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Projects controller salary
Average projects controller salary
$79,451
Understanding Projects Controller Salaries
A Projects Controller plays a critical role in overseeing and managing project budgets within organizations. The average salary for this position is approximately $79,451 per year, but this can vary based on several factors including geographic location, years of experience, and specific industry.
Salary Breakdown
For instance, entry-level positions may start lower, while experienced professionals can expect significantly higher salaries. The following factors influence salary:
- Location: Salaries can vary by state and city, with major metropolitan areas typically offering higher compensation.
- Experience: As professionals gain experience, their earning potential increases, particularly for those who take on leadership roles.
- Industry: Certain sectors, such as tech or construction, may offer higher pay due to demand.
For those looking to maximize their earning potential in this role, staying informed about industry trends and seeking advanced certifications can be beneficial. Additionally, exploring job opportunities in high-paying states and cities can lead to better financial outcomes.
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Where can a Projects Controller earn more?
Projects controller salaries by experience level
| Experience level | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level projects controller | $52,500 | $25.24 |
| Mid-level projects controller | $75,600 | $36.36 |
| Senior-level projects controller | $128,000 | $61.50 |
Average projects controller salary by state
The highest-paying states for projects controllers are New Jersey, Connecticut, and Massachusetts. The lowest average projects controller salary states are West Virginia, Wyoming, and South Dakota.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for projects controllers
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Hampshire | $90,034 | $43.29 |
| 2 | Connecticut | $96,486 | $46.39 |
| 3 | New York | $93,738 | $45.07 |
| 4 | District of Columbia | $95,380 | $45.86 |
| 5 | Massachusetts | $93,864 | $45.13 |
| 6 | Pennsylvania | $84,129 | $40.45 |
| 7 | Delaware | $82,718 | $39.77 |
| 8 | Texas | $86,335 | $41.51 |
| 9 | New Jersey | $107,576 | $51.72 |
| 10 | Illinois | $80,002 | $38.46 |
| 11 | Washington | $86,182 | $41.43 |
| 12 | Arizona | $79,686 | $38.31 |
| 13 | Rhode Island | $84,502 | $40.63 |
| 14 | Virginia | $80,016 | $38.47 |
| 15 | Florida | $76,528 | $36.79 |
| 16 | Tennessee | $73,087 | $35.14 |
| 17 | Oklahoma | $76,581 | $36.82 |
| 18 | Alabama | $74,863 | $35.99 |
| 19 | California | $76,439 | $36.75 |
| 20 | Indiana | $69,819 | $33.57 |
| 21 | South Carolina | $70,935 | $34.10 |
| 22 | Georgia | $72,501 | $34.86 |
| 23 | Vermont | $73,730 | $35.45 |
| 24 | North Carolina | $71,754 | $34.50 |
| 25 | Alaska | $69,654 | $33.49 |
| 26 | Nevada | $67,935 | $32.66 |
| 27 | Oregon | $76,256 | $36.66 |
| 28 | New Mexico | $72,682 | $34.94 |
| 29 | Colorado | $69,189 | $33.26 |
| 30 | Maryland | $71,662 | $34.45 |
| 31 | Ohio | $67,126 | $32.27 |
| 32 | Missouri | $72,308 | $34.76 |
| 33 | Idaho | $70,929 | $34.10 |
| 34 | Maine | $70,315 | $33.81 |
| 35 | Kentucky | $68,687 | $33.02 |
| 36 | Utah | $65,261 | $31.38 |
| 37 | Arkansas | $68,028 | $32.71 |
| 38 | Louisiana | $69,854 | $33.58 |
| 39 | Wisconsin | $61,387 | $29.51 |
| 40 | Kansas | $64,050 | $30.79 |
| 41 | Minnesota | $67,259 | $32.34 |
| 42 | Mississippi | $62,275 | $29.94 |
| 43 | Iowa | $61,617 | $29.62 |
| 44 | Hawaii | $51,592 | $24.80 |
| 45 | Nebraska | $60,773 | $29.22 |
| 46 | West Virginia | $59,932 | $28.81 |
| 47 | North Dakota | $52,950 | $25.46 |
| 48 | Michigan | $60,216 | $28.95 |
| 49 | Montana | $54,229 | $26.07 |
| 50 | Wyoming | $59,833 | $28.77 |
| 51 | South Dakota | $58,180 | $27.97 |
Highest paying cities for projects controllers
The highest-paying cities for projects controllers are Washington, DC, New York, NY, and Boston, MA.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington, DC | $95,449 | $45.89 |
| 2 | New York, NY | $94,075 | $45.23 |
| 3 | Boston, MA | $94,011 | $45.20 |
| 4 | Houston, TX | $87,533 | $42.08 |
| 5 | Seattle, WA | $86,941 | $41.80 |
| 6 | Philadelphia, PA | $85,253 | $40.99 |
| 7 | San Francisco, CA | $83,799 | $40.29 |
| 8 | Arlington, VA | $81,229 | $39.05 |
| 9 | Chicago, IL | $80,180 | $38.55 |
| 10 | Scottsdale, AZ | $79,783 | $38.36 |
| 11 | Oklahoma City, OK | $76,905 | $36.97 |
| 12 | Albuquerque, NM | $72,667 | $34.94 |
| 13 | Raleigh, NC | $72,458 | $34.84 |
| 14 | Atlanta, GA | $72,393 | $34.80 |
| 15 | Baltimore, MD | $72,093 | $34.66 |
| 16 | Greenville, SC | $70,472 | $33.88 |
| 17 | New Orleans, LA | $70,142 | $33.72 |
