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Job outlook for unit controllers in the United States
Unit controller job growth summary. After extensive research, interviews, and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
The projected unit controller job growth rate is 17% from 2018-2028.
About 123,100 new jobs for unit controllers are projected over the next decade.
Unit controller salaries have increased 10% for unit controllers in the last 5 years.
There are over 109,849 unit controllers currently employed in the United States.
There are 55,537 active unit controller job openings in the US.
The average unit controller salary is $104,008.
Are unit controller jobs in demand?
Unit controller job and salary trends over time
Unit controller jobs over time
Unit controller job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 109,849 | 0.03% |
| 2020 | 105,335 | 0.03% |
| 2019 | 105,611 | 0.03% |
| 2018 | 98,083 | 0.03% |
| 2017 | 91,835 | 0.03% |
Average unit controller salary over time
Unit controller salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $104,008 | $50.00 | +3.3% |
| 2024 | $100,682 | $48.40 | +1.5% |
| 2023 | $99,210 | $47.70 | +2.3% |
| 2022 | $96,954 | $46.61 | +2.7% |
| 2021 | $94,373 | $45.37 | +3.2% |
Unit controller jobs by state
Most common states for unit controllers
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 231 | 33% |
| 2 | Delaware | 961,939 | 176 | 18% |
| 3 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 214 | 16% |
| 4 | Vermont | 623,657 | 95 | 15% |
| 5 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 962 | 14% |
| 6 | Wyoming | 579,315 | 80 | 14% |
| 7 | Maine | 1,335,907 | 155 | 12% |
| 8 | Washington | 7,405,743 | 746 | 10% |
| 9 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 583 | 10% |
| 10 | Maryland | 6,052,177 | 575 | 10% |
| 11 | Connecticut | 3,588,184 | 373 | 10% |
| 12 | Rhode Island | 1,059,639 | 106 | 10% |
| 13 | Montana | 1,050,493 | 106 | 10% |
| 14 | South Dakota | 869,666 | 83 | 10% |
| 15 | Alaska | 739,795 | 76 | 10% |
| 16 | North Dakota | 755,393 | 75 | 10% |
| 17 | Illinois | 12,802,023 | 1,118 | 9% |
| 18 | New Jersey | 9,005,644 | 817 | 9% |
| 19 | Oregon | 4,142,776 | 383 | 9% |
| 20 | Utah | 3,101,833 | 271 | 9% |
Most common cities for unit controllers
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gallatin | 1 | 3% | $93,334 |
| 2 | Newark | 1 | 3% | $96,291 |
| 3 | Evanston | 1 | 1% | $118,813 |
| 4 | Melbourne | 1 | 1% | $85,904 |
| 5 | New Haven | 1 | 1% | $117,869 |
| 6 | Santa Clara | 1 | 1% | $133,354 |
| 7 | Baltimore | 1 | 0% | $111,501 |
| 8 | Boston | 1 | 0% | $96,764 |
| 9 | Chicago | 1 | 0% | $118,471 |
| 10 | Dallas | 1 | 0% | $99,414 |
| 11 | Fremont | 1 | 0% | $133,579 |
| 12 | New Orleans | 1 | 0% | $83,162 |
| 13 | Sacramento | 1 | 0% | $133,850 |
| 14 | Saint Louis | 1 | 0% | $85,217 |
| 15 | San Francisco | 1 | 0% | $134,236 |
Unit Controller job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of unit controller experts
Manhattan College
Fairfield University
University of Oregon
Stonehill College
American University
Pacific Lutheran University
University of Nevada - Las Vegas
The University of Scranton
DePaul University
Loyola University Maryland
South College
Red Rocks Community College
California State University - Stanislaus
Bay Path University
What general advice would you give to a Unit Controller?
