Average Cost Controller Salary in United States for 2024

In this article, we will look at the average Cost Controller salary for 2024 in United States and how that compares to other countries and professions. We'll also look at interesting salary data points like median salary, 25th and 75th percentile salaries, salary amounts based on experience, bonus ranges and more!

The data in this article has been compiled using official government salary data, salary surveys, and other sources such as job postings which contain salary information.

All salary information is in the local currency, which is the United States dollar. To keep things simple, we are using the USD currency code instead of the currency symbol $.

How Much Does a Cost Controller Make in United States?

A Cost Controller working in United States will typically earn around 87,700 USD per year, and this can range from the lowest average salary of about 46,400 USD to the highest average salary of 130,400 USD.

Average Annual Salary
87,700 USD
Average Monthly Salary
7,308 USD

Lowest Annual Salary
46,400 USD
Lowest Monthly Salary
3,866 USD

Highest Annual Salary
130,400 USD
Highest Monthly Salary
10,866 USD

These are average salaries for a Cost Controller in United States and include benefits such as housing and transport. It's also possible for a Cost Controller to earn more or less than the average salaries shown above.

Cost Controller salaries will vary a lot based on your experience, location, skills, and gender. Keep reading below to research more data on each of these areas.

Distribution of Cost Controller Salaries in United States

So we've looked at the average salaries a Cost Controller will earn in United States. The next interesting data point is the distribution of salaries.

Salary ranges

We already know that a Cost Controller can earn between 46,400 USD and 130,400 USD on average in United States. This is known as the range in statistics.

The difference between the maximum and minimum values is a good indicator of variability in salaries, and can be used by employers to figure out how much they can expect to pay, and for employees to know how much they can earn.

Median salary

The median salary for a Cost Controller in United States is 79,600 USD. This is the middle value in the distribution of salaries.

What this means is that approximately 50% of the population earn less than 79,600 USD, and 50% of the population earn more than 79,600 USD.

If you are earning more than the median salary, that's a good indicator that you are being paid well.

If you're not earning more than the median salary, your objective should be to increase your earnings to be at least as high as the median salary (which you can do by asking for a pay rise, looking for a better paying job, etc).

Percentiles

Percentiles are similar to the median salary, but instead of looking at the middle value, they look at the values in the top and bottom half of the distribution.

For the average Cost Controller salary in United States, 25% of the population are earning less than 57,100 USD while 75% of the population earn more than 57,100 USD.

75% of the population earn less than 99,700 USD, and 25% of the population earn more than 99,700 USD.

Like the median salary, the 25th and 75th percentile salaries can be used to determine which quartile you fall into so that you know whether you are being paid well enough compared to others in your profession and location.

The difference between a median and an average salary

The median and average salary are both indicators you can use to see if you are being paid fairly based on the overall population.

  • If your salary is higher than the average and the median salary, you are earning well compared to others.
  • If your salary is lower than the average and the median salary, it could indicate you are not being paid well enough.
  • If you are somewhere in between then it's tricky to determine if you are being paid well enough and you might need to research more closely.

Cost Controller Salary by Experience Level in United States

The most important factor in determining your salary after the specific profession is the number of years experience you have. It stands to reason that more years of experience will result in a higher wage.

We have researched the average cost controller salary based on years of experience to give you an idea of how the average changes once you've worked for a certain amount of time.

  • 0 - 2 Years Experience. A Cost Controller in United States that has less than two years of experience can expect to earn somewhere in the region of 51,800 USD.
  • 2 - 5 Years Experience. With two to five years of experience the average Cost Controller salary would increase to 63,400 USD.
  • 5 - 10 Years Experience. From five to ten years of experience as a Cost Controller, the average salary would be 92,900 USD.
  • 10 - 15 Years Experience. Once you have more than ten years of experience the average salary reaches around 107,700 USD.
  • 15 - 20 Years Experience. A Cost Controller with 15 to 20 years of experience can earn an average of 117,100 USD.
  • 20+ Years Experience. For a Cost Controller with more than 20 years, the expected average salary increases to 123,800 USD.

