Equal Opportunity Representatives and Officers

Career Overview

Monitor and evaluate compliance with equal opportunity laws, guidelines, and policies to ensure that employment practices and contracting arrangements give equal opportunity without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability.

Also Known As

• Affirmative Action Officer (AA Officer)
• Civil Rights Investigator
• Equal Employment Opportunity Officer (EEO Officer)
• Equal Opportunity Specialist

Alternate Job Titles

• Action Officer
• Affirmative Action Officer (AA Officer)
• Appeals Coordinator
• Civil Rights Investigator
• Civil Rights Representative
• Civil Rights Specialist
• Complaint Investigations Officer
• Equal Employment Opportunity Officer (EEO Officer)
• Equal Employment Opportunity Representative (EEO Representative)
• Equal Employment Opportunity Specialist (EEO Specialist)
• Equal Opportunity Counselor
• Equal Opportunity Specialist
• Grievance and Appeals Coordinator
• Grievance Coordinator
• Human Rights Officer

What You'll Do

In this role, your typical responsibilities include:

• Investigate employment practices or alleged violations of laws to document and correct discriminatory factors.
• Prepare reports related to investigations of equal opportunity complaints.
• Interview persons involved in equal opportunity complaints to verify case information.
• Study equal opportunity complaints to clarify issues.
• Interpret civil rights laws and equal opportunity regulations for individuals or employers.
• Meet with persons involved in equal opportunity complaints to arbitrate and settle disputes.
• Develop guidelines for nondiscriminatory employment practices.

Emerging Responsibilities

As this field evolves, you may also:

• Develop guidelines for nondiscriminatory employment practices, such as affirmative action plans and equal opportunity employment policies.
• Train employees on equal opportunity laws, guidelines, or policies, such as discrimination, diversity, harassment, or affirmative action.

Knowledge You'll Use

You'll need solid knowledge in these areas:

• Law and Government
• English Language
• Personnel and Human Resources
• Customer and Personal Service

Essential Skills

Success in this career requires strong skills in:

1. Active Listening
2. Reading Comprehension
3. Speaking
4. Critical Thinking
5. Social Perceptiveness
6. Writing
7. Active Learning
8. Complex Problem Solving
9. Judgment and Decision Making

Key Abilities

This career requires key abilities in:

• Written Comprehension
• Oral Comprehension
• Inductive Reasoning
• Oral Expression
• Written Expression
• Problem Sensitivity
• Speech Recognition
• Deductive Reasoning
• Speech Clarity
• Information Ordering

What Matters in This Career

This career tends to satisfy these work values:

• Relationships
• Achievement
• Working Conditions
• Independence
• Support

Education & Preparation

Typical Education: Bachelor's Degree

Related Work Experience Needed: Over 2 years, up to and including 4 years

On-the-Job Training: Over 3 months, up to and including 6 months

Education Details: Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.

Experience Required: A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations. For example, an accountant must complete four years of college and work for several years in accounting to be considered qualified.

Technology You'll Use

Popular Technologies & Software

• Microsoft Access
• Microsoft Excel
• Microsoft Office software
• Microsoft Outlook
• Microsoft PowerPoint
• Microsoft SharePoint
• Microsoft Word

Tools & Equipment

• 10-key calculators
• Desktop computers
• Laptop computers
• Multi-line telephone systems
• Personal computers
• Personal digital assistants PDA

Work Environment

• E-Mail
• Telephone Conversations
• Spend Time Sitting
• Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
• Determine Tasks, Priorities and Goals

Salary & Job Market

Wages reported for the broader Compliance Officers occupational group (BLS 2024), which includes Equal Opportunity Representatives and Officers.

Salary Percentile	Annual Wage
Entry-Level (10th percentile)	$46,230
Median	$78,420
Top Earners (90th percentile)	$130,030

Workers Employed Nationally: 397,770

Related Careers

If you're interested in this career, you might also consider:

---

---

Occupational data sourced from the O*NET OnLine database, developed by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration. Wage data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), 2024.