Dr. Natalia Boliari PhD: First, learn everything about the company you just started working for - its historical path, management, the way it's dealt with crises, etc. Second, learn everything about the specific industry the company belongs to and see how the company has developed relative to the development of the industry domestically and internationally. Third, always be extremely alert to notice new opportunities and be prepared to take calculated risks. That is, actively look for opportunities to complete as many and diverse tasks as possible, and volunteer to complete any type of work regardless of whether it seems relevant to your assigned job or not. Opportunities to learn, grow, and improve and thus to maximize your income, will only come up if you are exposed to diverse situations.
What Unit Controller skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Dr. Natalia Boliari PhD: Be open minded. Finance is the broad definition of an industry which provides opportunities for careers in financial consultancy, financial analysis, stock brokerage, foreign investment, modeling, exchange rate forecasts, and many more. While most of those careers are attributed to the banking industry, you can find those and others in other sectors of the economy, such as insurance, technology, health care/medical, government, and so on. So, be open and look beyond the banking sector, examine the current and predicted trends in the economy to hunt for exciting career options.
What general advice would you give to a Unit Controller?
John McDermott Ph.D.: To maximize your salary potential, keep learning, investing in your human capital, and expanding your capabilities. Learn as much as you can about your new position and industry, work with a variety of people at your firm, and seek opportunities outside your comfort zone. Your salary potential will increase as you are recognized as a capable and hard working colleague.
Z. Jay Wang
Department Head, Associate Professor of FinanceUniversity of Oregon
Finance And Financial Management Services
What will help Unit Controllers increase their earning potential?
Z. Jay Wang: Students who have a history of doing work in the field outside the classroom either through internships, industry projects, or school-sponsored clubs managing financial decisions are better poised to maximize starting salary potential. Starting early to secure internships with top companies will also position students well for higher earning potential. Most top banks and firms will post internships from April/May to August, and close by the end of September for the following summer. They are also rolling, so may fill the roles by as early as June of the sophomore year for the following summer after junior year. Finally, networking with industry and alumni professionals in the companies, firms, banks prior to applying for an internship or full-time position will have an impact. The candidate will learn more about the opportunity and company culture for their resume and potential interview, and most top companies in finance will have a referral program. If the candidate impresses the internal connection with excellent questions and strategic answers, they may get a referral that moves them up in the stacks of applicants.
What general advice would you give to a Unit Controller?
Dr. Wayne Durr: Maximizing your salary potential starts with understanding your value. What skills and
capabilities can you articulate to a prospective employer? The ability to articulate these skills
and what you bring to that company can be challenging. Think of your resume like an artist
thinks of their portfolio. What projects or analysis have you worked on? You cannot articulate
the value you will bring to that prospective company without the ability to articulate your skills
and capabilities. Do your research to determine what other employers pay people with the
same abilities. Ask employers what the salary range is and use that as your baseline. As you
get close to graduating, your classmates talk about the job offers they receive and most likely
share the salaries they are being offered. Listen and use this as a baseline. All this gives you
an idea of your value. Your first job isn't always the place where you'll be able to maximize your
earning potential. Think of your first job as where you will get the work experience to maximize
your future earning potential. Look at this as the place where you will sharpen your skills and
develop new ones. This first job will be where you fill out your resume and either have an
opportunity to maximize your earning potential there or elsewhere in the future.
Additionally, think about passive income and the "side gig". If you don't feel like you're
maximizing your earning potential at that first job, think about how you can make money on the
side. I believe we now live in a society where truly maximizing your earning potential comes
from more than your current employer. The ability to earn money from a side gig is more
prevalent than ever before. I think every student should take an entrepreneur class. Think
about your skills, which one could make you some side money. Don't dismiss jobs you did
growing up, like delivery service, landscaping, etc. There are so many apps and websites that
people and companies are looking for anything from an hour to a couple of days worth of work.
Take that first six months on the job to get settled in, and then start thinking about that side gig.
Octavian Ionici PhD
Sr. Lecturer in FinanceAmerican University
Finance And Financial Management Services
What Unit Controller skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Octavian Ionici PhD: The finance profession is lucrative, rewarding and very competitive. Graduates should do their research about the organization they are interviewing with and be able to discuss how their skills can contribute to the business. They should also know if they would rather interact with people and clients or if they are drawn to intellectual pursuits such as analysis. Do they value power, prestige status, risk, or something else? Ultimately our core values, personal goals, interests, aptitudes, and personality will shape our career paths.
