How much does a full-time financial controller cost in Los Angeles, CA?

Experienced controllers in the Los Angeles, CA market commonly command $150,000+ in salary before benefits, payroll taxes, and recruiting. Fully loaded cost is higher. That is why growing small businesses use a fractional model.

Is fractional always cheaper?

It is cheaper than a full-time hire when you do not need five days of capacity. It is more expensive than a bookkeeper because the work is different: close, analysis, and forecast — not transaction coding.

Cluster article · Los Angeles, CA · August 9, 2026

How Much a Financial Controller Costs in Los Angeles, CA

A full-time experienced financial controller in Los Angeles, CA commonly costs $150,000 or more in salary, plus benefits and employer burden. A fractional controller is that skill on a part-time cadence for small businesses that do not need a five-day finance seat.

By Rafael Gutierrez Jr., Founder & Financial Controller

Direct answer: In Los Angeles, CA, budget $150,000+ salary for a full-time experienced controller, then add burden. Fractional controller work costs a fraction of that because the close and the forecast do not require a 40-hour internal seat at every small business.

Salary surveys move. Treat the $150k figure as the planning number owners actually hear in this city, then confirm with a recruiter if you are hiring in-house.

What you are buying either way

Not data entry. The monthly package, the variance story, the 13-week cash model, and someone who will say no to a hire the forecast cannot support.

Fractional controller pillar. Service page.

Questions this page answers

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