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Cost controller salary
Average cost controller salary
$76,697
Understanding Cost Controller Salaries
Cost controllers are integral to financial management, responsible for monitoring and optimizing costs within organizations. As of October 2025, the average salary for a cost controller is approximately $76,697 per year, or about $37 per hour. This figure can vary significantly based on factors such as location, industry, and years of experience.
Salary by Experience Level
Entry-level cost controllers typically start with lower salaries, while those with extensive experience can command higher wages. For instance, professionals with over ten years of experience may earn upwards of $90,000 annually.
Regional Salary Variations
Geographically, cost controllers in states like California and New York often enjoy higher salaries due to the higher cost of living and demand for financial expertise. Understanding these salary dynamics can assist job seekers in making informed career decisions.
Job Opportunities
Cost controllers can find employment across various sectors, including manufacturing, healthcare, and finance. As organizations continue to prioritize cost efficiency, the demand for skilled cost controllers remains strong.
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Where can a Cost Controller earn more?
Cost controller salaries by experience level
| Experience level | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level cost controller | $50,700 | $24.37 |
| Mid-level cost controller | $73,000 | $35.10 |
| Senior-level cost controller | $123,000 | $59.37 |
Cost controller salary estimates from across the web
Average cost controller salary by state
The average cost controller salary in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and New York are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average cost controller salary states are Nebraska, Wyoming, and South Dakota.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for cost controllers
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | $90,925 | $43.71 |
| 2 | New York | $90,494 | $43.51 |
| 3 | New Hampshire | $84,502 | $40.63 |
| 4 | Massachusetts | $92,015 | $44.24 |
| 5 | California | $87,031 | $41.84 |
| 6 | Delaware | $78,779 | $37.87 |
| 7 | Oregon | $80,091 | $38.51 |
| 8 | New Jersey | $88,813 | $42.70 |
| 9 | Rhode Island | $91,394 | $43.94 |
| 10 | Washington | $87,480 | $42.06 |
| 11 | Virginia | $81,486 | $39.18 |
| 12 | Pennsylvania | $75,437 | $36.27 |
| 13 | Georgia | $77,641 | $37.33 |
| 14 | Texas | $74,081 | $35.62 |
| 15 | Connecticut | $74,036 | $35.59 |
| 16 | Wisconsin | $68,033 | $32.71 |
| 17 | Maryland | $77,403 | $37.21 |
| 18 | Ohio | $66,311 | $31.88 |
| 19 | Nevada | $68,016 | $32.70 |
| 20 | Colorado | $67,955 | $32.67 |
| 21 | Michigan | $64,723 | $31.12 |
| 22 | South Carolina | $66,686 | $32.06 |
| 23 | Oklahoma | $68,471 | $32.92 |
| 24 | Vermont | $68,673 | $33.02 |
| 25 | Idaho | $68,471 | $32.92 |
| 26 | Arizona | $67,301 | $32.36 |
| 27 | North Carolina | $67,135 | $32.28 |
| 28 | Louisiana | $67,732 | $32.56 |
| 29 | Arkansas | $63,392 | $30.48 |
| 30 | Alaska | $61,764 | $29.69 |
| 31 | Minnesota | $62,627 | $30.11 |
| 32 | Utah | $60,502 | $29.09 |
| 33 | Tennessee | $62,736 | $30.16 |
| 34 | Maine | $64,867 | $31.19 |
| 35 | Illinois | $61,664 | $29.65 |
| 36 | New Mexico | $62,674 | $30.13 |
| 37 | Alabama | $59,746 | $28.72 |
| 38 | Indiana | $58,503 | $28.13 |
| 39 | Kansas | $59,432 | $28.57 |
| 40 | Missouri | $61,413 | $29.53 |
| 41 | Kentucky | $60,054 | $28.87 |
| 42 | Wyoming | $55,398 | $26.63 |
| 43 | Florida | $60,382 | $29.03 |
| 44 | North Dakota | $52,300 | $25.14 |
| 45 | Mississippi | $57,599 | $27.69 |
| 46 | Iowa | $58,084 | $27.93 |
| 47 | Hawaii | $49,411 | $23.76 |
| 48 | West Virginia | $56,744 | $27.28 |
| 49 | South Dakota | $54,417 | $26.16 |
| 50 | Nebraska | $56,545 | $27.19 |
| 51 | Montana | $52,857 | $25.41 |
Highest paying cities for cost controllers
The highest-paying cities for cost controllers are Sunnyvale, CA, Andover, MA, and New York, NY.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sunnyvale, CA | $96,443 | $46.37 |
| 2 | Andover, MA | $91,009 | $43.75 |
| 3 | New York, NY | $90,816 | $43.66 |
| 4 | Everett, WA | $87,660 | $42.14 |
| 5 | Norfolk, VA | $81,498 | $39.18 |
| 6 | Baltimore, MD | $77,910 | $37.46 |
| 7 | Bensalem, PA | $76,737 | $36.89 |
| 8 | Houston, TX | $74,686 | $35.91 |
| 9 | Pueblo, CO | $68,731 | $33.04 |
| 10 | Greensboro, NC | $67,269 | $32.34 |
| 11 | Detroit, MI | $65,110 | $31.30 |
| 12 | Murfreesboro, TN | $62,705 | $30.15 |
| 13 | Bloomington, MN | $62,571 | $30.08 |
| 14 | Ballwin, MO | $61,448 | $29.54 |
| 15 | Panama City, FL | $61,434 | $29.54 |
| 16 | Clinton, IA | $58,639 | $28.19 |
Cost controller salary details
A cost controller's salary ranges from $51,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $114,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a cost controller's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $114,000 | $9,500 | $55 |
| 75th Percentile | $94,000 | $7,833 | $45 |
| Average | $76,697 | $6,391 | $37 |
| 25th Percentile | $62,000 | $5,167 | $30 |
| 10th Percentile | $51,000 | $4,250 | $25 |
Highest paying cost controller jobs
The highest paying types of cost controllers are finance controller, controller, and accounting manager/controller.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accounting Analyst | $58,399 | $4,867 | $28.08 | 81,097 |
| Certified Public Accountant | $76,693 | $6,391 | $36.87 | 78,792 |
| Staff Accountant | $54,216 | $4,518 | $26.07 | 115,930 |
| Account Analyst | $55,829 | $4,652 | $26.84 | 106,327 |
| Tax Accountant | $62,142 | $5,178 | $29.88 | 57,919 |
| Accountant | $54,890 | $4,574 | $26.39 | 60,073 |
Top companies hiring cost controllers now:
Which companies pay cost controllers the most?
