151Environmental Studies98%$15,0134%
3Fitchburg State University
Fitchburg, MA Public · 1 feeder programs
103Human Resources Management/Personnel Administration, General55%87%
4University of Massachusetts - Boston
Boston, MA Public · 3 feeder programs
81Environmental Science$41,54749%84%
5University of Massachusetts - Amherst
Amherst, MA Public · 2 feeder programs
71Environmental Science$29,69083%60%
6Northeastern University Professional Programs
Boston, MA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs
49Human Resources Management/Personnel Administration, General
7Tufts University
Medford, MA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs
49Environmental Studies$40,04494%$23,57011%
8Clark University
Worcester, MA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs
41Environmental Science$34,50077%$23,33240%
9Boston College
Chestnut Hill, MA Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs
37Environmental Studies$49,11191%$21,12616%
10University of Massachusetts - Lowell
Lowell, MA Public · 2 feeder programs
34Environmental Science$45,21565%83%
11Boston University
Boston, MA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs
30Environmental Science89%$21,95611%
12Mount Holyoke College
South Hadley, MA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs
29Environmental Studies$22,79184%$26,08336%
13Holyoke Community College
Holyoke, MA Public · 2 feeder programs
25Human Resources Management/Personnel Administration, General29%
14Smith College
Northampton, MA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs
24Environmental Studies$21,64889%$17,18321%
15Westfield State University
Westfield, MA Public · 1 feeder programs
23Environmental Science$35,80954%81%
16Massachusetts Maritime Academy
Buzzards Bay, MA Public · 1 feeder programs
22Environmental Science$50,93174%95%
17Stonehill College
Easton, MA Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs
22Environmental Science$33,69276%$24,00066%
18Brandeis University
Waltham, MA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs
21Environmental Studies$28,02786%$25,07440%
19Wellesley College
Wellesley, MA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs
17Environmental Studies$37,72492%$19,29214%
20Williams College
Williamstown, MA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs
17Environmental Studies94%$10,7478%
21Amherst College
Amherst, MA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs
15Environmental Studies94%$16,0819%
22Worcester State University
Worcester, MA Public · 1 feeder programs
15Environmental Science61%88%
23Wheaton College (Massachusetts)
Norton, MA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs
14Environmental Science73%$26,44568%
24Endicott College
Beverly, MA Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs
13Environmental Science76%$34,19571%
25Merrimack College
North Andover, MA Private not-for-profit · 3 feeder programs
13Environmental Science70%$33,87770%

All 47 schools in Massachusetts

Every school in Massachusetts with a program that feeds this job, ordered by graduates per year. Earnings are shown for the ranked schools above; open a school profile for the rest.

All schools in Massachusetts that feed this occupation
SchoolCityControlGraduates / yrFeeder programs
Northeastern UniversityBostonPrivate not-for-profit1602
Harvard UniversityCambridgePrivate not-for-profit1512
Fitchburg State UniversityFitchburgPublic1031
University of Massachusetts - BostonBostonPublic813
University of Massachusetts - AmherstAmherstPublic712
Northeastern University Professional ProgramsBostonPrivate not-for-profit491
Tufts UniversityMedfordPrivate not-for-profit491
Clark UniversityWorcesterPrivate not-for-profit411
Boston CollegeChestnut HillPrivate not-for-profit372
University of Massachusetts - LowellLowellPublic342
Boston UniversityBostonPrivate not-for-profit301
Mount Holyoke CollegeSouth HadleyPrivate not-for-profit291
Holyoke Community CollegeHolyokePublic252
Smith CollegeNorthamptonPrivate not-for-profit241
Westfield State UniversityWestfieldPublic231

What compliance officers earn in Massachusetts

What people already working in this job earn (BLS OEWS May 2025). Not graduate earnings.

Median annual in Massachusetts
$102,060
Mean annual
$108,310
Jobs in state
13,190
What the range looks like
10th pct$63,340Median$102,06090th pct$161,920
Versus the national median
+26.4%

U.S. median $80,730. Massachusetts pays above the national figure.

Job concentration
1.35×

Concentrated here: Massachusetts employs more of this job per worker than the U.S. average.

Metro areas in Massachusetts

Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH
$103,940median
10,920 jobs
Worcester, MA
$91,730median
830 jobs
Pittsfield, MA
$83,460median
110 jobs
Barnstable Town, MA
$79,290median
150 jobs
Springfield, MA
$84,820median
580 jobs
Amherst Town-Northampton, MA
$77,550median
110 jobs

Job outlook

Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections, 2024 to 2034.

