Side-by-side distribution
CFO
$215,000
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 19.1%
- Live roles
- 350
Controller
$162,500
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 32.3%
- Live roles
- 589
Highest-paying jobs
1.1. Chief Financial Officer
Chief Financial Officer
Chief Financial Officer
Chief Financial Officer
CFO, Prism Media LLC
Chief Financial Officer
Chief Financial Officer
Chief Financial Officer
VP, Finance
Chief Financial Officer
Highest-paying jobs
Sr. Engineer, SoC Design Verification Engineer, System Management Controller
Corporate Controller
Managing Director - Accounting Advisory (Operational Accounting/Controller)
Controller
SVP, Controller
1.2. Controller
Corporate Controller
Senior Director of Revenue / Revenue Controller
Assistant Controller
Director, Corporate Controller
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
CFO Insights
|
$190,145 | 8 |
The Symicor Group
|
$185,000 | 6 |
Hold Brothers
|
$195,000 | 3 |
Anders
|
$96,000 | 3 |
The Brydon Group
|
$262,500 | 2 |
Black White Zebra
|
$105,680 | 2 |
The Pod Group
|
$81,233 | 2 |
|
Phoenix Tailings
|
$737,500 | 1 |
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
|
Crosscountry Consulting
|
$192,250 | 9 |
Air Apps
|
$43,256 | 9 |
Attivo Partners
|
$180,000 | 5 |
Weekday AI
|
$150,000 | 3 |
|
The Symicor Group
|
$125,000 | 3 |
Cheer Home Care
|
$124,800 | 3 |
|
Standard Bots
|
$267,500 | 2 |
|
ChargePoint
|
$250,500 | 2 |
CFO salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco | $300,000 | 7 |
| New York | $270,000 | 11 |
| Los Angeles | $215,000 | 4 |
| London | $190,145 | 8 |
| Chicago | $115,000 | 3 |
Controller salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco | $200,000 | 15 |
| Denver | $195,000 | 3 |
| New York | $188,750 | 28 |
| Los Angeles | $175,000 | 9 |
| Chicago | $150,000 | 9 |
| London | $117,011 | 3 |
CFO vs Controller: which pays more?
The median for CFO is $215,000 per year (typically $171,250–$267,500), versus $162,500 for Controller ($125,000–$200,000). That puts CFO about 32% ahead at the median.
Both figures are computed live from active listings on JobsRadar and normalized to annualized USD, so CFO 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.