Healthcare Technology Compliance Officer

Career Guide
Ensures health technology, data practices, and vendors comply with HIPAA, HITECH, and related rules. Sets policies, runs risk assessments and audits, trains staff, manages incidents and breach reporting, and advises product/IT on compliant workflows and data governance.

Key Responsibilities

  • Interpret HIPAA/HITECH, Cures Act information blocking, and state privacy laws
  • Lead risk assessments, internal audits, and corrective action plans
  • Draft and maintain compliance policies, procedures, and staff training
  • Oversee incident response and breach notification to patients and regulators
  • Manage vendor due diligence and Business Associate Agreements (BAAs)
  • Partner with IT/security on access, encryption, and data governance controls
  • Monitor regulatory changes and brief leaders, engineering, and clinical teams

Career Progression

Can Lead To
Senior Compliance Officer
Director of Compliance
Chief Privacy Officer
Chief Compliance & Privacy Officer
Transition Opportunities
Information Security Compliance Manager
Regulatory Affairs Manager (Digital Health/Medical Devices)
Clinical Informatics Manager
Health Information Management (HIM) Director

Common Skill Gaps

Often Missing Skills
ONC Cures Act information blocking complianceHITRUST/NIST CSF control mapping and evidence collectionEHR interoperability standards (HL7/FHIR)Breach investigation and OCR reporting
Development SuggestionsComplete HCCA courses and pursue CHC/CHPC; take ONC info-blocking training; run a supervised HIPAA risk assessment with IT/security to practice control testing and documentation.

Salary & Demand

Median Salary Range
Entry Level$80,000-$105,000
Mid Level$105,000-$140,000
Senior Level$140,000-$185,000
Growth Trend
growing

Companies Hiring

Major Employers
UnitedHealth Group (Optum)Kaiser PermanenteCVS Health
Industry Sectors
Healthcare Providers & SystemsHealth Insurance & Managed CareHealth IT & Digital HealthMedical Devices & Diagnostics

Recommended Next Steps

1
Enroll in HCCA CHC/CHPC prep and schedule the exam; build a portfolio with a sample HIPAA risk assessment and incident response plan.
2
Complete ONC’s Information Blocking compliance modules and draft a practical compliance playbook for your organization or a case study.
3
Take HITRUST Implementer or NIST RMF training; partner with security to lead a mock audit (controls mapping, evidence collection, CAPs) and present findings to leadership.