Side-by-side distribution
CFO
$200,000
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 27.2%
- Live roles
- 570
Controller
$135,100
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 25.3%
- Live roles
- 1,613
Highest-paying jobs
Chief Financial Officer
Vice President & Chief Financial Officer
Chief Financial Officer
VP Digital & Technology Solutions Partner - Finance, Accounting & Oracle ERP
Chief Financial Officer
Chief Financial Officer
Chief Financial Officer
Vice Dean, Finance & Administration and Chief Financial Officer
Managing Director, CFO Accounting Advisory
Managing Director - CFO Accounting Advisory
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 |
|---|---|---|
Cherry Bekaert
|
$74,000 | 19 |
| BT Baker Tilly | $268,348 | 8 |
The Symicor Group
|
$185,000 | 6 |
Bank of America
|
$135,175 | 6 |
Fortitude Re
|
$206,250 | 4 |
Hold Brothers
|
$195,000 | 3 |
Ankura
|
$142,500 | 3 |
Truist
|
$125,000 | 3 |
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 |
CFO salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco | $300,000 | 13 |
| Denver | $225,000 | 5 |
| Los Angeles | $185,673 | 10 |
| New York | $160,000 | 33 |
| Austin | $155,775 | 8 |
| Boston | $149,375 | 5 |
| Chicago | $138,950 | 25 |
| Seattle | $138,075 | 3 |
| Atlanta | $138,075 | 11 |
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 |
CFO vs Controller: which pays more?
The median for CFO is $200,000 per year (typically $137,788–$267,875), versus $135,100 for Controller ($92,163–$184,000). That puts CFO about 48% 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.