Controller, also known as comptroller, is a state-level position in 20 states. Most controllers and comptrollers share duties similar to state treasurers, exercising varying powers related to budgetary and management matters.
HIGHLIGHTS
The controller is popularly elected in 11 states and appointed in nine. Seven of those states are an appointment by the governor. The controller is appointed by the state legislature in Tennessee, by the state finance director in Alabama, and by the executive director of the Department of Personnel and Administration in Colorado.
In 2023, controller salaries ranged from $94,760 in Indiana to $222,252 in Tennessee.
The controller is popularly elected in 11 states and appointed in nine. Seven of those states are an appointment by the governor. The controller is appointed by the state Legislature in Tennessee, by the state finance director in Alabama, and by the executive director of the Department of Personnel and Administration in Colorado.
Of the 20 controllers currently in office, nine are officially nonpartisan. Of the 11 controllers to have a partisan affiliation, 6 are Democrats and 5 are Republicans.
According to compensation figures for 2023 compiled by the Council of State Governments in the Book of the States, the highest salary for a controller was $222,252 in Tennessee, while the lowest was $94,760 in Indiana. To view the compensation of a specific controller, hover your mouse cursor over the state.
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