Side-by-side distribution
Accountant
$97,500
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 34.1%
- Live roles
- 1,449
Controller
$175,000
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 30.8%
- Live roles
- 610
Highest-paying jobs
Nonprofit Accountant & Financial Analyst
Staff Accountant
Senior Accountant
Senior Accountant
Senior Accountant
Management Accountant
SEC Accountant
Financial Reporting Accountant
Senior Revenue Accountant
Accountant (TV)
Highest-paying jobs
Revenue & Accounting Operations Controller
Corporate Controller
Controller
Controller
Partner 36, Corporate Controller
Assistant Controller
Controller
Assistant Controller
Corporate Controller
Controller
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
Oscar Health
|
$100,500 | 14 |
| AX Axon | $144,300 | 13 |
Remote Raven
|
$20,800 | 11 |
Consigli Construction
|
$82,000 | 7 |
Cloud Accountant Staffing
|
$24,600 | 7 |
HireHawk
|
$19,200 | 7 |
| LP Lincoln Property Company through LinkedIn | $130,000 | 6 |
Metropolis
|
$82,500 | 6 |
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
Air Apps
|
$43,650 | 9 |
Crosscountry Consulting
|
$152,000 | 7 |
Attivo Partners
|
$182,500 | 5 |
|
Metropolis
|
$180,000 | 3 |
The Symicor Group
|
$125,000 | 3 |
Cheer Home Care
|
$124,800 | 3 |
|
a16z
|
$305,000 | 2 |
LangChain
|
$212,500 | 2 |
Accountant salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco | $119,500 | 36 |
| Seattle | $116,983 | 6 |
| Austin | $110,750 | 6 |
| Los Angeles | $105,000 | 15 |
| Chicago | $103,750 | 38 |
| New York | $102,656 | 86 |
| Atlanta | $100,656 | 6 |
| Denver | $96,750 | 11 |
| Boston | $96,525 | 13 |
| Toronto | $90,500 | 8 |
Controller salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco | $212,500 | 15 |
| New York | $192,250 | 27 |
| Los Angeles | $177,500 | 13 |
| Seattle | $160,000 | 3 |
| Chicago | $157,500 | 8 |
| Austin | $156,250 | 4 |
| London | $122,469 | 4 |
| Toronto | $98,166 | 8 |
Accountant vs Controller: which pays more?
The median for Accountant is $97,500 per year (typically $76,000–$114,000), versus $175,000 for Controller ($130,625–$209,688). That puts Controller about 79% ahead at the median.
Both figures are computed live from active listings on JobsRadar and normalized to annualized USD, so Accountant 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.