Side-by-side distribution
Controller
$162,500
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 32.3%
- Live roles
- 589
Trader
$175,000
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 23%
- Live roles
- 304
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
Senior Director, Controller
Highest-paying jobs
Campus Full Time 2027 - Quantitative Trader
Summer Intern 2027 - Quantitative Trader
US Equity Index Options Trader
Securitized Products Sales - Trader
Campus Quantitative Trader (Intern)
Senior Quantitative Trader - Delta One
Quantitative Trader - Futures
Equity Index Voice Trader
Options Trader - Asia Hours
Systematic Index Options Trader
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 |
|---|---|---|
Optiver
|
$200,000 | 7 |
|
IMC
|
$250,000 | 5 |
| DR DRW | $200,000 | 4 |
Gelber Group
|
$96,000 | 4 |
Wintermute Trading
|
$225,000 | 3 |
Valkyrietrading
|
$155,000 | 3 |
DV Trading
|
$140,000 | 3 |
|
Five Rings LLC - Careers
|
$300,000 | 2 |
Controller salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco | $200,000 | 15 |
| Denver | $195,000 | 3 |
| New York | $188,750 | 26 |
| Los Angeles | $163,500 | 10 |
| Seattle | $159,995 | 3 |
| Chicago | $150,000 | 9 |
| London | $117,011 | 3 |
Controller vs Trader: which pays more?
The median for Controller is $162,500 per year (typically $125,000–$200,000), versus $175,000 for Trader ($132,500–$200,000). That puts Trader about 8% ahead at the median.
Both figures are computed live from active listings on JobsRadar and normalized to annualized USD, so Controller and Trader 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.