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Sanctions Investigator Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Key Responsibilities • Review, investigate, clear, and escalate sanctions alerts • Conduct due diligence on customers, partners, and transactions • Analyze OFAC and EAR restricted-party matches ...

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What You'll Do Conduct routine to complex end-to-end FIU investigations involving potential money laundering, terrorist financing, sanctions-related activity, fraud-related activity, and other ...

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Sanctions Investigator information

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$32K

$75.3K

$131K

How much do sanctions investigator jobs pay per year?

As of Sep 6, 2026, the average yearly pay for sanctions investigator in the United States is $75,325.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $52,500.00 and $98,500.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is a sanctions investigator?

Sanctions Investigators are professionals who analyze and investigate individuals, organizations, or transactions to ensure compliance with national and international sanctions laws and regulations. They review data, monitor activities, and report any potential violations to prevent illegal financial activities, such as money laundering or dealings with sanctioned entities. Their work is critical for financial institutions, government agencies, and corporations to avoid legal penalties and maintain integrity in global operations.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a sanctions investigator, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Sanctions Investigator, you need a solid understanding of international regulations, financial crime compliance, and investigative techniques, often supported by a relevant degree or certifications such as CAMS. Familiarity with case management systems, screening tools, and databases like World-Check or Dow Jones is typically required. Strong analytical thinking, attention to detail, and effective communication skills help distinguish top performers in this role. These competencies are essential to accurately identify sanctioned entities, mitigate risk, and ensure organizational compliance with complex global regulations.

What are some common challenges faced by sanctions investigators when assessing potential matches?

Sanctions Investigators often encounter challenges such as distinguishing between false positives and true matches, especially when dealing with incomplete or ambiguous customer data. They must thoroughly analyze transaction details and customer profiles while adhering to strict regulatory timelines. Additionally, collaborating with compliance teams and staying updated on evolving global sanctions lists are crucial to ensuring accurate and timely investigations. Effective communication and critical thinking are essential skills to navigate these complexities.

What is the difference between Sanctions Investigator vs Compliance Analyst?

AspectSanctions InvestigatorCompliance Analyst
Required CredentialsTypically requires a bachelor’s degree, knowledge of sanctions laws, and investigative experienceRequires a bachelor’s degree, understanding of regulations, and analytical skills
Work EnvironmentInvestigates sanctions violations, often in financial institutions or government agenciesEnsures company compliance with laws, working across departments in various industries
Employer & Industry UsageCommon in banking, finance, and government sectorsWidely used in finance, corporate, and regulatory sectors

Sanctions Investigators focus on identifying violations of sanctions laws through investigations, while Compliance Analysts develop and monitor policies to ensure adherence to regulations. Both roles require similar credentials and often work within financial or regulatory environments, but their core functions differ: investigation versus compliance management.

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What states have the most Sanctions Investigator jobs?

States with the most job openings for Sanctions Investigator jobs include:

What job categories do people searching Sanctions Investigator jobs look for?

The top searched job categories for Sanctions Investigator jobs are:

Infographic showing various Sanctions Investigator job openings in the United States as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 91% Full Time, and 9% Part Time. Highlights an 95% Physical, 1% Hybrid, and 4% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $75,325 per year, or $36.2 per hour.

Financial Sanctions Investigator

Treasury, Departmental Offices

Washington, DC • On-site, Remote

$70K - $158K/yr

Full-time

Medical, Retirement, PTO

Posted 4 days ago


Job description

Summary
This position is located at Departmental Offices, Terrorist and Financial Intelligence, OFAC. As a Financial Sanctions Investigator, you will conduct investigations of sanctions targets, including international terrorist organizations, weapons of mass destruction proliferators, International Corruption and perpetrators of Serious Human Rights Abuse targets and other targets, process requests for reconsideration, and decide whether the target of an investigation should be delisted or maintained.
Learn more about this agency
Duties
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The following are the duties of this position at the GS-13. If you are selected at a lower grade level, you will have the opportunity to learn to perform all these duties, and will receive training to help you grow in this position.
  • Coordinate with senior U.S. and foreign law enforcement and other officials regarding investigations of targets of sanctions programs administered by OFAC.
  • Investigate and research into the targets and develop and write extensive administrative records documenting the basis for designation as a Specially Designated National (SDN).
  • Prepare and present briefings for foreign and domestic audiences explaining OFAC's sanctions programs, brief senior Treasury and other high level government officials on OFAC's authorities, the status of program implementation, and other issues and options related to OFAC's implementation and administration of economic sanctions programs.

