Side-by-side distribution
Controller
$136,701
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 26%
- Live roles
- 1,652
Investment Banking
$170,000
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 68.3%
- Live roles
- 357
Highest-paying jobs
Sr. Engineer, SoC Design Verification Engineer, System Management Controller
Vice President, Controller and Chief Accounting Officer
Corporate Controller
Vice President, Corporate Controller
Managing Director - Accounting Advisory (Operational Accounting/Controller)
Controller
Controller
SVP, Controller
1.2. Controller
Assistant Corporate Controller
Highest-paying jobs
Investment Banker II
Investment Banker I
BlackArch Investment Banker
Vice President, Investment Banker
Investment Banking - Banker - Real Estate - VP - New York
Senior Associate/VP, Global Investment Banking, Project Finance
Investment Banking & Capital Markets – Banker – Financial Institutions Group Vice President
Investment Banking - Banker - Tech - VP - New York or San Francisco
Investment Banking - Banker - Power & Utilities, Renewables - VP - New York
Investment Banking and Capital Markets – Banker – Consumer and Business Services- Vice President
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
|
Crosscountry Consulting
|
$192,250 | 9 |
Air Apps
|
$43,256 | 9 |
| MS Morgan Stanley | $100,000 | 7 |
Amentum
|
$95,503 | 6 |
KLA
|
$185,900 | 5 |
Attivo Partners
|
$180,000 | 5 |
Abbott
|
$170,000 | 5 |
Kraft Heinz
|
$117,200 | 5 |
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| PS Piper Sandler | $171,250 | 24 |
Moelis & Company
|
$200,000 | 19 |
Mizuho Americas
|
$120,000 | 19 |
Houlihan Lokey
|
$187,500 | 18 |
BMO
|
$97,206 | 17 |
MUFG
|
$115,000 | 16 |
| MS Morgan Stanley | $187,500 | 12 |
Guggenheim Securities
|
$175,000 | 12 |
Controller salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco | $196,125 | 16 |
| Denver | $191,875 | 4 |
| Los Angeles | $175,000 | 11 |
| New York | $169,650 | 48 |
| Seattle | $158,421 | 4 |
| Chicago | $156,603 | 13 |
| Austin | $149,000 | 5 |
| Atlanta | $140,000 | 5 |
| Boston | $125,000 | 9 |
| Toronto | $123,448 | 4 |
Investment Banking salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| New York | $175,000 | 138 |
| San Francisco | $175,000 | 18 |
| Boston | $175,000 | 3 |
| Los Angeles | $170,000 | 21 |
| Chicago | $167,500 | 18 |
| Atlanta | $150,000 | 6 |
| Toronto | $88,603 | 12 |
Controller vs Investment Banking: which pays more?
The median for Controller is $136,701 per year (typically $94,066–$182,500), versus $170,000 for Investment Banking ($114,250–$200,000). That puts Investment Banking about 24% ahead at the median.
Both figures are computed live from active listings on JobsRadar and normalized to annualized USD, so Controller and Investment Banking 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.