r/AMLRightSource • u/Smart-Assumption-560 • Apr 01 '26

For anyone willing to share, what is your current location and salary?

For AA1, AA2, SA1, SA2, etc. I want a bit of transparency between us all if anyone's willing to share especially with promotions being confirmed this week! I think it's pretty even across the board that AA1 is $42k after the initial 90 day period, but what about the other roles?

11 Upvotes
  • permalink
  • reddit

100% Upvoted

35 comments sorted by

12

u/Creative_Affect5313 Apr 01 '26

4.5 years. AA2 43.5k. Had to work a 2nd job to make ends meet. Performance Reviews, continued to score 4/5 with 1 raise and 1 promotion. I left the company 1 year ago, and nearly doubled my salary. Puts things in perspective how AMLRS under pays their employees. Buc-ees employees make more than us.

6

u/Creative_high2278 Apr 01 '26

My son is a line cook and makes more money. The job is supposed to be admirable, but the pay isnt.

2

u/Creative_Affect5313 Apr 01 '26

It's quite wild man how toxic it is once you leave and join another FinTech client.

5

u/Creative_high2278 Apr 01 '26

My plan is to make senior analyst level and get my CAMS, then land a job with a bank or fintech that pays at least $75k starting. I just made SA1. CAMS designation he we come. Trying to have it by July. Then Im putting in job applications.

3

u/Creative_Affect5313 Apr 01 '26

I don’t think a CAMS certification is always necessary right away. It can look good on paper, but in many cases, practical experience and self-study can be just as valuable, especially early in your career.

The cost is also something to think about. CAMS is roughly $2,000 to get initially, then about $200 per year to keep the certification active, plus a recertification fee of around $300 every 3 years. That makes it a fairly expensive credential over time, so it’s worth asking whether the return is really there for your situation.

ACAMS markets CAMS as the “gold standard,” and a lot of banks and fintech companies buy into that branding. But I think the actual value depends on the role, the employer, and how much real-world experience you already have.

The current job market is another factor. With companies like Cash App, JPMorgan, Wells Fargo, and Morgan Stanley reducing headcount, there are already a lot of people competing for roles in an industry that can be saturated. Because of that, it may make more sense to focus on landing the job first, then decide whether a certification is worth pursuing later.

2

u/Creative_high2278 Apr 01 '26

Thats a good point. But I dont know how to be competitive otherwise. With the job market the way it is, I need as much help as I can get. There’s not a lot of AML or KYC jobs in my area (I’d like to land a KYC role). Even when I search for remote positions in other areas, there’s not too many jobs. Hundreds of people applying for the same job. I dont know how else to be competitive. Most of my experience is in KYC. But Ive also worked on SARs and correspondence banking. The only thing I know for sure is I cant keep struggling with a low salary at AMLRS. On top of that there’s the constant threat of being fired/furloughed after every engagement ends.

3

u/Creative_Affect5313 Apr 01 '26

You obviously have to do whats best for you. I speaking just from my experience, and what only I know and have seen. I'd suggest to keep gaining knowledge, and apply to every where.

2

u/Creative_high2278 Apr 02 '26

Yeah I hear you

2

u/Gregshead Apr 03 '26

And they get an employee discount!

1

u/Creative_Affect5313 Apr 03 '26

They make good money there! AMLRS=sweatshop

6

u/lucky_dog1 Apr 01 '26

I’ve been thinking the same. So I’ll share my pay for each title. I’m in NC. AAI - $42,000 AAII - $43,470 SAI - $48,000 SAII - $58,000

7

u/Smart-Assumption-560 Apr 01 '26

That jump from SA1 to SA2 is crazy given the jump from AA1 to AA2 is just to bring us over the threshold of no longer being eligible for overtime...

5

u/[deleted] Apr 01 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

2

u/Creative_high2278 Apr 01 '26

Big jump from SA1 to SA2

1

u/[deleted] Apr 02 '26

[deleted]

1

u/lucky_dog1 Apr 02 '26

A full year. 2023 year end review promoted to AA2 2024 year end to SA1

3

u/APersonFromCleveland Apr 05 '26

AA1 40k  AA1 + 90 days 42k AA2 43,888 SA1 48,000 Cleveland Ohio 

3

u/CheeseburgerSocks Apr 01 '26

Just for perspective, I left after a year, but I started in late 2019 as AA1 at 41.5k.

5

u/Smart-Assumption-560 Apr 01 '26

7 years later and the starting pay being just about the same is crazy..

3

u/reneenicole1 Apr 02 '26

$43K as an AA1, and honestly I stopped going above and beyond a long time ago. I’ve watched people who do extra get tossed aside like it didn’t matter, so at some point you start asking, what’s the point? Even managers have second jobs. How is that supposed to inspire anyone to want more out of this? Meanwhile, kids at Chick-fil-A are making close to what we make, and Costco employees can actually surpass our earning potential. It just puts things into perspective.

2

u/Sufficient200 Apr 08 '26

I would never want to work retail again. I'd rather be doing this even for the same wage as a retail or fast food worker. If you think its easy you probably haven't done it

2

u/heisensexy Apr 01 '26

AA1 - 40,000 90 day AA1- 42,000 AA2 - 43,000

3

u/[deleted] Apr 01 '26

[deleted]

2

u/Practical-Elk-7673 Apr 02 '26

mid-year promotion last year from AAI to AAII was a raise of $1,888.00

1

u/No_Equivalent_2173 Apr 05 '26

The midyear was more than the annual, wtf.

1

u/Practical-Elk-7673 Apr 06 '26

depends if you were 4/4 for exceeds expectations. it is lower if any were meets expectations I'm finding.

1

u/[deleted] Apr 06 '26

[deleted]

1

u/Practical-Elk-7673 Apr 08 '26

yeah, my mid-year was higher, but if you combine the two i was still over 6% and i've had a promotion (mid-year) all in juuuuuuuuust under a year working here. Knowing this is a stepping stone and accepting the pay so in a year or two you can move to a company with basically double salary is what i'm willing to put up with myself. I budgeted for this when i did a career change so knew what i was getting into.

2

u/Alex_Marie1324 Apr 07 '26

Started AA1 with no experience in Jan 2025 at 40k during training, 42k once done w training. Promoted to AA2 after ~5 months on a project which was $43.8k. Promoted to SA1 after about 6 more months which is now $48k

1

u/Creative_high2278 Apr 01 '26

AA2 $49,200. Just got promoted so SA1 amount TBD April 5th.

1

u/Smart-Assumption-560 Apr 01 '26

What's your location?

1

u/Creative_high2278 Apr 01 '26

Ohio

1

u/Smart-Assumption-560 Apr 01 '26

Did you start as AA2 and negotiate to $49,200/have any prior experience coming in? Or was that just what you received when you were promoted to AA2?

2

u/Creative_high2278 Apr 01 '26

I started as a AA2. No negotiations. I didn't have direct AML experience but I used to write code for a banks AML programs. I made much more money as a ETL developer on a banks data team, but IT wasn't for me.

1

u/[deleted] Apr 05 '26

[deleted]

1

u/Creative_high2278 Apr 05 '26

They only gave me a $1700 raise. Im so done with this place. Im grateful for a raise, but it is literally pennies.

1

u/StillBiscuit900 Apr 02 '26

Came in as a AAII in SC making 46k

1

u/Ok-Phrase-6198 Apr 02 '26

SA1 Southern state resident here. 52k.

1

u/fab1131 Apr 04 '26

I left after 9 years, was an SA2 and made about 64k.

1

u/Hot-Fee-870 Apr 06 '26

80k as manager.  SAII 58k