Being able to articulate what sparked their interest in the financial field and why they are interested in a chosen role will be an advantage during the hiring process. While still in college, students should join a professional association like the Financial Management Association to give them more access to that broad network, as well as access to career development resources that can set them apart from the crowd.
It's also critical to get an internship (paid or unpaid) in order to show some real-life experience. They can do this while they are still in college, during the summers, or even afterwards, to get a foot in the door.
Reading the WSJ and FT daily, and listening to Bloomberg, or other financial programs as a regular practice will help them to have fluency in the language of our profession. Because the finance sector is heavily regulated and changes occur due to changing economic and political conditions, they will need to stay updated with those changes. Financial media sources will help bring them that context to stay up to date on all of these moving parts.
What will help Unit Controllers increase their earning potential?
Dr. Kimberly Gaither: Maximize your salary potential by asking questions and learning as quickly as possible. Be a good communicator with those above and below you as well as your peers. Be dependable. Persons who show up early and work hard will be valued and rewarded.
Fang Lin
Assistant Professor of FinancePacific Lutheran University
Finance And Financial Management Services
What Unit Controller skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Fang Lin: Don't be afraid to negotiate your starting salary. Young journalists have a lot to offer newsrooms through social media skills and a willingness to adapt to new technologies such as artificial intelligence. Technology skills have value and should not be undersold. Also, young journalism students should not discount the value of their student media and internship experiences. Young journalists must use everything on their resumes to show how they bring value to their position and ask to be compensated fairly for the work they will contribute to the newsroom's success.
John Clark Ph.D., CFA, CFP
Chair, Dept. of FinanceUniversity of Nevada - Las Vegas
Geological And Earth Sciences/Geosciences
What general advice would you give to a Unit Controller?
John Clark Ph.D., CFA, CFP: Show you have experience. Doing an internship is a great way to increase your starting salary. I always advocate for doing applied research, this is research that you can show has implications for society - science for the sake of science is not good science! Obtaining an MS degree is also a good way to increase your salary, especially if your MS degree is relevant to your future job.
Dr. Douglas Boyle
Chair & Professor, Director, Doctorate in Business Administration Program , Director, Nonprofit Leadership ProgramThe University of Scranton
Accounting Department
What hard/technical skills are most important for Unit Controllers?
Dr. Douglas Boyle: While it is important to be technically competent in all areas of accounting, you add the most value by being an expert in a few areas. That is why you may consider pursuing additional credentials (as shown above) in areas of interest to you. This enables you to master the technical skills and demonstrate such skills on your resume.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Unit Controllers?
Delvin Grant: Yes. I strongly believe coronavirus will have a lasting impact on new graduates. A increasing paradigm shift is taking place as we speak, as some IT-related jobs can be done remotely. I expect the shift to continue until a steady state condition is achieved, when companies feel they have the right mix of remote and face-to-face employment. Some companies may resist the trend, valuing face-to-face over remote working. Face-to-face satisfies a human need to socialize and, in some cultures, much business is done by face-to-face. There is evidence of a paradigm shift as many IT employees work remotely, due to the pandemic. Some companies have realized the shift is here to stay and others take a wait and see attitude. It is hard not to recognize the shift as there are cost saving from office rent, office space, heating, cooling, computing cost, travel costs, etc. The impact will vary by profession. IT and other professions are a natural fit for remote working while others are not. For example, a chemist working in a lab environment cannot work from home as his lab is the only place to mix and experiment with chemicals and chemistry.
Dr. JP Krahel Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Accounting, Accounting Department ChairLoyola University Maryland
Accounting Department
What technical skills for a Unit Controller stand out to employers?
