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Finance Careers in Montreal, Canada

Controller in Montreal: Salary & Job Market Guide

Montreal is a global centre for AI research, aerospace, and gaming, offering a lower cost of living than Toronto or Vancouver and a large bilingual talent pool.

Estimated mid-level salary: $63,000 - $85,000

Estimates shown in Canadian dollar equivalents for comparison across cities. Local offers in Montreal are typically made in CAD.

The Montreal Job Market for Controllers

  • World-class AI research anchored by Mila and Yoshua Bengio's lab
  • Aerospace giants including Bombardier, CAE, and Pratt & Whitney Canada
  • One of the world's largest video game development clusters (Ubisoft, EA)
  • Bilingual roles often command a salary premium

Top hiring industries in Montreal: AI & Tech, Aerospace, Gaming, Pharma, Finance. For a controller, that means tailoring your resume to the sectors doing the most local hiring, and using the exact skill keywords those employers screen for.

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About the Controller Role

Controllers own a company's accounting function: the close, financial statements, controls, and the team that produces them. It is the most common destination for CPAs in industry and the standard stepping stone to CFO.

Skills Montreal employers look for

  • Financial reporting leadership
  • Internal controls
  • Team management
  • ERP ownership
  • Audit management
  • Cash flow management
  • Process improvement

For the full career path, salary bands by seniority, and complete FAQs, see the main Controller career guide.

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Controller in Montreal: FAQs

How much does a Controller make in Montreal?
A mid-level Controller in Montreal typically earns between $63,000 and $85,000 per year (shown in Canadian dollar equivalents for comparison; local offers are usually made in CAD). Senior professionals and leads earn meaningfully more, and pay varies with company size and specialization.
What is the job market like for a Controller in Montreal?
Montreal is a global centre for AI research, aerospace, and gaming, offering a lower cost of living than Toronto or Vancouver and a large bilingual talent pool. Key strengths of the local market include: world-class ai research anchored by mila and yoshua bengio's lab; aerospace giants including bombardier, cae, and pratt & whitney canada. The strongest hiring sectors are AI & Tech, Aerospace, Gaming.
What is the difference between a controller and a CFO?
The controller runs accounting: accurate books, clean audits, strong controls. The CFO runs finance strategy: capital raising, investor relations, planning, and often IT and legal. Controllers who add FP&A exposure, treasury, and board-level communication skills position themselves for the CFO seat.
How many years of experience does it take to become a controller?
Typically eight to twelve years: several in public accounting or staff roles, then accounting manager and assistant controller stops. Smaller companies promote faster; a startup controller at year six is common, while large public-company controllerships usually require deeper SOX and reporting experience.

Controller Jobs in Other Cities

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