Side-by-side distribution
Controller
$162,500
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 32.3%
- Live roles
- 589
Tax Specialist
$144,600
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 36.9%
- Live roles
- 480
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
Highest-paying jobs
Senior Tax Manager, International
Senior Tax Manager, International
Product Manager | Tax
Senior Manager, Tax - Provisions
Senior Tax Manager, Trust
Senior Tax Manager , Trust
Manager, Indirect Tax
Lead/Principal Product Manager, Tax Agents
Senior Tax Manager
Senior Manager, Tax Technology
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 |
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
Ascend Partner Firms
|
$165,500 | 25 |
Remote
|
$68,563 | 8 |
| AX Axon | $203,814 | 5 |
SpaceX
|
$165,000 | 5 |
| MA Mercer Advisors | $125,500 | 5 |
Cynch AI
|
$161,250 | 4 |
| TW Twitch | $110,525 | 4 |
Oscar Health
|
$100,500 | 4 |
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 |
Controller vs Tax Specialist: which pays more?
The median for Controller is $162,500 per year (typically $125,000–$200,000), versus $144,600 for Tax Specialist ($115,750–$170,000). That puts Controller about 12% ahead at the median.
Both figures are computed live from active listings on JobsRadar and normalized to annualized USD, so Controller and Tax Specialist 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.