Average Salary by Experience Chart

0-2 Years
51,800 USD
2-5 Years +23%
63,400 USD
5-10 Years +42%
92,900 USD
10-15 Years +17%
107,700 USD
15-20 Years +10%
117,100 USD
20+ Years +6%
123,800 USD

Cost Controller Salary by Education Level in United States

As well as experience in a job, your education plays a big role in how much you can earn. A lot of higher paying positions require a high level of education, but how much can a degree increase your salary?

In our research we have compared the salaries of employees in the same job and career level with different levels of education to see how much more you can earn at each education level.

The salary you can earn based on your education is very specific to both your location and the career path you choose.

In our research, we looked at the average salary for a Cost Controller in United States based on the education level of the employees in order to find out whether a better education level would increase your salary.

  • High School. A Cost Controller in United States with a high school education can earn an average salary of 65,500 USD.

  • Certificate or Diploma. A Cost Controller in United States with a certificate or diploma education can earn an average salary of 72,400 USD.

  • Bachelor's Degree. A Cost Controller in United States with a bachelor's degree education can earn an average salary of 93,600 USD.

  • Master's Degree. A Cost Controller in United States with a master's degree education can earn an average salary of 123,800 USD.

Average Salary by Education Chart

High School
65,500 USD
Certificate or Diploma +13%
72,400 USD
Bachelor's Degree +31%
93,600 USD
Master's Degree +32%
123,800 USD

How Much is a Master's Degree or MBA Program?

The approximate cost of a master's degree or post-graduate program like an MBA in United States is around 39,500 to 118,000 USD and takes two years to complete.

As you can see above, there are financial benefits from reaching master's degree level, but don't expect to see much of a salary increase until you have completed the degree.

It's common for people to pursue an MBA or other post-graduate program in order to switch to a a job that pays more. On average, you can expect to earn around 10% more when switching to a new company.

Whether you decide to pursue a master's degree depends on many factors. If you are able to afford it, the numbers suggest that the return on investment is worth it and you could recover the costs in a few years from the salary increase you would receive.

Cost Controller Salary Compared by Gender

In the modern age, we know that there should never be a pay gap between men and women. Unfortunately, in many professions, there is still a significant difference between the salaries earned by men when compared to the salary of women in the same job.

In United States, a male cost controller will earn an average of 88,600 USD, while a female cost controller will earn around 84,800 USD.

This means that a male cost controller earns approximately 4% more than a female cost controller for performing the same job.

Average Salary by Gender Chart in United States

Male
88,600 USD
Female -4%
84,800 USD

Cost Controller Average Pay Raise in United States

In many countries, an annual pay raise is often given to employees to reward their service with a salary increase.

From our research, we can see that the average pay raise for a Cost Controller in United States is around 12% every 15 months.

The national average pay raise across all professions and industries in United States is around 8% every 16 months.

In this case, we can see that the number of months between the average pay raise is higher than the typical 12 months.

To make the data more meaningful, we can calculate what the approximate annual pay raise would be using a simple formula:

Annual Increase = ( Increase Rate ÷ Months ) × 12

So for this example, it would be:

Annual Increase = ( 12 ÷ 15 ) × 12  = 10%

What this means is that a Cost Controller in United States can expect to receive an average pay raise of around 10% every 12 months.

Annual Pay Raise by Industry in United States for 2024

In the chart below, you can see the average annual pay raise percentages for each of the major industries in United States.

You will see that companies in bigger and more lucrative industries tend to have the higher annual pay raises.

Banking
4%
Energy
8%
Information Technology
3%
Healthcare
7%
Travel
2%
Construction
6%
Education
1%

Cost Controller Bonus and Incentive Rates in United States

Another part of your overall compensation in a job is how much bonus you receive. Some job roles will be more likely to pay a bonus than others and also more likely to have higher bonus rates.

