How Much Does a Financial Controller Make in 2025?
The main responsibilities of financial controllers are leading and directing an organization's accounting functions. They establish and manage the organization's overall accounting systems, procedures, and policies.
Moreover, a financial controller's role is to direct all analysis and reporting of financial information, such as budgets, balance sheets, income statements, planning, and required filings and reports. They present findings and recommendations to management.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the career employment for financial managers is estimated to increase by 17% from 2023 to 2033, with a projected 75,100 job openings every year over the decade.
Below is an overview of the salary for financial controllers, including pay ranges, averages, and factors that affect their pay.
What is the Average Financial Controller Salary?
As of August 18, 2025, the average base salary of financial controllers in the United States is $253,000 per year and $122 per hour, with rates ranging from $103 to $152.
2025 Financial Controller Average Salary: $253,000 per year ($122 per hour)
Meanwhile, the average monthly and weekly salaries for financial controllers are $21,083 and $4,865, respectively.
What is the Pay Range for a Financial Controller?
According to Salary.com's report, the salary range for financial controllers starts at $214,027 and can reach as high as $315,281 per year, with most earning between $232,600 and $285,600. The salary range is affected by factors like education level, years of experience, and geographic location.
Financial Controller Salary Range: $214,027 to $315,281 per year ($103 to $152 per hour)
| Percentile | By Hour | By Week | By Month | By Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th Percentile | $103 | $4,116 | $17,836 | $214,027 |
| 25th Percentile | $112 | $4,473 | $19,383 | $232,600 |
| 50th Percentile (Median) | $122 | $4,865 | $21,083 | $253,000 |
| 75th Percentile | $137 | $5,492 | $23,800 | $285,600 |
| 90th Percentile | $152 | $6,063 | $26,273 | $315,281 |
Financial Controller Salary Factors
Experience level, place of work, and skills needed are important factors that can affect the salary for financial controllers. Here are the effects of these factors:
Years of Experience
The earnings of financial controllers increase as the experience level advances. An entry-level financial controller earns $243,866. A senior financial controller gets paid $247,824, while an expert level with over 8 years of experience gets paid $257,866 on average.
| Levels | Years of Experience | Average Salary per year |
|---|---|---|
| Entry Level Financial Controller | <1 | $243,866 |
| Intermediate Level Financial Controller | 1-2 | $245,388 |
| Senior Level Financial Controller | 2-4 | $247,824 |
| Specialist Level Financial Controller | 5-8 | $250,869 |
| Expert Level Financial Controller | 8+ | $257,866 |
Place of Work
According to BLS, financial managers, like financial controllers, working in professional, scientific, and technical services earn up to 27% more than those working in government in 2024.
| Place of Work | Median Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| Professional, scientific, and technical services | $171,580 |
| Management of companies and enterprises | $169,340 |
| Finance and insurance | $164,940 |
| Manufacturing | $160,660 |
| Government | $134,790 |
Skill Set
Financial controllers with more acquired skills get higher pay. Data from Salary.com's Real-time Job Posting Salary Data Report suggests that international financial reporting standards (IFRS) skills can give the highest pay increase of 8.52%, followed by finance and accounting software products skills with 7.70%.
Some important skills with higher salary increase also include Sarbanes-Oxley compliance, external reporting, management reporting, and tax compliance.
| Skill | Demand | Salary Increase |
|---|---|---|
| International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) | 10.70% | +8.52% |
| Finance and Accounting Software Products | 10.70% | +7.70% |
| Sarbanes-Oxley Compliance | 10.40% | +6.98% |
| External Reporting | 10.60% | +6.53% |
| Management Reporting | 10.80% | +6.37% |
| Tax Compliance | 10.30% | +6.27% |
Financial Controller Salary by City and State
The salary of financial controllers varies in individual cities and states of the US. This is because geographic location affects pay through the local economy, cost of living, and industry presence.
Highest Paying States for Financial Controller
Based on Salary.com's salary data, the District of Columbia offers the highest median annual wage for financial controllers in the United States, at $280,100 per year.
