How to hire a projects controller

How to hire a projects controller, step by step

Here's a step-by-step projects controller hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a projects controller job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new projects controller
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a projects controller do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the projects controller you need to hire. Certain projects controller roles might require a full-time employee, whereas others can be done by part-time workers or contractors.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   Hiring the perfect projects controller also involves considering the ideal background you'd like them to have. Depending on what industry or field they have experience in, they'll bring different skills to the job. It's also important to consider what levels of seniority and education the job requires and what kind of salary such a candidate would likely demand.

   This list presents projects controller salaries for various positions.

   Type of Projects Controller	Description	Hourly rate
   Projects Controller	Accountants and auditors prepare and examine financial records. They ensure that financial records are accurate and that taxes are paid properly and on time... Show more	$25-56
   Chief Finance And Operating Officer	A Chief Finance and Operating Officer is a senior executive who is part of the management team that manages the financial actions of an organization. This executive must produce financial statements to communicate results with shareholders and stakeholders of the organization... Show more	$41-150
   Director Of Administration & Finance	A director of administration finance oversees and directs an organization's administration and finance department, ensuring operations run smoothly and efficiently according to company standards and regulations. It is their duty to set goals and guidelines, lead the research and development efforts, establish procedures, manage the budgets and costs, review and evaluate financial reports, and implement the organizations' policies and standards... Show more	$35-77

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Project Management
   • Financial Analysis
   • Project Controller
   • Earned Value Management
   • Project Cost
   • Work Breakdown Structure
   • Cost Control
   • WBS
   • Risk Management
   • Variance Analysis
   • Primavera P6
   • Status Reports
   • Capital Projects
   • Project Budget

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Develop GAAP compliant reporting and manage software implementations.
   • Manage treasury, open several new accounts, establish new procedures and controls, monitor daily activity.
   • Prepare accruals and revenue recognition calculations.
   • Work with foremen and supervisors to ensure proper WBS elements are charged.
   • Set up and management of charge numbers according to an establish WBS and distribution of project authorizations to team members.
   • Process journal entries and accruals monthly to account for all orders, revenue, and cost in the appropriate period.

   More projects controller duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your projects controller job description helps attract top candidates to the position. A projects controller salary can be affected by several factors, such as geography, experience, seniority, certifications, and the prestige of the hiring company.

   For example, the average salary for a projects controller in West Virginia may be lower than in New Jersey, and an entry-level projects controller usually earns less than a senior-level projects controller. Additionally, a projects controller with certifications may command a higher salary, and working for a well-known company or start-up may also impact an employee's pay.

   Average projects controller salary

   $79,451yearly

   $38.20 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level projects controller salary

   $53,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 13, 2025

   Average projects controller salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	District of Columbia	$95,449	$46
   2	New York	$94,075	$45
   3	Massachusetts	$94,011	$45
   4	Texas	$87,533	$42
   5	Washington	$86,941	$42
   6	Pennsylvania	$85,253	$41
   7	California	$83,799	$40
   8	Virginia	$81,229	$39
   9	Illinois	$80,180	$39
   10	Arizona	$79,783	$38
   11	Oklahoma	$76,905	$37
   12	New Mexico	$72,667	$35
   13	North Carolina	$72,458	$35
   14	Georgia	$72,393	$35
   15	Maryland	$72,093	$35
   16	South Carolina	$70,472	$34
   17	Louisiana	$70,142	$34
   18	Colorado	$69,807	$34
   19	Ohio	$68,848	$33
   20	Minnesota	$67,283	$32

   Average projects controller salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	California Resources	$120,520	$57.94
   2	Sandia National Labs	$104,152	$50.07
   3	NV Energy	$102,864	$49.45
   4	Nokia	$100,948	$48.53
   5	Phillips 66	$98,174	$47.20
   6	Los Alamos National Laboratory	$97,719	$46.98
   7	Albemarle	$97,488	$46.87
   8	Bayer	$93,712	$45.05
   9	Burns & McDonnell	$93,472	$44.94	1
   10	Corning Incorporated	$92,512	$44.48	7
   11	HDR	$92,458	$44.45	15
   12	BlackRock	$91,423	$43.95	3
   13	IHI E&C International	$90,902	$43.70
   14	Siemens	$90,808	$43.66	3
   15	Hargrove Engineers + Constructors	$90,688	$43.60	1
   16	Alliance of Professionals & Consultants	$89,832	$43.19
   17	Turner & Townsend	$89,748	$43.15	26
   18	Mears Transportation Group	$89,337	$42.95	1
   19	Daimler Trucks North America	$89,147	$42.86
   20	Atwell	$87,318	$41.98

4. Writing a projects controller job description

   A job description for a projects controller role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's a projects controller job description:

   Projects controller job description example

   JP1665 - Project Controls 3

   
   

   Experience:

   Support the Earned Value Management System (EVMS) and Project Controls System. Perform cost estimating, analysis and control activities. As delegated to, supervises and provides technical direction for cost engineering and/or planning/scheduling activities. Identifies trends for management attention.
   Performs cost estimating, analysis, and control activities. Performs schedule development, maintenance, and monitoring activities. Supports project organizational and administrative activities, when delegated. Supervises and provides technical direction for cost engineering and/or planning/scheduling activities, when delegated. Ensures work is completed as scheduled. Identifies trends for management attention. Has wide-ranging experience, uses professional concepts and Laboratory objectives to resolve complex issues in creative and effective ways. Frequently contributes to the development of new theories and methods. Considered expert in field within the organization. Develops resolutions to complex problems that require the frequent use of creativity and where analysis of situations or data requires an in-depth evaluation of variable factors. Work is accomplished without considerable direction. May coordinate activities of other personnel. Exerts significant latitude in determining objectives of assignment, and determines the methods and procedures needed for new assignments.
   Position requires experience in performing, monitoring, and reviewing planning and scheduling functions, including schedule development, control, and analysis, and cost engineering functions, including cost estimating, cost control, and cost analysis, in the field and home office. Knowledge of supervision, personnel administration, and training of technical and non-technical personnel. Skilled in oral and written communication. Proficiency in using personal computer operating systems and several basic software applications. Proficiency in using multiple discipline-specific software applications currently used. Knowledge of engineering and construction management customarily acquired over time through specialized instruction or practical experience. For positions also serving as a Control Account Manager (CAM), advanced knowledge of and experience with project controls and/or project management, project budgets including cost estimating, cost control and cost analysis, project scheduling, implementation of corrective actions, developing and delivering detailed and accurate status reports and advanced knowledge of and experience with engineering functions and principles required to understand and successfully implement and monitor technical projects. Advanced knowledge of Earned Value Management System (EVMS) tools and processes.

   Education:

   Position typically requires a bachelors degree and a minimum eight years of related experience, or an equivalent combination of education and experience. At this level, post graduate course work may be desirable.

   
   

   COMPA is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, disability, or protected Veteran status.

   COMPA's policy could disqualify an applicant who has certain criminal history from employment in particular positions .

   
   

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5. Post your job

   To find the right projects controller for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with projects controllers they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit projects controllers who meet your education requirements.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your projects controller job on Zippia to find and recruit projects controller candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites such as efinancialcareers, financialjobsweb.com, careerbank, financial job bank.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   During your first interview to recruit projects controllers, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new projects controller

   Once you have selected a candidate for the projects controller position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize the agreement with a contract.

   It's also important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.

   To prepare for the new projects controller first day, you should share an onboarding schedule with them that covers their first period on the job. You should also quickly complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Finally, Human Resources must ensure a new employee file is created for internal record keeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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How much does it cost to hire a projects controller?