Salary guide, May 2025

Corporate Controller pay, United States

Manufacturing Headhunters uses the published BLS OEWS figures below. They describe the mapped occupation and area, not an individual offer.

This is what we do all day: recruit manufacturing professionals.

The median annual wage for Financial Managers in the United States was $166,570 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of workers earned between $125,490 and $219,980.

Broader occupation · SOC 11-3031 Financial Managers

BLS measures this broader occupation across industries. It does not publish a separate wage for this manufacturing title.

Financial Managers in U.S.: median $166,570; published 25th to 75th percentile $125,490 to $219,980.

Annual wage percentiles, U.S.
10th	25th	Median	75th	90th
$94,310	$125,490	$166,570	$219,980	$323,270

Financial Managers in U.S.: median $80.08; published 25th to 75th percentile $60.33 to $105.76.

Hourly wage percentiles, U.S.
10th	25th	Median	75th	90th
$45.34	$60.33	$80.08	$105.76	$155.42

BLS estimated 841,710 workers employed in this occupation in the United States.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. SOC 11-3031 Financial Managers, U.S.. Official occupation data · Official area tables. Released 2026-05-15.

How does pay compare in the target metros?

Corporate Controller pay in target metros (May 2025)
Metro	Median	25th to 75th	Employment	Location quotient
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL	$164,230	$120,570 to $221,590	14,540	0.95
Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL	$157,480	$111,910 to $204,450	8,500	1.08
Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL	$140,850	$102,700 to $202,280	6,190	0.81
Raleigh-Cary, NC	$163,130	$131,060 to $216,200	3,690	0.92
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ	$221,010	$170,860 to $327,970	89,960	1.75
Northern New Jersey within New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ	$221,010	$170,860 to $327,970	89,960	1.75
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX	$169,200	$132,320 to $218,170	26,600	1.21
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN	$168,810	$131,120 to $220,150	41,590	1.7

Rank every metro for Corporate Controller

What should you know about pay by manufacturing industry, United States?

Same BLS occupation, national estimates for each manufacturing industry (NAICS) BLS publishes, May 2025. Industry names are BLS labels.

Audio and Video Equipment Manufacturing$210,870
Tobacco Manufacturing$209,700
Cut and Sew Apparel Manufacturing$196,090
Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing$194,670
Semiconductor and Other Electronic Component Manufacturing$192,480
Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing$189,140
Apparel Manufacturing$183,720
Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing$183,020
Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing$179,660
Computer and Peripheral Equipment Manufacturing$178,560
Medical Equipment and Supplies Manufacturing$177,390
Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing$177,390
Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing$177,390
Other Electrical Equipment and Component Manufacturing$176,090
Manufacturing and Reproducing Magnetic and Optical Media$175,350

Bars show up to 15 industries with exact annual medians. The table lists every published industry.

