UK & EU Compliance Salary Guide 2026
Danos Group has published its UK & EU Compliance and Financial Crime Market & Compensation Report 2026, providing a detailed view of hiring trends, regulatory drivers, and compensation benchmarks across Financial Services.
Since 2004, Danos Group has supported organisations across banking, asset management, insurance, fintech, payments, consulting, and crypto with specialist governance recruitment and consulting solutions across Compliance, Financial Crime, Legal, and Risk. This annual report reflects real hiring activity and compensation data gathered across the UK and key European financial centres.
- Salary benchmarks from Analyst through Chief Compliance Officer and Head of Financial Crime levels
- Hiring trends across sell-side, buy-side, insurance, consultancy, payments, and crypto
- Market insights across the UK, Germany, Luxembourg, France, Ireland, the Netherlands, and Switzerland
- Regulatory and operational themes shaping governance hiring in 2026
Across the UK and EU, regulatory scrutiny continues to drive demand for governance professionals who can deliver operational outcomes. Firms remain disciplined on headcount but continue to invest in Compliance and Financial Crime capability where regulatory accountability and execution risk are highest.
The report highlights several structural themes shaping the market:
- Continued regulatory-driven hiring across Compliance and Financial Crime
- Increasing demand for surveillance, sanctions, AML, and governance controls expertise
- Growing importance of technology-enabled compliance capability
- Strong competition for experienced governance professionals across major financial hubs
For hiring managers, the report provides a practical compensation benchmark. For professionals, it offers clarity on market positioning and career trends across governance functions.
Download the report
To request a copy of the UK & EU Compliance and Financial Crime Market & Compensation Report 2026, contact:
Denis Spearman
Managing Director, Group Head, Compliance & Financial Crime
dspearman@thedanosgroup.com
