How much does a controller make?

The average controller salary in the United States is $101,204. Controller salaries typically range between $70,000 and $144,000 yearly. The average hourly rate for controllers is $48.66 per hour. Controller salary is impacted by location, education, and experience. Controllers earn the highest average salary in New York.

Controller salary

Q: What state pays Controllers the most?

New York pays Controllers the most in the United States, with an average salary of $121,130 per year, or $58.24 per hour.

Q: How do I know if I'm being paid fairly as a controller?

You know if you are being paid fairly as a controller if your pay is close to the average pay for the state you live in. For example, if you live in Maine you should be paid close to $120,935 per year.

Q: What is a good starting salary for a Controller?

A good starting salary for a controller is $73,000 in the United States. That puts you in the 10th percentile of annual income for a controller in the U.S., which is about what you would expect if you were new to the field. The average salary for controllers is $101,022, but that normally requires some level of experience to achieve. Furthermore, a good starting salary for a controller can vary by state.

Q: Do controllers make a lot of money?

Yes, controllers make a lot of money. On average, they can make around $96,000 yearly or $46.26 hourly. As most jobs go, factors like location, industry, and experience can determine your exact salary as the typical controller. On the lower end of the salary range, they can make around $67,000 or less, usually for entry-level positions or low-paying states like New Mexico and Arkansas. On the higher end, they can earn six-figure salaries like $137,000, typically for senior-level jobs. For corporate controllers, they can earn around $184,000 and more.

Q: What is the difference between a controller and a CFO?

The difference between a controller and a CFO is that a controller is a senior-level executive position with similar duties and responsibilities as the top-level executive CFO (chief financial officer).

Average controller salary

$101,204

$48.66 hourly rate

Entry-level controller salary

$70,000 yearly salary

Updated January 8, 2025

Understanding Controller Salaries

The average salary for a controller in the United States is approximately $101,204 annually, translating to about $49 per hour. This figure reflects the financial responsibilities and expertise required for the role. Factors affecting salary include experience level, industry, and geographic location.

Salary by Experience Level

Entry-level controllers typically earn less, while those with over ten years of experience can command salaries significantly higher than the average. For instance, controllers with extensive experience can earn upwards of $120,000 per year.

Geographic Variations

Controllers in states such as California, New York, and Texas often see higher salaries due to the cost of living and the demand for skilled professionals. For example, California offers some of the highest salaries, averaging over $115,000 annually.

Top Industries for Controllers

Industries such as finance, healthcare, and technology frequently offer competitive compensation packages, including bonuses and benefits. Understanding these factors is crucial for aspiring controllers looking to maximize their earning potential.

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Controller salary by:

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Where can a Controller earn more?

Compare salary by location

137k

117k

97k

77k

57k

Columbus, OH$121,606

Saint Louis, MO$86,517

Compare salary by company

213k

193k

173k

153k

133k

113k

93k

Perkins Coie$186,620

Barclays$123,028

Controller salaries by experience level

Experience level	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
Entry-level controller	$69,600	$33.45
Mid-level controller	$108,000	$51.78
Senior-level controller	$166,000	$79.58

Controller salary estimates from across the web

Based on the latest salary information compiled by Zippia, Salary.com, Glassdoor, Comparably and CareerExplorer, the average salary for a controller typically falls between $71,121 and $251,509.

zippia

$101,204yearly

glassdoor[1]

$151,970yearly

comparably[2]

$246,078yearly

Salary.com[3]

$251,509yearly

CareerExplorer[4]

$71,121yearly

Average controller salary by state

The highest-paying states for controllers are New York, Maine, and New Jersey. The lowest average controller salary states are New Mexico, Arkansas, and Wyoming.