Projected growth 2024–34
+3.0%
About as fast as average
Openings per year
33,300
new jobs plus replacements
Employment change
12,300
418,000 → 430,300
Typical entry education
Bachelor's degree
Plus moderate-term on-the-job training

Growth and openings are national. The Bureau of Labor Statistics does not publish employment projections at state level, so these figures describe the occupation across the whole U.S., not this state alone.

How to get in

The full skills, tools, and day-to-day breakdown lives on the national Compliance Officers page.

How to become a Compliance Officer

Job zone 4 of 5 · SVP 7.0 to < 8.0
Typical entry education
Bachelor's degree
On-the-job training
Moderate-term on-the-job training

Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.

A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations. For example, an accountant must complete four years of college and work for several years in accounting to be considered qualified.

Employees in these occupations usually need several years of work-related experience, on-the-job training, and/or vocational training.

Top skills

Reading ComprehensionActive ListeningSpeakingCritical ThinkingWritingActive Learning

The same job in other states

Where else this occupation employs the most people, and what it pays there.

Related careers in Massachusetts

Every major mapped to this job

The official federal mapping behind the rankings above.

All 11 majors mapped to Compliance Officers10 of them graduated someone in the latest IPEDS year. NCES CIP 2020 → SOC 2018 crosswalk.+
  • 03.0103Environmental Studies
  • 03.0104Environmental Science
  • 03.0208Environmental/Natural Resources Law Enforcement and Protective Services
  • 03.0209Energy and Environmental Policy
  • 30.4101Environmental Geosciences
  • 43.0121Suspension and Debarment Investigation(no graduates reported)
  • 51.0717Medical Staff Services Technology/Technician
  • 51.0720Regulatory Science/Affairs
  • 51.2213Patient Safety and Healthcare Quality
  • 52.1001Human Resources Management/Personnel Administration, General
  • 52.1002Labor and Industrial Relations

Common questions

Answers for people weighing compliance officers programs in Massachusetts.

What degree do you need to become a Compliance Officer?+

Bachelor's degree is the typical entry-level education BLS reports for this occupation. The most common program people actually graduate from is Environmental Science, which awarded 488 degrees in Massachusetts in 2024-25, 41.3% of everyone graduating from a program that feeds this career.

Which college majors lead to becoming a Compliance Officer?+

The NCES CIP-to-SOC crosswalk maps 5 programs to this occupation. The largest are Natural Resources Conservation and Research, Human Resources Management and Services, Environmental/Natural Resources Management and Policy. Together they graduate about 1,183 people a year in Massachusetts.

How much do compliance officers earn in Massachusetts?+

The median is $102,060 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). That is 26.4% above the U.S. median of $80,730. This is pay for people already working in the occupation, not the same thing as graduate earnings one year after finishing a degree.

Is demand for compliance officers growing?+

BLS projects a +3.0% change in employment between 2024 and 2034, about as fast as average, with roughly 33,300 openings a year nationally once retirements and job changes are counted.

How many schools offer programs for this career in Massachusetts?+

47 institutions in Massachusetts reported graduates from at least one of the 5 programs that feed this occupation in IPEDS 2024-25. Rankings on this page use graduates per year, because the federal data publishes no enrollment count by program.

What other job titles do compliance officers work under?+

Employers advertise this work under many names. O*NET records Coroner, Customs Broker, License Examiner, Medical Examiner, Housing Inspector, Enforcement Officer among the most commonly reported, all mapping to SOC 13-1041.

About the data on this page

Rankings use IPEDS completions 2024–25, degrees awarded per year. That is the closest federal measure of how many people a program puts into a career, because no federal dataset publishes enrollment by program. Wages and employment come from BLS OEWS May 2025, growth and openings from BLS Employment Projections 2024-34, and which majors lead to which jobs from the NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk. Occupation descriptions, tasks, skills and tools are O*NET 30.3 (CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor/ETA).

  • BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics

    May 2025

    Wages, employment counts, location quotients and metro breakdowns.

  • BLS Employment Projections

    2024–34

    Projected growth, annual openings and typical entry-level education.

  • IPEDS Completions

    2024-25 (provisional)

    Graduates per year by program and institution — the ranking metric.

  • College Scorecard, Field of Study

    2020-21 cohorts

    Median graduate earnings one year after completion, and median debt.

  • Census Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes

    latest available

    Graduate earnings 1/5/10 years out, where the state participates.

  • NCES CIP 2020 and the CIP-to-SOC 2018 crosswalk

    CIP 2020 / SOC 2018

    Which college programs officially lead to this occupation.

  • O*NET Database 30.3

    30.3

    Tasks, skills, knowledge, tools, job zone and alternate job titles.

    Official source →CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor / ETA

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