| 18 | Colorado Springs, CO | $69,807 | $33.56 |
| 19 | Cleveland, OH | $68,848 | $33.10 |
| 20 | Minneapolis, MN | $67,283 | $32.35 |
Projects controller salary details
A projects controller's salary ranges from $53,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $118,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a projects controller's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $118,000 | $9,833 | $57 |
| 75th Percentile | $98,000 | $8,167 | $47 |
| Average | $79,451 | $6,621 | $38 |
| 25th Percentile | $64,000 | $5,333 | $31 |
| 10th Percentile | $53,000 | $4,417 | $25 |
Highest paying projects controller jobs
The highest paying types of projects controllers are chief finance and operating officer, controller, vice president, and finance vice president.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chief Finance And Operating Officer | $166,139 | $13,845 | $79.87 | 166,131 |
| Director Of Administration & Finance | $109,366 | $9,114 | $52.58 | 80,486 |
| Finance Vice President | $147,603 | $12,300 | $70.96 | 111,219 |
| Finance Director | $118,518 | $9,877 | $56.98 | 90,012 |
| Director Of Accounting & Finance | $127,871 | $10,656 | $61.48 | 100,209 |
| Controller/Director Of Finance | $140,095 | $11,675 | $67.35 | 90,380 |
Top companies hiring projects controllers now:
Which companies pay projects controllers the most?
Projects controller salaries at California Resources and Sandia National Labs are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average projects controller salary at companies like NV Energy and Nokia are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| 10 | Corning Incorporated | $92,512 | $44.48 |
| 11 | HDR | $92,458 | $44.45 |
| 12 | BlackRock | $91,423 | $43.95 |
| 13 | IHI E&C International | $90,902 | $43.70 |
| 14 | Siemens | $90,808 | $43.66 |
| 15 | Hargrove Engineers + Constructors | $90,688 | $43.60 |
| 16 | Alliance of Professionals & Consultants | $89,832 | $43.19 |
| 17 | Turner & Townsend | $89,748 | $43.15 |
| 18 | Mears Transportation Group | $89,337 | $42.95 |
| 19 | Daimler Trucks North America | $89,147 | $42.86 |
| 20 | Atwell | $87,318 | $41.98 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Projects Controller salary by industry
The average projects controller salary varies across industries:
- The average projects controller salary in the finance industry is $87,904, the highest of any industry.
- The average projects controller salary in the finance industry is $85,287.
- Projects controllers in the transportation industry earn an average salary of $73,593, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for projects controllers
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Finance | $87,904 | $42.26 |
| 2 | Technology | $85,287 | $41.00 |
| 3 | Energy | $80,676 | $38.79 |
| 4 | Professional | $79,615 | $38.28 |
| 5 | Manufacturing | $77,196 | $37.11 |
| 6 | Construction | $74,581 | $35.86 |
| 7 | Transportation | $73,593 | $35.38 |
High paying projects controller jobs
Projects controller salary trends
The average projects controller salary has risen by $11,567 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average projects controller earned $67,884 annually, but today, they earn $79,451 a year. That works out to a 8% change in pay for projects controllers over the last decade.
Compare projects controller salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average projects controller salary over time
Compare projects controller salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Projects controller salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $79,500 | $38.20 | +2.7% |
| 2024 | $77,300 | $37.15 | +1.5% |
| 2023 | $76,100 | $36.61 | +1.6% |
| 2022 | $74,900 | $36.01 | +1.7% |
| 2021 | $73,600 | $35.39 | +1.4% |
Recently added projects controller salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barry-Wehmiller | Project Controls-Scheduling | Pasadena, CA | 06/30/2025 | $90,000 |
| Nrel | Project Controller II/III-National Security Research Oversight Office | Golden, CO | 06/30/2025 | $74,900 |
| The Mastec Companies | Project Control II | Pomona, CA | 06/29/2025 | $69,300 |
| Pattern Energy | Project Controller | Houston, TX | 06/26/2025 | $80,000 |
| Pattern Energy | Project Controller | San Diego, CA | 06/26/2025 | $80,000 |
| Hitchcock Design Group | Project Controller | Naperville, IL | 06/26/2025 | $70,000 |
| PSEG | Associate Project Controller Nuclear | Hancocks Bridge, NJ | 06/25/2025 | $65,400 |
| Emcor | Project Controls | Martinez, CA | 06/21/2025 | $60,210 |
| M.C. Dean, Inc. | Project Controls, Staff | Baltimore, MD | 06/21/2025 | $86,720 |
| Dominion Engineering, Inc. | Project Controller | Reston, VA | 06/21/2025 | $70,000 |
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