Cost controller salaries at NOVA Chemicals and Technip USA Corporation are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average cost controller salary at companies like Seadrill and Hargrove Engineers + Constructors are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | NOVA Chemicals | $94,220 | $45.30 |
| 2 | Technip USA Corporation | $91,408 | $43.95 |
| 3 | Seadrill | $87,386 | $42.01 |
| 4 | Hargrove Engineers + Constructors | $84,175 | $40.47 |
| 5 | Kforce | $83,884 | $40.33 |
| 6 | HOW | $83,273 | $40.04 |
| 7 | Nestlé | $82,920 | $39.87 |
| 8 | Belcan | $77,092 | $37.06 |
| 9 | Hyatt Hotels | $74,995 | $36.06 |
| 10 | Tenneco | $74,606 | $35.87 |
| 11 | CyberCoders | $74,557 | $35.84 |
| 12 | LanceSoft | $74,305 | $35.72 |
| 13 | Schneider Electric Industrial Services | $74,194 | $35.67 |
| 14 | Randstad North America, Inc. | $73,498 | $35.34 |
| 15 | CMA CGM | $72,348 | $34.78 |
| 16 | Wanzek Construction | $72,117 | $34.67 |
| 17 | LaBella Associates | $71,772 | $34.51 |
| 18 | Arlanxeo Usa LLC | $70,654 | $33.97 |
| 19 | M R Co | $70,591 | $33.94 |
| 20 | Amec Foster Wheeler | $70,591 | $33.94 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Cost Controller salary by industry
The average cost controller salary varies across industries:
- The average cost controller salary in the energy industry is $79,891, the highest of any industry.
- The average cost controller salary in the finance industry is $73,231.
- Cost controllers in the agriculture industry earn an average salary of $70,437, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for cost controllers
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Energy | $79,891 | $38.41 |
| 2 | Technology | $73,231 | $35.21 |
| 3 | Manufacturing | $72,638 | $34.92 |
| 4 | Non Profits | $72,525 | $34.87 |
| 5 | Transportation | $72,261 | $34.74 |
| 6 | Agriculture | $70,437 | $33.86 |
High paying cost controller jobs
Cost controller salary trends
The average cost controller salary has risen by $11,167 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average cost controller earned $65,530 annually, but today, they earn $76,697 a year. That works out to a 8% change in pay for cost controllers over the last decade.
Compare cost controller salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average cost controller salary over time
Compare cost controller salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Cost controller salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $76,700 | $36.87 | +2.7% |
| 2024 | $74,600 | $35.87 | +1.5% |
| 2023 | $73,500 | $35.34 | +1.6% |
| 2022 | $72,300 | $34.76 | +1.7% |
| 2021 | $71,100 | $34.16 | +1.4% |
Recently added cost controller salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wgnstar | Cost Controller & Analyst | Boise, ID | 06/20/2025 | $93,915 |
| Labella | Scheduler/Cost Controller | Augusta, MN | 06/19/2025 | $76,000 |
| Servpro | Commercial Project Cost Controller | New Albany, IN | 05/29/2025 | $70,000 |
| Turner & Townsend | Senior Cost Controller/Commercial Manager-Rail Construction | Baltimore, MD | 05/22/2025 | $130,000 |
| Seneca Foods | Cost Accounting Controller | Geneva, NY | 05/13/2025 | $75,000 |
| Whole Foods | Manufacturing Cost Controller, Food Plant | Upper Marlboro, MD | 05/04/2025 | $79,040 |
| Bosch Group | Budget and Cost Center Controller | Roseville, CA | 04/28/2025 | $95,000 |
| Turner & Townsend | Cost Controller/Commercial Manager-Rail Construction | Baltimore, MD | 04/17/2025 | $130,000 |
| Whole Foods | Manufacturing Cost Controller, Food Plant | Upper Marlboro, MD | 04/10/2025 | $79,040 |
| Whole Foods | Manufacturing Cost Controller, Food Manufacturing | Wallingford, CT | 04/10/2025 | $79,040 |
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