ACFE News

CFEs earn 31 percent more than their non-credentialed counterparts



Fraud is a global problem, so companies worldwide continue to recognize the need for anti-fraud professionals. The 2017/2018 Compensation Guide for Anti-Fraud Professionals, a members-only resource, shows the ACFE’s ongoing effort to gather data that anti-fraud professionals need to ensure their careers are moving in the right direction.

With more than 5,500 responses, and more than 38 percent of the survey respondents located outside of the U.S., this report is an invaluable tool to measure how your compensation compares to anti-fraud professionals around the world.

Of the respondents who indicated they’re in director-level positions in their organizations, more than 79 percent are CFEs. This exemplifies that being recognized as an expert in the anti-fraud field increasingly correlates to a significantly higher level of compensation.

According to the report, CFEs continue to earn a significant premium over those without the credential. The survey found that CFEs earn 31 percent more than their non-credentialed counterparts. Based on participant responses, the median total compensation for a CFE is $89,868 — compared to $68,629 for a non-CFE.

The report shows that earning the CFE early in your career can have a dramatic impact on the total amount you earn during your professional life. For example, if an anti-fraud professional earned the CFE credential at age 25, is continuously employed from age 25 to 65 and makes the relevant median salary for each age range, they could earn an extra $668,920 in their entire career.

The Compensation Guide website will again include a salary calculator, which makes it easy to evaluate where you stand in relation to your colleagues in the profession. Users can create individualized reports by selecting qualifying factors such as industry, job function and level of responsibility.

The 2017/2018 Compensation Guide for Anti-Fraud Professionals is available for download (in PDF) for ACFE members only at ACFE.com/compguide.