Requirements
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Conditions of employment
Key Requirements:
  • Must be U.S. Citizen or U.S. National.
  • All newly appointed employees to the competitive (or excepted) service are subject to a probationary (or trial) period. During this time, your performance, conduct, and suitability for continued employment will be evaluated. You will not automatically convert to permanent status at the end of the probationary (or trial) period. Your supervisor must affirmatively determine that continued employment is in the best interest of the Federal service. If no certification is made before the probationary (or trial) period ends, your appointment will be terminated. You are encouraged to actively engage with your supervisor, seek feedback, and understand role expectations. Additional guidance and support will be provided during onboarding.
  • Must successfully complete a background investigation.
  • All new hires will be required to comply with federal ethics laws. A review of financial or other interests may be conducted to determine if they create any real or apparent conflict of interests with official Treasury duties.
  • Complete a Declaration for Federal Employment to determine your suitability for Federal employment, at the time requested by the agency.
  • Have your salary sent to a financial institution of your choice by Direct Deposit/Electronic Funds Transfer.
  • If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System or are exempt from having to do so.
  • Go through a Personal Identity Verification (PIV) process that requires two forms of identification from the Form I-9. Federal law requires verification of the identity and employment eligibility of all new hires in the U.S.
  • Obtain and use a Government-issued charge card for business-related travel.
  • File a Confidential Financial Disclosure Report within 30 days of appointment and annually from then on, if required.
  • Undergo an income tax verification, if required.
  • Please refer to the "Additional Information" section for additional Conditions of Employment.