Corporate Controller (SOC 11-3031) by manufacturing industry, national, May 2025
NAICS	Industry	Employment	25th	Median	75th
31-33	Manufacturing	46,980	$130,010	$164,400	$211,550
334000	Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing	6,860	$153,490	$189,140	$237,860
333000	Machinery Manufacturing	5,490	$126,810	$160,760	$203,330
336000	Transportation Equipment Manufacturing	5,350	$131,410	$165,420	$207,950
325000	Chemical Manufacturing	5,240	$137,780	$171,540	$219,160
332000	Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing	4,630	$122,310	$152,770	$194,730
3330A1	Machinery Manufacturing (3331, 3332, 3334, and 3339 only)	3,860	$125,610	$160,200	$201,060
311000	Food Manufacturing	3,720	$128,920	$162,360	$210,140
339000	Miscellaneous Manufacturing	2,970	$132,440	$170,090	$222,020
334500	Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing	2,910	$158,980	$194,670	$233,320
325400	Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing	2,560	$148,160	$183,020	$227,140
336400	Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing	2,340	$149,970	$179,660	$219,250
326000	Plastics and Rubber Products Manufacturing	2,300	$124,420	$154,610	$194,760
335000	Electrical Equipment, Appliance, and Component Manufacturing	2,140	$133,220	$167,780	$209,990
3320A1	Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (3321, 3322, 3325, 3326, and 3329 only)	2,080	$126,780	$159,540	$202,900
334400	Semiconductor and Other Electronic Component Manufacturing	1,990	$162,950	$192,480	$253,860
326100	Plastics Product Manufacturing	1,910	$124,810	$155,000	$198,430
339100	Medical Equipment and Supplies Manufacturing	1,850	$142,680	$177,390	$236,350
3250A1	Chemical Manufacturing (3251, 3252, 3253, and 3259 only)	1,740	$133,810	$166,490	$211,930
336300	Motor Vehicle Parts Manufacturing	1,730	$121,030	$139,780	$174,520
3320A2	Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (3323 and 3324 only)	1,510	$117,830	$145,650	$187,170
322000	Paper Manufacturing	1,340	$131,230	$158,600	$183,890
331000	Primary Metal Manufacturing	1,320	$122,220	$153,650	$197,660
339900	Other Miscellaneous Manufacturing	1,120	$120,520	$155,390	$200,970
312000	Beverage and Tobacco Product Manufacturing	1,080	$99,990	$134,010	$180,350
322200	Converted Paper Product Manufacturing	1,050	$129,900	$158,740	$188,340
312100	Beverage Manufacturing	1,020	$99,990	$132,030	$173,510
323000	Printing and Related Support Activities	1,020	$116,240	$145,320	$191,740
323100	Printing and Related Support Activities	1,020	$116,240	$145,320	$191,740
334100	Computer and Peripheral Equipment Manufacturing	940	$141,140	$178,560	$248,040
3250A2	Chemical Manufacturing (3255 and 3256 only)	930	$128,660	$163,920	$207,830
335900	Other Electrical Equipment and Component Manufacturing	900	$140,110	$176,090	$226,590
327000	Nonmetallic Mineral Product Manufacturing	870	$124,610	$145,630	$170,170
327000	Nonmetallic Mineral Product Manufacturing	870	$124,610	$145,630	$170,170
332700	Machine Shops; Turned Product; and Screw, Nut, and Bolt Manufacturing	870	$117,770	$150,800	$186,050
335300	Electrical Equipment Manufacturing	850	$127,350	$161,700	$195,460
337000	Furniture and Related Product Manufacturing	800	$116,720	$142,790	$189,820
311900	Other Food Manufacturing	790	$136,440	$170,190	$219,920
333300	Commercial and Service Industry Machinery Manufacturing	730	$130,600	$165,700	$214,130
3370A1	Furniture and Related Product Manufacturing (3371 and 3372 only)	680	$115,410	$144,730	$194,860
321000	Wood Product Manufacturing	670	$106,930	$139,850	$178,510