State view
County view

Average salary:

Highest paying states for controllers

Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
1	New York	$121,130	$58.24
2	Massachusetts	$112,665	$54.17
3	Connecticut	$110,716	$53.23
4	New Hampshire	$112,957	$54.31
5	New Jersey	$113,532	$54.58
6	Maine	$120,935	$58.14
7	California	$109,990	$52.88
8	Washington	$103,219	$49.62
9	Delaware	$101,298	$48.70
10	Pennsylvania	$102,998	$49.52
11	Nevada	$99,332	$47.76
12	Virginia	$102,436	$49.25
13	Maryland	$103,680	$49.85
14	Arizona	$94,788	$45.57
15	District of Columbia	$101,340	$48.72
16	Michigan	$93,537	$44.97
17	Minnesota	$93,603	$45.00
18	Oregon	$97,335	$46.80
19	Wisconsin	$93,883	$45.14
20	Montana	$93,432	$44.92
21	Illinois	$91,557	$44.02
22	Vermont	$100,279	$48.21
23	North Carolina	$92,624	$44.53
24	Texas	$90,395	$43.46
25	Rhode Island	$93,300	$44.86
26	Ohio	$88,922	$42.75
27	Utah	$85,460	$41.09
28	Kentucky	$88,240	$42.42
29	Colorado	$84,632	$40.69
30	Tennessee	$85,133	$40.93
31	Indiana	$86,083	$41.39
32	South Carolina	$88,092	$42.35
33	Missouri	$85,316	$41.02
34	Georgia	$83,857	$40.32
35	South Dakota	$84,011	$40.39
36	West Virginia	$83,291	$40.04
37	Kansas	$82,183	$39.51
38	Hawaii	$73,288	$35.23
39	Iowa	$79,906	$38.42
40	Idaho	$83,350	$40.07
41	Alabama	$80,937	$38.91
42	Florida	$79,454	$38.20
43	North Dakota	$80,993	$38.94
44	Louisiana	$82,888	$39.85
45	Alaska	$75,847	$36.46
46	Wyoming	$76,256	$36.66
47	Arkansas	$78,254	$37.62
48	Oklahoma	$79,492	$38.22
49	Nebraska	$76,218	$36.64
50	New Mexico	$78,419	$37.70
51	Mississippi	$78,599	$37.79

Top controller jobs near you

Highest paying cities for controllers

The highest-paying cities for controllers are Portland, ME, New York, NY, and San Francisco, CA.

Rank	City	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
1	Portland, ME	$121,606	$58.46
2	New York, NY	$121,157	$58.25
3	San Francisco, CA	$120,399	$57.88
4	Jersey City, NJ	$113,947	$54.78
5	Boston, MA	$112,814	$54.24
6	Baltimore, MD	$104,004	$50.00
7	Seattle, WA	$103,734	$49.87
8	Philadelphia, PA	$103,476	$49.75
9	Washington, DC	$101,435	$48.77
10	Las Vegas, NV	$99,021	$47.61
11	Portland, OR	$96,765	$46.52
12	Phoenix, AZ	$95,033	$45.69
13	Detroit, MI	$93,938	$45.16
14	Raleigh, NC	$93,723	$45.06
15	Minneapolis, MN	$93,663	$45.03
16	San Antonio, TX	$92,304	$44.38
17	Chicago, IL	$92,188	$44.32
18	Cleveland, OH	$90,642	$43.58
19	Knoxville, TN	$87,400	$42.02
20	Saint Louis, MO	$86,517	$41.59

Controllers are the most in-demand in these five cities:

Controller salary details

A controller's salary ranges from $70,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $144,000 at the 90th percentile.

Average controller salary graph, trends, and summary

What is a controller's salary?

Percentile	Annual salary	Monthly salary	Hourly rate
90th Percentile	$144,000	$12,000	$69
75th Percentile	$122,000	$10,167	$59
Average	$101,204	$8,434	$49
25th Percentile	$83,000	$6,917	$40
10th Percentile	$70,000	$5,833	$34

Highest paying controller jobs

The highest paying types of controllers are controller, vice president, corporate controller, and senior finance manager.

