The report also found that many CCOs are unlikely to seek new roles
Women chief compliance officers are reporting higher median total compensation levels than their male counterparts, according to BarkerGilmore’s “2026 Chief Compliance Officer Compensation Report.”
Average total compensation for women hit about $530,000, while that for men was $495,000. According to BarkerGilmore, this finding represents ongoing development in representation and compensation across compliance leadership positions.
The median total compensation for CCOs has risen to $638,000 for public organizations logging over $5 billion in revenue from $500,000 for public companies recording under $500 million in revenue. For private companies, the median total compensation was $330,000 for organizations recording under $500 million in revenue and $771,000 for organizations logging over $5 billion in revenue.
Per BarkerGilmore, long-term incentives are increasingly important to executive compensation. Median long-term incentive compensation has hit $163,000 and $188,000 in public and private companies reporting above $5 billion in revenue, respectively.
“Organizations increasingly view the chief compliance officer as a strategic business leader rather than solely a technical compliance expert. As a result, chief compliance officer executive search assignments have become more competitive, particularly among organizations seeking leaders who can influence culture, manage enterprise risk, support business objectives, and serve as trusted advisors to executive leadership teams and boards,” said John Gilmore, BarkerGilmore’s managing partner, in a statement.
Compensation remains the biggest factor behind job changes (19 percent). However, it is closely followed by the desire for new challenges and opportunities (16 percent), strong leadership alignment (13 percent), availability of career growth opportunities (10 percent), and cultural alignment (9 percent). This suggests that compensation is not the sole reason people switch to new roles.
Nonetheless, the report also found that 62 percent of CCOs reported a low or very low likelihood of transitioning to new positions. BarkerGilmore noted that this reflects a highly constrained talent market that creates a challenge for organizations in the face of ongoing demand for seasoned compliance leaders.
“The role of the chief compliance officer continues to expand as organizations navigate increasing regulatory complexity, heightened stakeholder expectations, and broader enterprise risk responsibilities. Compliance leaders are now expected to operate not only as governance and risk professionals but also as strategic business advisors who influence culture, leadership decision-making, and organizational performance,” said Gilmore in a joint statement with fellow managing partner Bob Barker.
The “2026 Chief Compliance Officer Compensation Report” drew findings from an online survey of over 250 CCOs across the US.