334200	Communications Equipment Manufacturing	650	$137,880	$170,260	$225,150
311400	Fruit and Vegetable Preserving and Specialty Food Manufacturing	550	$127,470	$162,640	$210,950
332710	Machine Shops	530	$114,350	$149,980	$185,220
311800	Bakeries and Tortilla Manufacturing	520	$129,890	$160,770	$209,270
311600	Animal Slaughtering and Processing	490	$118,430	$143,930	$204,990
333500	Metalworking Machinery Manufacturing	480	$116,580	$151,080	$175,500
324000	Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing	460	$139,360	$177,390	$240,310
324100	Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing	460	$139,360	$177,390	$240,310
311500	Dairy Product Manufacturing	420	$129,270	$163,840	$201,740
333600	Engine, Turbine, and Power Transmission Equipment Manufacturing	410	$135,470	$166,910	$217,200
336100	Motor Vehicle Manufacturing	400	$131,410	$164,000	$206,490
321900	Other Wood Product Manufacturing	390	$105,470	$148,040	$187,620
326200	Rubber Product Manufacturing	390	$119,620	$145,670	$179,760
331100	Iron and Steel Mills and Ferroalloy Manufacturing	340	$110,040	$142,990	$208,470
332720	Turned Product and Screw, Nut, and Bolt Manufacturing	340	$121,720	$151,260	$189,370
336600	Ship and Boat Building	340	$130,780	$162,400	$207,240
311200	Grain and Oilseed Milling	320	$130,540	$160,830	$205,910
336200	Motor Vehicle Body and Trailer Manufacturing	320	$126,250	$147,410	$182,690
311300	Sugar and Confectionery Product Manufacturing	300	$134,100	$166,030	$207,000
331500	Foundries	300	$118,300	$148,660	$172,780
315000	Apparel Manufacturing	280	$134,550	$183,720	$269,990
322100	Pulp, Paper, and Paperboard Mills	280	$136,690	$158,460	$177,550
315200	Cut and Sew Apparel Manufacturing	260	$140,700	$196,090	$270,000
311100	Animal Food Manufacturing	250	$123,940	$163,950	$224,400
335100	Electric Lighting Equipment Manufacturing	250	$140,850	$174,990	$270,140
331400	Nonferrous Metal (except Aluminum) Production and Processing	240	$122,150	$155,210	$193,410
313000	Textile Mills	230	$126,820	$155,490	$217,170
331300	Alumina and Aluminum Production and Processing	230	$131,560	$158,340	$200,140
334300	Audio and Video Equipment Manufacturing	220	$166,740	$210,870	$245,860
331200	Steel Product Manufacturing from Purchased Steel	200	$126,360	$166,810	$229,850
332800	Coating, Engraving, Heat Treating, and Allied Activities	170	$116,990	$149,990	$182,700
314000	Textile Product Mills	160	$107,720	$146,060	$185,190
321100	Sawmills and Wood Preservation	150	$104,330	$144,960	$180,450
334600	Manufacturing and Reproducing Magnetic and Optical Media	150	$152,200	$175,350	$223,060
313200	Fabric Mills	140	$125,520	$155,450	$215,830
335200	Household Appliance Manufacturing	140	$127,530	$161,720	$176,120
336900	Other Transportation Equipment Manufacturing	140	$131,130	$169,200	$207,390
321200	Veneer, Plywood, and Engineered Wood Product Manufacturing	130	$109,830	$131,020	$155,890
337900	Other Furniture Related Product Manufacturing	120	$120,630	$139,990	$173,540
314900	Other Textile Product Mills	100	$107,220	$148,460	$185,110
311700	Seafood Product Preparation and Packaging	80	$100,000	$153,630	$196,860
313300	Textile and Fabric Finishing and Fabric Coating Mills	80	$128,330	$165,720	$209,760
336500	Railroad Rolling Stock Manufacturing	80	$136,760	$164,800	$183,710
316000	Leather and Allied Product Manufacturing	70	$104,580	$130,970	$165,720
312200	Tobacco Manufacturing	60	$168,150	$209,700	$253,960
314100	Textile Furnishings Mills	60	$107,800	$136,880	$195,430
339910	Jewelry and Silverware Manufacturing	50	$92,440	$156,040	$181,990