Qualifications
You must meet the following requirements by the closing date of this announcement.
Specialized experience for the GS-13: You must have one year of specialized experience at a level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to the GS-12 grade level in the Federal service which has equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position. Specialized experience for this position is defined as experience in ALL of the following:
- Conducting investigations and analysis of law enforcement, Intelligence Community, open-source, or financial institution information on, but not limited to, sanctions evasion, illicit finance, illicit use of virtual currency, money laundering, or terrorist financing; AND
- Preparing written products based on research describing economic activities of criminals or terrorists and their organizations, sanctioned countries/regimes, or individuals or entities involved in illicit activities, illicit trade, narcotics trafficking, international corruption, serious human rights abuses, or proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. An example of this could include but is not limited to conducting open-source research on the activities of terrorists, sanctioned countries/regimes, or other illicit activity/actors that may be used to inform policymaking, enforcement, intelligence or compliance matters; AND
- Independently presenting briefings to supervisors to keep them informed of assignment status, technical information, or of possible controversial matters; AND
- Managing and coordinating projects across multiple teams or the interagency.
Specialized experience for the GS-12: You must have one year of specialized experience at a level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to the GS-11 grade level in the Federal service which has equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position. Specialized experience for this position includes experience in ALL of the following:
- Conducting investigations of law enforcement, Intelligence Community, open-source, or financial institution information on, but not limited to, sanctions evasion, illicit finance, illicit use of virtual currency, money laundering, or terrorist financing; AND
- Working on a team or assisting in preparing written products based on research describing business activities of criminal or terrorist organizations, sanctioned countries/regimes, or individuals or entities involved in illicit financial activities, illicit trade, narcotics trafficking, international corruption, serious human rights abuses, or proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. An example of this could include but is not limited to conducting open-source research on the activities of terrorists, sanctioned countries/regimes, or other illicit activity/actors; AND
- Presenting briefings to supervisors to keep them informed of assignment status, technical information, or of possible controversial matters; AND
- Working on teams engaged in projects with multiple stakeholders, to include interagency partners.
Specialized experience for the GS-11: You must have one year of specialized experience at a level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to the GS-09 grade level in the Federal service which has equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position. Specialized experience for this position includes experience in ALL of the following:
- Assisting in researching and writing multi-sourced analytical products that demonstrate sound investigative judgement; AND
- Assisting in preparing briefings to keep others informed of assignment status or possible controversial matters; AND
- Balancing multiple workflows and priorities to meet deadlines.
OR
Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree in a field related to the position; OR
3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree; OR
LL.M., if related to the position.
OR
You may qualify by a combination of experience and education. Only graduate level education in excess of the first 36 semester hours (54 quarter hours) may be combined to be considered for qualifying education.
Specialized experience for the GS-9: You must have one year of specialized experience at a level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to the GS-7 grade level in the Federal service. Specialized experience for this position includes experience in the following:
-Experience in applying laws and regulations to inspection, investigation, enforcement, or compliance work; OR
-Experience analyzing sanctions or international economics.
OR
Master's or equivalent graduate degree in a field related to the position; OR
2 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree; OR
LL.B. or J.D., if related to the position.
OR
You may qualify by a combination of experience and education. Only graduate level education in excess of the first 18 semester hours (27 quarter hours) may be combined to be considered for qualifying education.
The experience may have been gained in either the public, private sector or volunteer service. One year of experience refers to full-time work; part-time work is considered on a prorated basis. To ensure full credit for your work experience, please indicate dates of employment by month/day/year, and indicate number of hours worked per week on your resumé.
Education
The education generally must be from an accredited (or pre-accredited) college or university recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. If you are qualifying based on foreign education, you must submit proof of creditability of education as evaluated by a credentialing agency. Refer to the OPM instructions.
Additional information
OTHER INFORMATION:
  • We may select from this announcement or any other source to fill one or more vacancies.
  • This is a non-bargaining unit position.
  • Relocation expenses will not be paid.
  • We may offer opportunities for telework.
  • We may offer opportunities for flexible work schedules.
  • This position requires that the successful candidate undergo personnel vetting, which includes a background investigation and enrollment upon onboarding into "Continuous Vetting." Enrollment in Continuous Vetting will result in automated record checks being conducted throughout one's employment with Treasury. The successful candidate will also be enrolled into FBI's Rap Back service, which will allow Treasury to receive notification from the FBI of criminal matters (e.g., arrests, charges, convictions) involving enrolled individuals in near real-time. For more information about individual rights, Noncriminal Justice Applicant's Privacy Rights - FBI, FD-258 Privacy Act Statement - FBI, and SEAD-3-Reporting-U.pdf (dni.gov).

Our comprehensive benefits are very generous. Our benefits package includes:
  • Challenging work, opportunities for advancement, competitive salaries, bonuses and incentive awards.
  • Eleven paid holidays, 13 days of sick leave, and 13 to 26 days of vacation time each year.
  • Access to insurance programs that may be continued after you retire.
  • A wide choice of health insurance plans, coverage for pre-existing conditions, and no waiting periods. We pay a substantial amount (up to 75%) of the health insurance premiums.
  • A retirement program which includes employer-matching contributions.
  • Learn more about Federal benefits programs at: USAJOBS Help Center - Benefits

The Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act prohibits the Department of Treasury and its bureaus from requesting an applicant's criminal history record before that individual receives a conditional offer of employment. In accordance with 5 U.S. Code § 9202(c) and 5 C.F.R § 920.201 certain positions are exempt from the provisions of the Fair Chance to Compete Act. Applicants who believe they have been subjected to a violation of the Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act, may submit a written complaint to the Department of Treasury by email at, FairChanceAct@treasury.gov.
To learn more, please visit our page at: Treasury.gov/fairchanceact.
Please notify us if your contact information changes after the closing date of the announcement. Also, note that if you provide an email address that is inaccurate or if your mailbox is full or blocked (e.g., spam-blocker), you may not receive important communication that could affect your consideration for this position.
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Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.
Benefits
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A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.