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Best states for a controller/finance manager
Quoted expert
Dr. Reid Cummings
- Rank 1 - 10
- 11 - 20
- 21 - 30
- 31 - 40
- 41 - 51
Do you wonder which states in the U.S. are the best for controller/finance managers? If so, we have the full list of best to worst states for controller/finance manager jobs for you to check out and see if you think it's time to move and start anew. Not all states fare the same when it come to job opportunity and pay.We wanted to look at the best states for controller/finance managers -- where there are plenty of controller/finance manager jobs to go around and controller/finance managers get paid what they deserve during every phase of their career.
To do that, we looked at the most recent data we have available for the following criteria -- average annual wages, and availability of jobs for controller/finance managers.We found that the South is best for controller/finance managers, and the Northeast is the worst. Boston, MA is the best city in the country for controller/finance manager jobs, where as Massachusetts is the best state in the country.
10 best states for controller/finance managers in 2025
1. Massachusetts
Total controller/finance manager jobs: 1,560 Average annual salary: $144,867 Lowest 10 percent earn: $100,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $208,000 Location Quotient: 1.11
2. Washington
Total controller/finance manager jobs: 1,417 Average annual salary: $132,016 Lowest 10 percent earn: $94,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $184,000 Location Quotient: 1.27
3. Delaware
Total controller/finance manager jobs: 251 Average annual salary: $127,889 Lowest 10 percent earn: $86,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $188,000 Location Quotient: 1.31
4. District of Columbia
Total controller/finance manager jobs: 426 Average annual salary: $136,557 Lowest 10 percent earn: $93,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $200,000 Location Quotient: 1.66
5. Connecticut
Total controller/finance manager jobs: 682 Average annual salary: $129,969 Lowest 10 percent earn: $88,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $189,000 Location Quotient: 1.34
6. New York
Total controller/finance manager jobs: 2,447 Average annual salary: $134,530 Lowest 10 percent earn: $92,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $196,000 Location Quotient: 1.24
7. Ohio
Total controller/finance manager jobs: 1,216 Average annual salary: $133,635 Lowest 10 percent earn: $91,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $195,000 Location Quotient: 0.78
8. Oregon
Total controller/finance manager jobs: 585 Average annual salary: $129,361 Lowest 10 percent earn: $91,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $183,000 Location Quotient: 0.92
9. Maine
Total controller/finance manager jobs: 131 Average annual salary: $131,663 Lowest 10 percent earn: $91,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $189,000 Location Quotient: 0.64
10. California
Total controller/finance manager jobs: 5,832 Average annual salary: $128,246 Lowest 10 percent earn: $88,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $185,000 Location Quotient: 1.3
Controller/finance manager jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a controller/finance manager
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a controller/finance manager
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Massachusetts | $144,867 | $100,000 | 6,859,819 | 1,560 |
| 2 | Washington | $132,016 | $94,000 | 7,405,743 | 1,417 |
| 3 | Delaware | $127,889 | $86,000 | 961,939 | 251 |
| 4 | District of Columbia | $136,557 | $93,000 | 693,972 | 426 |
| 5 | Connecticut | $129,969 | $88,000 | 3,588,184 | 682 |
| 6 | New York | $134,530 | $92,000 | 19,849,399 | 2,447 |
| 7 | Ohio | $133,635 | $91,000 | 11,658,609 | 1,216 |
| 8 | Oregon | $129,361 | $91,000 | 4,142,776 | 585 |
| 9 | Maine | $131,663 | $91,000 | 1,335,907 | 131 |
| 10 | California | $128,246 | $88,000 | 39,536,653 | 5,832 |
| 11 | Pennsylvania | $123,319 | $83,000 | 12,805,537 | 1,557 |
| 12 | New Jersey | $128,290 | $87,000 | 9,005,644 | 1,110 |
| 13 | Michigan | $123,439 | $84,000 | 9,962,311 | 1,026 |
| 14 | Idaho | $126,709 | $89,000 | 1,716,943 | 198 |
