15 November 2023

What is a Compliance Administrator?

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If you’re someone who loves processes and has a strong work ethic, a career in compliance might be for you. Your first stop will likely be as a compliance administrator.

The compliance team makes sure a company’s policies and procedures follow relevant laws and regulations. In short, they keep everyone in check.

Read on to learn about compliance administrators and how you can land yourself a role.



Loads. The typical day-to-day of a compliance administrator is filled with tasks to help the compliance team with its workload. These tasks include everything from general admin to getting stuck in with off-site business visits.

Some tasks include:

  • Conducting audits following practice policy
  • Perform risk assessments
  • Review practice policies as they come in
  • Spot areas of concern
  • General admin tasks including, sorting and organising mail, sending and replying to emails/reception tasks and taking telephone calls.

Because a compliance administrator looks at policies within a business, you’ll find roles in an array of industries. These can include:

  • Environmental
  • Food
  • Health
  • HR
  • IT/Cybersecurity
  • Insurance
  • Law
  • Non-governmental organisations (NGOs).


There are many routes towards becoming a compliance administrator. But having a degree (or equivalent) helps a massive amount, especially if you’re looking for a compliance role within a specific industry.

Employers tend to look for candidates with degrees in risk management, law or business administration. Usually, employers will ask for the following;

  • At least three GCSEs, including English and Maths (A*-C/Level 4-9 GCSE) or equivalent
  • Admin experience
  • High level of attention to detail
  • IT skills, with knowledge of Microsoft Word and Excel
  • Excellent communication skills; written and verbal
  • Independent, intuitive and proactive.

If you’ve managed to score yourself a placement or internship in the relevant role/industry, you’re 200% on the right track as that’s exactly what employers are looking for.

In fact, 49% of interns and placement students hired by our Best Student Employers were offered full-time jobs.


Compliance Intern EMEA, The Walt Disney Company

As a compliance administrator, you’ll need a variety of skills that you’ll flex daily. These will be a mix of both hard and soft skills. These can include;

When it comes to skills, you should always add them to your CV. The best way to do this is to actually describe the skills you have and when you used them.

A good way to find out what skills a job requires is to refer back to the job description. Employers literally tell you exactly what they’re looking for, so take those and highlight past experiences that demonstrate those skills.


Want to know more about how to show off your skills on your CV? Read 5 Simple Ways To Show Off Your Skills In An Application.


How much you earn totally depends on the employer, your level and experience. However, there is real bank to be made as a compliance administrator.

As an entry-level employee, you could start off on a salary ranging between £23,000 and £30,000 per year. The more experience you get, the more potential there is to move up in your career. Which means more coins in the bank.

If you have your eyes set on a management role, you could be looking at between a very healthy £40,000 and £60,000 per year with the potential to earn up to £100,000 per year as a senior manager.


Think you’ve potentially found your career as a compliance administrator? There are a few placements and internships available right now! Get started by clicking below.