Side-by-side distribution
Controller
$135,900
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 25.4%
- Live roles
- 1,643
Investment Banking
$175,000
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 67.2%
- Live roles
- 344
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
Highest-paying jobs
Investment Banker II
Investment Banking Associate
Investment Banker I
Investment Banking - Banker - Industrials - Associate / Vice President - New York
Investment Banking - Banker - Tech - VP - New York or San Francisco
Investment Banking: Financial Institutions Group (FIG) - Debt Capital Markets Associate-Vice President
Senior Associate/VP, Global Investment Banking, Project Finance
Investment Banking - Banker - Power & Utilities, Renewables - VP - New York
Investment Banking - Banker - REGAL, Sports - Vice President - New York
Sr Investment Banking Associate - Healthcare
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 |
Reachdesk Ltd
|
$185,000 | 5 |
Attivo Partners
|
$171,600 | 5 |
| MT M&T Bank | $99,500 | 5 |
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
Mizuho Americas
|
$120,000 | 26 |
Piper Sandler
|
$175,000 | 23 |
Guggenheim Securities
|
$175,000 | 21 |
Houlihan Lokey
|
$181,250 | 16 |
Moelis & Company
|
$200,000 | 15 |
MUFG
|
$145,000 | 13 |
| RJ Raymond James | $118,750 | 12 |
BMO
|
$103,603 | 12 |
Controller salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| Austin | $300,000 | 3 |
| San Francisco | $211,875 | 14 |
| Los Angeles | $186,250 | 12 |
| New York | $175,000 | 49 |
| Boston | $172,500 | 7 |
| Denver | $166,600 | 7 |
| Chicago | $156,603 | 10 |
| Seattle | $149,579 | 6 |
| Atlanta | $140,000 | 5 |
| Toronto | $92,472 | 5 |
Investment Banking salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| Atlanta | $200,000 | 4 |
| New York | $177,500 | 134 |
| San Francisco | $175,000 | 18 |
| Los Angeles | $170,000 | 22 |
| Chicago | $160,000 | 18 |
| Denver | $122,500 | 4 |
| Toronto | $105,000 | 9 |
Controller vs Investment Banking: which pays more?
The median for Controller is $135,900 per year (typically $95,400–$184,000), versus $175,000 for Investment Banking ($120,000–$200,000). That puts Investment Banking about 29% 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.