Job title	Annual salary	Monthly salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
Business Manager-Finance Manager	$106,036	$8,836	$50.98	180,161
Manager/Finance Accounting	$91,315	$7,610	$43.90	132,824
Finance Manager	$101,374	$8,448	$48.74	125,345
Finance Leader	$117,284	$9,774	$56.39	93,582
Accounting Manager	$84,451	$7,038	$40.60	92,089
Cost Accounting Manager	$89,286	$7,441	$42.93	61,135

Top companies hiring controllers now:

Which companies pay controllers the most?

Controller salaries at Perkins Coie and Instacart are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average controller salary at companies like White & Case and Firstservice Residential California, Inc. are highly competitive.

Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate
1	Perkins Coie	$186,620	$89.72
2	Instacart	$148,643	$71.46
3	White & Case	$144,620	$69.53
4	Firstservice Residential California, Inc.	$140,054	$67.33
5	Related Companies	$137,441	$66.08
6	Luxe	$137,395	$66.06
7	ZS	$137,157	$65.94
8	The Walt Disney Company	$135,603	$65.19
9	Marathon Petroleum	$135,582	$65.18
10	Neuberger Berman	$133,404	$64.14
11	Bloomberg	$132,552	$63.73
12	BP America Inc	$130,365	$62.68
13	General Motors	$128,570	$61.81
14	Cisco	$128,530	$61.79
15	FUJIFILM Diosynth Biotechnologies	$125,744	$60.45
16	Nokia	$125,409	$60.29
17	First National Realty	$125,369	$60.27
18	Koch Industries	$124,628	$59.92
19	Pathway Medical	$124,462	$59.84
20	Barclays	$123,028	$59.15

Wage gap by gender, race and education

$106,000$104,000$102,000$100,000$98,000$96,000

MaleFemale

Controller salary by industry

The average controller salary varies across industries:

The average controller salary in the technology industry is $105,981, the highest of any industry.
The average controller salary in the finance industry is $105,482.
Controllers in the health care industry earn an average salary of $92,488, the lowest of any industry.

Highest paying industries for controllers

Rank	Industry	Average salary	Hourly rate
1	Technology	$105,981	$50.95
2	Finance	$105,482	$50.71
3	Real Estate	$103,068	$49.55
4	Professional	$100,245	$48.19
5	Manufacturing	$97,240	$46.75
6	Hospitality	$94,977	$45.66
7	Health Care	$92,488	$44.47

High paying controller jobs

Controller salary trends

The average controller salary has risen by $20,379 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average controller earned $80,825 annually, but today, they earn $101,204 a year. That works out to a 10% change in pay for controllers over the last decade.

Compare controller salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.

Average controller salary over time

Compare controller salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.

Controller salary by year

Year	Avg. salary	Hourly rate	% Change
2025	$101,000	$48.66	+3.2%
2024	$98,000	$47.10	+1.5%
2023	$96,500	$46.41	+2.3%
2022	$94,300	$45.36	+2.7%
2021	$91,800	$44.15	+3.1%

Recently added controller salaries

Company	Job	Location	Date added	Salary
Neuberger Berman	Controller-Registered Private Credit Fund	Day, NY	06/30/2025	$130,000
Burlington Coat Factory Corporation	Retail Shortage Control	Portland, OR	06/29/2025	$34,331
Delaware North Companies	Controller, Everbank Stadium	Jacksonville, FL	06/29/2025	$68,300
Medimpact Healthcare Systems	Controller	Tempe, AZ	06/29/2025	$130,148
Lancaster, Pa	Controller-NFP	Mechanicsburg, PA	06/29/2025	$85,000
John i Haas, Inc.	Controller	Yakima, WA	06/29/2025	$105,840
Excel Sports Management	Controller	New York, NY	06/29/2025	$170,000
Glendale Realty Services Group	Controller	Tonawanda, NY	06/29/2025	$135,500
Get It-Finance	Controller-Midwest--Remote \| WFH	New York, NY	06/29/2025	$90,000
Get It-Finance	Non Profit Controller-Remote \| WFH	Monona, WI	06/29/2025	$115,829