Generally speaking, jobs that are more involved with direct revenue generation will receive higher bonuses based on the performance towards revenue goals.

A Cost Controller is a high bonus based job, with 78% of employees reporting at least one bonus in the last 12 months.

22% reported that they had not received any bonuses in the previous 12 months.

For the employees that did receive a bonus in the previous 12 months, the reported bonuses ranged from 6% to 8%.

Received Bonus
78%
No Bonus
22%

What are the Types of Bonus?

There are a number of difference types of bonus you can receive in a job. Including:

  • Individual performance bonus - This is a bonus that is awarded to an individual employee for general performance in the job. It's the most common type of bonus.
  • Company performance bonus - This is a bonus that is awarded to a company employees to share profit with the staff.
  • Goal based bonus - This is a bonus that is awarded to an individual employee (or a team) for achieving specific goals, objectives, or milestones.
  • Holiday bonus - This type of bonus is usually paid around the holidays, often the end of the year, and is a token of appreciation for the hard work throughout the year.

Government vs Private Sector Salaries

Another commonly asked question is whether you get paid a higher salary working in the public (government) sector or the private sector.

Public sector employees in United States earn approximately 6% more than private sector employees in the same role.

Public Sector
98,800 USD
Private Sector -6%
93,100 USD

Salaries for Jobs Similar to a Cost Controller

In the table below, we have salary information for jobs that are similar to a Cost Controller in United States.

Job Title Category Salary
Assistant Business Development Manager Business Planning 132,000 USD
Assistant Merchandise Planner Business Planning 70,500 USD
Business Advisor Business Planning 124,500 USD
Business Analyst Business Planning 123,800 USD
Business Consultant Business Planning 114,900 USD
Business Continuity Associate Business Planning 71,400 USD
Business Developer Business Planning 73,100 USD
Business Development Analyst Business Planning 83,100 USD
Business Development Associate Business Planning 64,300 USD
Business Development Coordinator Business Planning 63,500 USD
Business Development Director Business Planning 168,700 USD
Business Development Engineer Business Planning 98,800 USD
Business Development Executive Business Planning 117,100 USD
Business Development Manager Business Planning 148,300 USD
Business Development Specialist Business Planning 114,900 USD
Business Manager Business Planning 137,100 USD
Business Operations Specialist Business Planning 114,900 USD
Business Process Writer Business Planning 69,400 USD
Business Systems Analyst Business Planning 116,400 USD
Capacity Planner Business Planning 86,600 USD
Capacity Planning Supervisor Business Planning 109,000 USD
Change Communications Analyst Business Planning 105,200 USD
Change Control Analyst Business Planning 109,700 USD
Change Impact Analyst Business Planning 114,900 USD
Contracts Executive Business Planning 114,300 USD
Corporate Strategy Analyst Business Planning 114,300 USD
Cost Control Engineer Business Planning 75,000 USD
Cost Estimator Business Planning 75,000 USD
Data Executive Business Planning 58,800 USD
Data Manager Business Planning 87,800 USD
Data Processing Manager Business Planning 105,800 USD
Development Researcher Business Planning 88,300 USD
Director of Business Development Business Planning 160,600 USD
Director of Production Planning Business Planning 139,100 USD
Due Diligence Analyst Business Planning 127,600 USD
Estimating Manager Business Planning 127,600 USD
General Manager Business Planning 140,700 USD
Incident Handler Business Planning 79,800 USD
Incident Specialist Business Planning 103,600 USD
Lean Consultant Business Planning 91,600 USD
Manager Business Planning 156,200 USD
Marketing and Business Development Manager Business Planning 142,100 USD
Materials Planner Business Planning 54,300 USD
Merchandise Assistant Business Planning 49,200 USD
Merchandise Controller Business Planning 49,300 USD
Merchandise Planner Business Planning 50,500 USD
Operations Analyst Business Planning 112,700 USD
Operations Manager Business Planning 124,500 USD
Operations Research Analyst Business Planning 70,000 USD
Planning and Reporting Manager Business Planning 127,700 USD
Planning Director Business Planning 153,800 USD
Project Administrator Business Planning 71,900 USD
Project Manager Business Planning 125,400 USD
Project Planner Business Planning 76,800 USD
Research Assistant Business Planning 63,900 USD
Research Engineer Business Planning 75,800 USD
Research Officer Business Planning 58,700 USD
Risk Management Specialist Business Planning 108,200 USD
Scholarship Coordinator Business Planning 58,200 USD
Store Planner Business Planning 54,100 USD
Strategy Director Business Planning 161,300 USD
Top Research and Development Executive Business Planning 177,200 USD