| 15 | Minnesota | $121,955 | $85,000 | 5,576,606 | 997 |
| 16 | Montana | $131,094 | $95,000 | 1,050,493 | 85 |
| 17 | Maryland | $126,130 | $85,000 | 6,052,177 | 1,047 |
| 18 | Vermont | $123,920 | $85,000 | 623,657 | 102 |
| 19 | Missouri | $123,177 | $85,000 | 6,113,532 | 719 |
| 20 | Illinois | $117,335 | $80,000 | 12,802,023 | 2,363 |
| 21 | Nevada | $119,271 | $82,000 | 2,998,039 | 282 |
| 22 | Wisconsin | $115,118 | $79,000 | 5,795,483 | 938 |
| 23 | Rhode Island | $119,063 | $81,000 | 1,059,639 | 168 |
| 24 | South Dakota | $120,981 | $85,000 | 869,666 | 101 |
| 25 | North Dakota | $112,067 | $81,000 | 755,393 | 136 |
| 26 | West Virginia | $109,639 | $74,000 | 1,815,857 | 123 |
| 27 | New Hampshire | $112,477 | $77,000 | 1,342,795 | 214 |
| 28 | Utah | $102,735 | $71,000 | 3,101,833 | 620 |
| 29 | North Carolina | $106,861 | $72,000 | 10,273,419 | 1,279 |
| 30 | Alaska | $108,390 | $88,000 | 739,795 | 123 |
| 31 | Louisiana | $111,538 | $73,000 | 4,684,333 | 329 |
| 32 | Arizona | $105,663 | $72,000 | 7,016,270 | 963 |
| 33 | Oklahoma | $112,892 | $78,000 | 3,930,864 | 165 |
| 34 | Kansas | $112,396 | $78,000 | 2,913,123 | 233 |
| 35 | Virginia | $103,974 | $70,000 | 8,470,020 | 1,685 |
| 36 | New Mexico | $110,362 | $75,000 | 2,088,070 | 177 |
| 37 | Wyoming | $97,763 | $69,000 | 579,315 | 103 |
| 38 | Hawaii | $92,333 | $71,000 | 1,427,538 | 173 |
| 39 | Georgia | $101,885 | $69,000 | 10,429,379 | 1,529 |
| 40 | Iowa | $101,722 | $70,000 | 3,145,711 | 446 |
| 41 | Colorado | $99,203 | $69,000 | 5,607,154 | 1,073 |
| 42 | Indiana | $101,313 | $69,000 | 6,666,818 | 785 |
| 43 | Texas | $99,999 | $67,000 | 28,304,596 | 2,946 |
| 44 | South Carolina | $102,879 | $69,000 | 5,024,369 | 463 |
| 45 | Alabama | $97,660 | $66,000 | 4,874,747 | 583 |
| 46 | Tennessee | $95,790 | $65,000 | 6,715,984 | 730 |
| 47 | Florida | $87,560 | $56,000 | 20,984,400 | 2,594 |
| 48 | Mississippi | $99,679 | $67,000 | 2,984,100 | 211 |
| 49 | Kentucky | $94,110 | $64,000 | 4,454,189 | 384 |
| 50 | Nebraska | $91,384 | $64,000 | 1,920,076 | 247 |
| 51 | Arkansas | $93,734 | $64,000 | 3,004,279 | 213 |
Highest paying states for controller/finance managers
| Rank | State | Avg. Controller/Finance Manager Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Massachusetts | $144,867 |
| 2 | Washington | $132,016 |
| 3 | Delaware | $127,889 |
| 4 | District of Columbia | $136,557 |
| 5 | Connecticut | $129,969 |
| 6 | New York | $134,530 |
| 7 | Ohio | $133,635 |
| 8 | Oregon | $129,361 |
| 9 | Maine | $131,663 |
| 10 | California | $128,246 |
| 11 | Pennsylvania | $123,319 |
| 12 | New Jersey | $128,290 |
| 13 | Michigan | $123,439 |
| 14 | Idaho | $126,709 |
| 15 | Minnesota | $121,955 |
| 16 | Montana | $131,094 |
| 17 | Maryland | $126,130 |
| 18 | Vermont | $123,920 |
| 19 | Missouri | $123,177 |
| 20 | Illinois | $117,335 |
| 21 | Nevada | $119,271 |
| 22 | Wisconsin | $115,118 |
| 23 | Rhode Island | $119,063 |
| 24 | South Dakota | $120,981 |
| 25 | North Dakota | $112,067 |
| 26 | West Virginia | $109,639 |
| 27 | New Hampshire | $112,477 |
| 28 | Utah | $102,735 |
| 29 | North Carolina | $106,861 |
| 30 | Alaska | $108,390 |
| 31 | Louisiana | $111,538 |
| 32 | Arizona | $105,663 |
| 33 | Oklahoma | $112,892 |
| 34 | Kansas | $112,396 |
| 35 | Virginia | $103,974 |
| 36 | New Mexico | $110,362 |
| 37 | Wyoming | $97,763 |
| 38 | Hawaii | $92,333 |
| 39 | Georgia | $101,885 |
| 40 | Iowa | $101,722 |
| 41 | Colorado | $99,203 |
| 42 | Indiana | $101,313 |
| 43 | Texas | $99,999 |
| 44 | South Carolina | $102,879 |
| 45 | Alabama | $97,660 |
| 46 | Tennessee | $95,790 |
| 47 | Florida | $87,560 |
| 48 | Mississippi | $99,679 |
| 49 | Kentucky | $94,110 |
| 50 | Nebraska | $91,384 |
| 51 | Arkansas | $93,734 |
Expert opinions on the best states for controller/finance managers
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for controller/finance managers to find work opportunities?
Dr. Reid Cummings
Associate Professor of Finance & Real Estate, University of South Alabama
The South and Southwest will continue to attract companies looking to follow workers out of states with high state and local taxes and increasingly restrictive regulatory environments.
Controller/finance manager best states FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025