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Average Cost Controller Salary in Macao for 2026

A cost controller in Macao earns about 85,880 MOP a year. That's 6% below the national average of 91,320 MOP.

Pay ranges widely from country to country and from role to role. The lowest reported salaries in Macao sit around 39,080 MOP a year, while the very top stretches to 136,100 MOP. Everything on this page is in Macanese pataca (MOP, symbol P), which lets you compare numbers like-for-like without worrying about exchange rates.

The numbers here are pulled together from official government wage data, large independent salary surveys, and aggregated worker-reported pay. Most reported salaries include the benefits that are common in Macao, such as housing or transport allowances, which is worth keeping in mind if you're comparing against a country where those are usually paid on top.


How much does a cost controller make in Macao?

Average salary
85,880 MOP
7,156 MOP per month
Lowest reported
39,080 MOP
3,256 MOP per month
Highest reported
136,100 MOP
11,341 MOP per month

A typical cost controller working in Macao brings home around 7,156 MOP a month before tax. Entry-level pay starts near 39,080 MOP, and the top of the ladder reaches roughly 136,100 MOP for the most experienced and specialised people in the role.

The wide gap between low end and top end reflects how much pay can vary inside the same job title. A junior cost controller working at a small local employer earns very different money from a senior at a multinational. Skills, employer, city and years in the seat all push the number around.


How cost controller pay ranges in Macao

A good way to think about salary in Macao is to look at the distribution rather than the headline average. Half of all cost controllers in Macao earn less than 92,400 MOP a year, and the other half earn more. That middle number is the median, and it is usually more useful than the average for answering "is my pay normal here".

Looking at the quartiles fills in the picture. A quarter of earners take home less than 58,860 MOP (the 25th percentile), and a quarter clear 123,400 MOP (the 75th percentile). The middle 50% of cost controllers sit somewhere inside that band, which is where the typical reader of this page probably lives.

The very lowest reported salaries sit around 39,080 MOP. The highest stretch to 136,100 MOP, though only a small fraction of earners ever reach that level. If you are deciding whether your own offer or current pay is reasonable, work out which of those four bands you would fall into and use that as your reference point.

39,080
Low
92,400
Median
136,100
High
58,860
25th
123,400
75th
The middle 50% sit between the 25th and 75th percentile Tails are the lowest and highest reported All figures in MOP

Cost controller pay by experience in Macao

Years of experience is the single biggest lever on pay for a cost controller in Macao, ahead of education and almost any other single factor. The longer you have been in the role, the more your employer can trust you to handle complexity, mentor others and act independently, all of which command higher pay. The chart below shows how the typical cost controller salary changes as you move through the career ladder.

  • 0-2 Years
    45,560 MOP
  • 2-5 Years
    +28% from previous
    58,520 MOP
  • 5-10 Years
    +48% from previous
    86,420 MOP
  • 10-15 Years
    +23% from previous
    106,500 MOP
  • 15-20 Years
    +9% from previous
    116,180 MOP
  • 20+ Years
    +7% from previous
    124,400 MOP

The single largest jump on the ladder is from 2 - 5 Years to 5 - 10 Years, where pay rises by about 48%. That is the point at which a cost controller typically goes from "competent in the role" to "the person other people in the team learn from", and the market pays well for that step.


Cost controller pay by education in Macao

Education sits alongside experience as one of the biggest factors driving cost controller pay in Macao. Higher qualifications consistently pull higher salaries, but the size of the gap tends to be smallest at junior levels and widens as people move up. Two people in the same role with the same years of experience but different degrees can end up earning very different money once they reach mid-career.

Below is the average cost controller salary in Macao broken down by the highest level of education a worker has completed.

  • High School
    55,220 MOP
  • Certificate or Diploma
    +17% from previous
    64,720 MOP
  • Bachelor's Degree
    +44% from previous
    92,880 MOP
  • Master's Degree
    +29% from previous
    119,900 MOP

Cost controller gender pay gap in Macao

The gender pay gap is a stubborn feature of almost every labour market, and Macao is no exception. Male cost controllers in Macao earn an average of 90,620 MOP a year, while female cost controllers earn around 78,940 MOP. That works out to a 15% gap in favour of men, even when comparing people doing the same work.