Salary Comparison by City

If you want to compare salaries with different cities in United States, you can use the links below to explore the data for each specific city we have researched.

City Average Salary
Atlanta 69,650 USD
Austin 81,800 USD
Baltimore 73,950 USD
Boston 77,550 USD
Bristol 60,800 USD
Chicago 91,700 USD
Cincinnati 66,900 USD
Cleveland 64,350 USD
Dallas 81,850 USD
Denver 78,550 USD
Detroit 75,950 USD
Honolulu 62,500 USD
Houston 86,700 USD
Indianapolis 80,700 USD
Iowa City 62,700 USD
Jacksonville 81,350 USD
Kansas City 71,400 USD
Kent 64,000 USD
Las Vegas 72,650 USD
Long Beach 70,350 USD
Los Angeles 89,700 USD
Memphis 76,200 USD
Miami 69,800 USD
Minneapolis 69,200 USD
New Orleans 69,050 USD
New York 86,400 USD
Oakland 68,500 USD
Oklahoma City 74,200 USD
Orlando 64,450 USD
Philadelphia 86,250 USD
Phoenix 89,250 USD
Sacramento 72,400 USD
San Antonio 88,700 USD
San Diego 85,350 USD
San Francisco 82,500 USD
San Jose 83,200 USD
Seattle 81,000 USD
Tampa 68,400 USD
Vancouver 62,650 USD
Washington D.C. 78,100 USD

Salary Comparison by State

The table below includes links to the average salary for each state in United States.

City Average Salary
Alabama 76,600 USD
Alaska 68,050 USD
Arizona 78,250 USD
Arkansas 75,850 USD
California 83,500 USD
Colorado 76,850 USD
Connecticut 75,150 USD
Delaware 70,700 USD
District of Columbia 68,850 USD
Florida 82,450 USD
Georgia 83,700 USD
Hawaii 69,850 USD
Idaho 70,150 USD
Illinois 82,450 USD
Indiana 79,850 USD
Iowa 75,900 USD
Kansas 72,250 USD
Kentucky 79,500 USD
Louisiana 75,000 USD
Maine 68,850 USD
Maryland 79,000 USD
Massachusetts 76,400 USD
Michigan 82,900 USD
Minnesota 76,900 USD
Mississippi 75,900 USD
Missouri 77,900 USD
Montana 69,500 USD
Nebraska 73,600 USD
Nevada 70,000 USD
New Hampshire 71,350 USD
New Jersey 78,300 USD
New Mexico 74,900 USD
New York 83,500 USD
North Carolina 77,600 USD
North Dakota 68,550 USD
Ohio 79,950 USD
Oklahoma 77,450 USD
Oregon 73,750 USD
Pennsylvania 86,200 USD
Rhode Island 69,300 USD
South Carolina 77,300 USD
South Dakota 69,100 USD
Tennessee 77,800 USD
Texas 85,800 USD
Utah 69,650 USD
Vermont 69,150 USD
Virginia 79,900 USD
Washington 81,100 USD
West Virginia 72,750 USD
Wisconsin 77,000 USD
Wyoming 68,950 USD

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