- District of Columbia: $280,100 (or $135 per hour)
- California: $279,000 (or $134 per hour)
- Massachusetts: $275,300 (or $132 per hour)
- Washington: $274,300 (or $132 per hour)
- New Jersey: $274,200 (or $132 per hour)
Financial Controller Salary by State
| State | Average Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| Alaska | $273,800 |
| Alabama | $232,400 |
| Arkansas | $228,500 |
| Arizona | $246,500 |
| California | $279,000 |
| Colorado | $258,100 |
| Connecticut | $270,400 |
| District of Columbia | $280,100 |
| Delaware | $256,200 |
| Florida | $239,400 |
| Georgia | $244,000 |
| Hawaii | $264,400 |
| Iowa | $242,100 |
| Idaho | $236,200 |
| Illinois | $257,900 |
| Indiana | $242,800 |
| Kansas | $240,900 |
| Kentucky | $238,100 |
| Louisiana | $240,500 |
| Massachusetts | $275,300 |
| Maryland | $260,800 |
| Maine | $246,700 |
| Michigan | $249,100 |
| Minnesota | $258,900 |
| Missouri | $240,400 |
| Mississippi | $225,600 |
| Montana | $238,800 |
| North Carolina | $240,400 |
| North Dakota | $249,900 |
| Nebraska | $238,300 |
| New Hampshire | $255,700 |
| New Jersey | $274,200 |
| New Mexico | $234,300 |
| Nevada | $250,400 |
| New York | $268,900 |
| Ohio | $246,300 |
| Oklahoma | $233,900 |
| Oregon | $256,900 |
| Pennsylvania | $251,800 |
| Rhode Island | $262,300 |
| South Carolina | $237,000 |
| South Dakota | $229,900 |
| Tennessee | $236,400 |
| Texas | $246,800 |
| Utah | $242,300 |
| Virginia | $254,700 |
| Vermont | $248,300 |
| Washington | $274,300 |
| Wisconsin | $248,900 |
| West Virginia | $227,800 |
| Wyoming | $242,600 |
Highest Paying Cities for Financial Controller
Salary.com also reported that the city of San Jose, California is the highest-paying city for financial controllers with $319,100 per year or $153 per hour.
- San Jose, California: $319,100 (or $153 per hour)
- San Francisco, California: $315,900 (or $152 per hour)
- Oakland, California: $308,900 (or $149 per hour)
- New York, New York: $293,200 (or $141 per hour)
- Queens Village, New York: $291,300 (or $140 per hour)
Ways to Increase Your Salary as a Financial Controller
To get employed as a financial controller, it usually requires a bachelor's degree in fields related to business and economics and 5 years or more of experience in a business and financial occupation, such as an accountant, financial analyst, or securities sales agent.
Learn the significant ways a financial controller can continue to raise their pay here:
- Building skills and work experience: Some in-demand skills that can help increase a financial controller salary include management reporting, external reporting, and account reconciliation. Meanwhile, seasoned financial controllers may advance to the chief financial officer position, boosting their earnings.
- Getting certification: Having professional certification as a financial controller is an advantage when you want to increase your earning potential and differentiate yourself from other employees. The Association of Government Accountants offers the Certified Government Financial Manager designation, while the Association for Financial Professionals confers the Certified Treasury Professional credential.
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Exploring top industries: For financial managers, like financial controllers, these are some of the highest-paying industries you must enter, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports:
- Securities, Commodity Contracts, and Other Financial Investments and Related Activities: $249,260
- Motion Picture and Video Industries: $243,310
- Pipeline Transportation of Natural Gas: $233,230
- Other Investment Pools and Funds: $233,050
- Water, Sewage, and Other Systems: $232,660
Average National Salaries by Source
As of August 18, 2025, the following are the reported salaries for financial controllers from five top salary-reporting sites, averaging $144,606.20 (unweighted) across these sources.
SALARY.COM AVG. SALARY
$253,000/ year
INDEED.COM AVG. SALARY
$108,574/ year
GLASSDOOR AVG. SALARY
$166,199/ year
COMPARABLY AVG. SALARY
$84,115/ year
ZIPRECRUITER AVG. SALARY
$111,143/ year
