Side-by-side distribution
Accountant
$85,693
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 27.7%
- Live roles
- 3,536
Controller
$135,100
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 25.3%
- Live roles
- 1,613
Highest-paying jobs
Corporate / Controllership Accountant
Senior Accountant Expert
Managed Services - Private Asr - Senior Accountant
Senior Accountant
Senior Accountant
Lead Tax Accountant, Tax Audit & Compliance
Senior Forward Deployed Accountant
Senior Forward Deployed Accountant
Senior Technical Accountant
Sr. Accountant, AI Operations
Highest-paying jobs
Field Service Controller
Corporate Controller
Corporate Controller
Managing Director - Accounting Advisory (Operational Accounting/Controller)
Controller
VP, Controller
Controller
VP, Controller
Vice President, Corporate Controller
Managed Services - Private Asr - Controller
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
BDO Canada
|
$79,000 | 26 |
Supporting Strategies
|
$70,200 | 14 |
U.S. Bank
|
$72,520 | 12 |
Hunt St
|
$24,005 | 11 |
Cushman & Wakefield
|
$56,888 | 10 |
Anduril Industries
|
$114,500 | 9 |
CoreWeave
|
$114,000 | 9 |
Colliers International
|
$66,401 | 9 |
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
CACI
|
$119,300 | 10 |
Air Apps
|
$41,929 | 10 |
Towne Park
|
$33,280 | 7 |
|
Crosscountry Consulting
|
$192,250 | 6 |
| MS Morgan Stanley | $125,000 | 6 |
Attivo Partners
|
$171,600 | 5 |
| MT M&T Bank | $99,500 | 5 |
NAV CANADA
|
$154,425 | 4 |
Accountant salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco | $120,500 | 43 |
| Seattle | $103,222 | 6 |
| New York | $101,875 | 84 |
| Austin | $101,750 | 3 |
| Los Angeles | $93,744 | 22 |
| Boston | $92,079 | 19 |
| Chicago | $91,088 | 48 |
| Denver | $90,900 | 25 |
| London | $79,000 | 3 |
| Toronto | $70,616 | 25 |
Controller salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| Austin | $241,250 | 4 |
| San Francisco | $211,875 | 12 |
| Los Angeles | $186,250 | 12 |
| Denver | $180,800 | 6 |
| Boston | $171,250 | 6 |
| New York | $169,650 | 42 |
| Chicago | $150,801 | 8 |
| Seattle | $140,923 | 4 |
| Atlanta | $130,000 | 3 |
| Toronto | $92,472 | 5 |
Accountant vs Controller: which pays more?
The median for Accountant is $85,693 per year (typically $70,000–$104,647), versus $135,100 for Controller ($92,163–$184,000). That puts Controller about 58% ahead at the median.
Both figures are computed live from active listings on JobsRadar and normalized to annualized USD, so Accountant and Controller are compared on equal terms regardless of the currency each role was originally posted in. Only roles that publish a salary range feed the medians; numbers refresh every few hours as new roles post and older ones close, so this comparison reflects the market right now rather than a fixed survey. Use it as a directional benchmark when weighing one path against the other.