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skills & motivations.

This section provides a breakdown of the inherent skills, learned skills and motivations/aspirations for each skill cluster. Inherent skills and motivations/aspirations combined are commonly defined as “soft skills” in the market.

inherent skills

  1. 1. analytical and problem-solving skills
  2. 2. detail-oriented
  3. 3. communication and interpersonal skills
  4. 4. ethical and principled approach to compliance and risk management
  5. 5. ability to adapt to changing regulatory environments and industry trends

learned skills

  1. 1. regulatory compliance
  2. 2. risk management
  3. 3. internal control systems
  4. 4. audit tools and software
  5. 5. reporting
  6. 6. quality assurance
  7. 7. ethical and legal compliance

motivations/aspirations

  1. 1. integrity and ethical consideration
  2. 2. problem-solving and analytical challenges
  3. 3. impact on organizational health
  4. 4. professional growth and development
  5. 5. financial rewards and job stability
  6. 6. alignment with personal and organizational values
  7. 7. working within a framework of rules and standards
  8. 8. collaboration and teamwork
  9. 9. recognition and status
  10. 10. social responsibility and contributing to society
  11. 11. adapting to changing regulations
  12. 12. risk management

what it shows


The chart here illustrates the sub-level of learned skills required for audit and compliance in each of the 24 markets researched. The findings presented here are based on a combination of verified, normalized labor market data by market and granular, skill-based data sourced from professional social media networks and job boards, as well as career sites.

need to know

  1. While audit and compliance skills apply to broad regulatory categories, in-depth knowledge of local and regional regulations is essential.
  2. Due to the distinct and specific regulatory knowledge required across markets and industries, audit and compliance skills rarely translate seamlessly into global roles.
  3. The most commonly identified specialized audit and compliance skills include financial and business risk analysis, investment advisory, taxation, and commercial banking.

skills supply.

what it shows


Skills supply data indicates the total number of individuals who have the skills required for audit and compliance in each of the 24 markets researched. These figures are based on a combination of verified, normalized labor market data by market and granular, skill-based data sourced from professional social media networks and job boards, as well as career sites.

Use the chart to understand the availability of skills (“supply map”), availability of sub-skills (“skill type”), talent with recent job search activity (“active talent”), as well as the share of talent who prefer permanent or contract work (“preferred employment type”).

The AI filter can help you understand the ways in which talent supply has been impacted by the growth of AI.

need to know

  1. The audit and compliance talent pool is growing slightly below average across all skill levels, and a particularly low influx of junior professionals is entering the field.
  2. The skill cluster has the highest share of senior talent, 11% above average, and the lowest proportion of contract-based employees, 9% below average.
  3. Only a small segment of audit and compliance professionals have AI experience, though talent with AI skills is 62% more mobile, with 27% switching jobs last year.

skills demand.

what it shows


Skills demand data indicates job postings that require audit and compliance skills in each of the 24 markets we researched. These figures are based on a combination of verified, normalized labor market data by market and granular, skill-based data sourced from professional social media networks and job boards, and career sites.

See demand for each skill cluster by market, explore demand for sub-skills within each cluster or view the job vacancy ratio (JVR) — defined as hiring complexity — to understand market competitiveness for these skills. The higher the JVR, the more competitive it is to recruit.

The AI filter can help you understand the ways in which skills demand has been impacted by the growth of AI.

need to know

  1. Demand for audit and compliance skills has dropped significantly by 37%, yet it remains the one with the most complex skill sets to hire. In the U.S., hiring complexity is 50% above the average, making it the most challenging market for talent acquisition.
  2. Specific skills, like quality assurance and ethics, and legal compliance are difficult to fill, each exceeding average complexity by over 5%. Hungary struggles with specialized skills, like audit tools and software (over 11% JVR), while Norway and Brazil face reduced demand, resulting in minimal market competition.
  3. The share of jobs requiring AI skills nearly matched supply, both just below 3%. While no significant AI skill mismatch exists, audit and compliance show the third-lowest average demand adoption among employees and fourth-lowest among employers.

compensation.

what it shows


The data included in this graph shows the average salary brackets in U.S. dollars for audit and compliance skills in the 24 markets examined by level. Compensation data is mapped and analyzed from combined sources providing current pay data.

Select the markets of interest to understand which salary ranges are considered competitive and in which markets you should recruit to stay within budget.

need to know

  1. Globally, compensation for audit and compliance roles has declined slightly on average, but salaries have increased in Italy, Malaysia and Spain due to talent scarcity and more senior job postings.
  2. Average compensation in this field is lower compared to tech skill clusters but remains above national averages, with consistent pay levels across Western Europe and the lowest salaries found in India and Argentina.
  3. The average salary in this skill cluster is about 60% of what most tech roles pay, and this remuneration gap may be contributing to the slowest growth of new talent across all skill clusters.

remote & hybrid working.

what it shows


Remote working data shows the percentage of job postings that offer candidates remote or hybrid work for audit and compliance roles (noted as “demand”), as well as talent working preferences (noted as “supply”) in each of the 24 markets researched.

It is estimated that the actual share of remote/hybrid working opportunities is higher than advertised online. You can view the data by both skill cluster and individual skills.

need to know

  1. The share of talent preferring remote or hybrid work has slightly decreased compared to last year, while job advertisements have significantly shifted from remote to hybrid, with a 56% decrease in remote positions and a 47% increase in hybrid roles.
  2. Remote job opportunities in this skill cluster remain among the lowest across all skill clusters, a trend consistent with last year. Currently, just over 3% of job advertisements offer remote work, while nearly 9% offer hybrid options.
  3. Markets with the highest share of remote job ads include Mexico, Poland and Portugal. Poland and Portugal are also leaders in the hybrid work trend, with approximately 40-45% of jobs advertised as hybrid.

gender diversity.

what it shows


Gender diversity data shows the current balance of male to female employees currently working in roles that require audit and compliance skills in each of the 24 markets researched. Findings are based on self-identified, normalized data from talent supply sources.

Use the chart to understand in which markets you are more likely to engage female talent with audit and compliance skills. You can view the data by both skill cluster and individual skills.

need to know

  1. This skill cluster is relatively gender diverse compared to others, with self-identified women comprising a substantial share of new talent transitioning into the skill cluster.
  2. Only 15.6% of professionals with AI skills in this cluster self-identify as women, which, combined with generally low AI skill adoption, makes the group relatively niche.
  3. Despite balanced gender diversity globally, JVRs vary significantly when focusing on a single gender. With the U.S. JVR at 11% and Germany’s at 9.7%, achieving gender diversity is more challenging in specific markets.

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