Dr. JP Krahel Ph.D.: First, Excel. It's the most basic, essential tool for the accounting professional. If you can come in on Day 1 knowing essential keyboard shortcuts, proper formula and reference use, and how to format a spreadsheet properly, you'll have an immediate advantage over your peers.
Second, believe it or not, is writing. People think that accounting is all about numbers, but really, it's less about the math (which Excel does for you) and more about being able to explain the deeper meaning behind the results. Can you explain complex depreciation methods to an audit client? Give bad news to a tax client in an understandable way? These are big deals.
Third is data analytics. Given the immense volume of data now available to firms, someone who can extract, clean, and present that data using modern software tools will have an edge. It's really another form of communication, and one that early-career accounting professionals would do well to familiarize themselves with before entering the workforce.
What general advice would you give to a Unit Controller?
D. Pace Porter: The accounting profession is made up of several disciplines and is inherent in all businesses from small and medium size to large, publicly traded global companies. You should have a solid idea of where you want to begin. Private industry accounting, which industry, general accounting or tax; or public accounting with a CPA firm and audit, tax or advisory services within that type organization? These are some of the questions that you must answer for yourself, as well as for the potential interviewer. You should have the information necessary to help you answer those after completing your degree and taking all of the required accounting courses. I would also advise you to focus on general skills such as written and oral communication, technology (Excel and beyond), attention to detail, time management and above all, professional integrity.
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Unit Controller job market given the pandemic?
D. Pace Porter: I believe the need for accounting and financial expertise will even be greater as a result of the pandemic. First, the increased technical accounting and reporting requirements related to risks disclosures, impairment analysis and so forth, and the tax and compliance requirements as a result of the various Coronavirus relief and stimulus legislation, will prompt an increase in demand whether through in-house personnel or through CPA firms. Trends toward more technologically advanced graduates began before the pandemic but will accelerate as a result of it. More importantly, however, is the need for improving economic and operational efficiencies, and therefore cash flow, for businesses to continue as a going concern throughout this pandemic and position themselves for growth once things return to some sort of normal. Accounting and financial expertise has an increasingly important role to play here.
Janet Tarase
Lead Accounting Faculty / Accounting Department ChairRed Rocks Community College
Accounting Department
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Unit Controller job market given the pandemic?
Janet Tarase: Even though over 7 million people are currently unemployed, employers still need individuals to maintain their operations. Human Resource departments are recruiting individuals through social media platforms. My daughter works in HR recruiting and they only use LinkedIn. Companies are using video or phone interviews to select candidates. Which means that potential candidates have to communicate effectively and make a good first impression quickly.
Employers will be looking for individuals that have proven communication, organizational and time management skills that are able to work independently since telecommuting will be continuing in the future. Applicants will also need to have technological and critical thinking skills to manage the challenges presented while working from home. Because of the pandemic and so many of us having to work from home, companies may broaden their recruiting geography to find the best candidates out of state or in different time zones. Finally, employees need to be flexible and resilient - you never know what the next job requirement will demand.
Kim Tan Ph.D.
Professor, Accounting, ChairCalifornia State University - Stanislaus
Department of Accounting and Finance
What experience really stands out on Unit Controller resumes?
Kim Tan Ph.D.: Membership in student clubs. Leadership position in a student organization. Recipient of scholarship. Some work experience or internship.
Heather Antanavica
Adjunct InstructorBay Path University
Accounting
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Unit Controllers?
Heather Antanavica: The coronavirus will have a lasting impact on all of humanity, and everyone's jobs will be affected in one way or another. New graduates will have to navigate the working world in a very different way, for example; virtual interviewing, increased competition (many people will be re-entering the workforce after being laid-off during the spring of 2020), and being flexible with businesses that are adapting to a new way of operating. If you are not tech-savvy, work on that now. Companies will be looking for prospects with tech skills in industries where it wasn't much of a factor before the pandemic hit. Most importantly, develop a self-care routine that speaks to you. Meditation, yoga, exercise, grounding practices, and a healthy diet are great options for tending to your well-being so that you can get out there and start your new career with a healthy mind, body, and spirit!