A pay gap of this size has a real long-term cost. Over a typical thirty-year career it can add up to several years of pay, and it compounds through pensions, retirement contributions and bonus-linked stock. Some of the gap is explained by women being more likely to work part-time, take career breaks, or be steered toward lower-paying specialisations. Some of it is straightforward unequal pay for the same job, which is harder to defend.

Cost Controller gender pay gap

13%

Men earn this much more than women on average in Macao.

Men 90,620 MOP
Women 78,940 MOP

Pay raises for a cost controller in Macao

Most countries hand out at least some kind of pay raise every year, typically when an employee's contract is reviewed or as a cost-of-living adjustment to keep wages roughly in step with inflation. The rhythm and size of those raises varies hugely between industries.

A typical worker doing this role in Macao sees a raise of about 9% every 27 months, which works out to roughly 4% on an annual basis. That figure is the typical underlying rate; in years where inflation runs high you can usually expect a bit more, and in flat-economy years a bit less.

Across all jobs in Macao, the national average raise is around 5% every 28 months.

By industry

Industries with the highest pay raises in Macao:

  • Banking
  • Energy
  • Information Technology
  • Healthcare
  • Travel
  • Construction
  • Education

By experience level

Experienced workers tend to see larger raises. Retaining a senior is cheaper than replacing them, so employers fight harder for them.

  • Junior Level
    3% - 5%
  • Mid-Career
  • Senior Level
  • Top Management

Cost controller bonus rates in Macao

Bonuses are the other half of total compensation, and they vary a lot between jobs and industries. Some roles are paid almost entirely in base salary; others lean heavily on bonus structures tied to revenue, project completion or company performance. Whether a job pays a bonus, how big it is, and how often it lands all factor into whether the headline salary is actually a good offer.

66%

66% of cost controllers in Macao reported a bonus of some kind in the past twelve months. That makes a cost controller a moderate-bonus role overall, which is useful context when you're weighing up a job offer where the base is below market.

Among those who did receive a bonus, the size of the payment varied substantially. Reported bonuses ranged from 5% to 9% of base salary. The remaining 34% of cost controllers reported no bonus at all over the same period.

Which careers pay bonuses in Macao

Revenue-facing roles tend to pay the biggest bonuses. Operational and support roles tend toward smaller, more predictable ones.

  • Finance
  • Architecture
  • Sales
  • Business Development
  • Marketing / Advertising
  • Information Technology
  • Healthcare
  • Insurance
  • Customer Service
  • Human Resources
  • Construction
  • Transport
  • Hospitality

Cost controller: public vs private sector pay

Public-sector pay in Macao is about 21% more than private-sector pay for similar work. The private sector typically offers stronger upside and bigger bonuses; the public sector typically offers better benefits and stability.

Public vs private pay gap

17%

Public-sector workers earn this much more than private-sector workers in Macao on average.

Public sector 97,460 MOP
Private sector 80,580 MOP


Cost Controller in Macao: FAQs

  • How much does a cost controller make per month in Macao?

    A cost controller in Macao earns about 7,156 MOP a month before tax, based on an annual average of 85,880 MOP.

  • What's the salary range for a cost controller in Macao?

    Entry-level cost controllers in Macao start near 39,080 MOP. Top-end pay reaches around 136,100 MOP. The middle 50% of earners sit between 58,860 and 123,400 MOP.

  • Is the median cost controller salary in Macao higher or lower than the average?

    The median is 92,400 MOP, higher than the average of 85,880 MOP. Half of cost controllers in Macao earn below the median, half earn above it.

  • What's the gender pay gap for cost controllers in Macao?

    Men working as a cost controller in Macao earn around 15% more than women on average (90,620 vs 78,940 MOP a year).

  • Do cost controllers in Macao get bonuses?

    About 66% of cost controllers in Macao reported a bonus in the past 12 months. Reported bonuses ranged from 5% to 9% of base salary.

  • Do cost controllers earn more in the public or private sector in Macao?

    In Macao, the public sector pays a cost controller about 21% more on average. Public-sector pay tends to be steadier; private-sector pay tends to offer bigger upside.

  • How often do cost controllers in Macao get a pay raise?

    A cost controller in Macao sees a raise of around 9% every 27 months, equivalent to roughly 4% a year.