What should you know about manufacturing pay mix?

For Corporate Controller, separate the guaranteed salary from any discretionary bonus or commission arrangement. OEWS includes base rate, guaranteed pay and production incentive pay. It excludes overtime premium, shift differentials and nonproduction bonuses. An attendance bonus is not a production bonus; confirm its purpose and treatment rather than adding every bonus to the BLS figure.

Skills-based pay steps affect the base rate when they are part of straight-time pay; BLS does not publish a separate rate for each plant's skill grade. Ask whether a tool allowance is expense reimbursement or wage pay. OEWS does not publish a separate tool-allowance component. Keep these items separate in the offer so the published wage is not mistaken for the whole package.

Pay mix here means how published medians for this one BLS occupation differ across manufacturing industries and against the all-industry median. It does not split pay into base, incentive or overtime. BLS wages are straight-time gross pay and exclude overtime, shift differentials and nonproduction bonuses.

What should you know about two BLS releases?

Corporate Controller in the United States, annual wages, May 2024 and May 2025
Release period	25th	Median	75th
May 2024	$118,360	$161,700	$214,210
May 2025	$125,490	$166,570	$219,980

These are two separate BLS estimates from different survey panels. The workers and employers behind them differ, so the gap is not like-for-like pay for the same workers and is not a growth rate. We show no percentage change.

Recruiter's read. Qualitative, not BLS data.

What should you know about systems and ERP experience?

We confirm which ERP they have run, whether they supported a migration, and how they managed master data and chart of accounts across sites. Candidates who consolidated multiple ERPs have learned things others have not, and we ask exactly what broke and how it was fixed.

What should you know about questions?

Wages for the OEWS survey are straight-time, gross pay, exclusive of premium pay. Base rate; cost-of-living allowances; guaranteed pay; hazardous-duty pay; incentive pay, including commissions and production bonuses; and tips are included. Excluded are overtime pay, severance pay, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses, employer cost for supplementary benefits, and tuition reimbursements.

What is the median pay for a Corporate Controller?

The median annual wage for Financial Managers in the United States was $166,570 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of workers earned between $125,490 and $219,980. This is the broader occupation BLS publishes, not a figure for this exact title.

What does the 10th percentile mean here?

10% of workers in this occupation and area earned less than $94,310. 90% earned less than $323,270.

Does this include overtime or bonuses?

Is this the pay for a Corporate Controller at a plant?

BLS measures this broader occupation across industries. It does not publish a separate wage for this manufacturing title. These are occupation estimates across all industries, not an offer for a particular manufacturing title.

How many people work in this occupation?

BLS estimated 841,710 workers employed in this occupation in the United States.

What should you know about related?

Underlying BLS figures for this role (JSON)

Reading this wage estimate

What does this data mean for your opening?

Manufacturing Headhunters reviews the compensation profile for the Corporate Controller role, which is captured within the Financial Managers SOC. The May 2025 national median salary is $166,570, reflecting a medianChange of $4,870 since May 2024. The middleBandWidth of $94,490 indicates substantial salary variance across the sector.

This variance suggests that controllers oversee widely differing complexities in reporting, from single-plant environments to multi-site operations.

Specific manufacturing industries reveal potential salary premiums. Audio and Video Equipment Manufacturing reports a median of $210,870, while Tobacco Manufacturing lists $209,700. Cut and Sew Apparel Manufacturing reports $196,090. These sector medians show that financial leadership in highly specialized sectors often commands higher compensation than the overall average. BLS data excludes supplemental components like signing bonuses, performance incentives, and non-cash equity compensation that often make up the bulk of a Corporate Controller's offer.

Regional data indicates high occupational demand in major hubs. The New York-Newark-Jersey City area shows a median of $221,010 with a location quotient of 1.75. The Chicago-Naperville-Elgin area shows $168,810 with a 1.7 location quotient. These figures represent the broader financial manager classification. The location quotients indicate that these areas are significant hubs for the occupation, but the salary differences reflect the broad mix of roles within the category, not just controllers.

The Corporate Controller handles multi-plant consolidation, audit management, and the establishment of costing policies. Because the BLS groups all financial managers together, hiring managers should avoid assuming these medians reflect the high-level operational responsibilities of a senior controller. Compensation should be calibrated based on the complexity of the manufacturing setup rather than these broad, aggregate industry rows.

Which pay questions should you settle before hiring?

Does the middle band width suggest that controllers in different industries vary greatly in pay?

Yes, the $94,490 middle band width shows a large variance, indicating that controllers are compensated differently based on the scale and complexity of the operations they lead. These figures represent the aggregate for all financial managers, not just controllers.

Are the listed median salaries for New York and Chicago accurate for a senior controller?

These figures are benchmarks for all financial managers and likely fall below the actual compensation of a high-level Corporate Controller. They provide a base reference for general financial leadership in those markets.

Why is the location quotient for the New York area so high?

A location quotient of 1.75 indicates a high concentration of financial managers in the New York workforce compared to the national average. It confirms the area is a major financial hub but does not reflect local Controller-specific wages.