US · Pricing guide · Outsourced controller
How Much Does an Outsourced Controller Cost?
Short answer
An outsourced controller in the US typically costs $1,500–$4,500 per month in 2026, billed as a fixed monthly retainer. The figure depends on transaction volume, entity count and how much bookkeeping oversight is included. A controller owns the monthly close, GAAP-compliant reporting and the accuracy of the books. BlackpeakCFO's outsourced controller engagements start at $1,995/month, fixed and agreed in writing.
What it costs with BlackpeakCFO
| Engagement | Price | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Outsourced Controller — Core | From $1,995/mo | Monthly close, GAAP-compliant reporting, bookkeeping oversight and a clean monthly reporting package. |
| Outsourced Controller — Plus | $2,995–$3,500/mo | Everything in Core plus tighter month-end controls, accruals, balance-sheet reconciliations and KPI reporting. |
| Outsourced Controller — Multi-entity | $3,500–$4,500/mo | Everything in Plus across multiple entities, with consolidations and inter-company reconciliation. |
| Defined project | Fixed quote | Close-process rebuild, chart-of-accounts redesign or a clean-up before financing — scoped and priced as a one-off. |
All prices fixed and agreed in writing before any work starts. No hourly meter, no surprise invoices. Prices shown in USD, current as of May 2026.
What drives the price
Transaction volume and entity count
The number of monthly transactions and the number of legal entities are the biggest drivers. One entity with clean feeds is a different job from three entities that need consolidating, and the fee reflects that honestly.
Depth of the monthly close
A basic categorized close costs less than a full GAAP close with accruals, prepayments and complete balance-sheet reconciliations. How rigorous the close needs to be sets much of the retained time.
Bookkeeping oversight
If you have a bookkeeper the controller reviews and supervises; if you do not, the controller's engagement covers more of the hands-on work. Either way the split is scoped clearly so you know what is included.
State of your systems
Clean accounting software with reliable feeds lets a controller close fast. If the foundation needs rebuilding first, that is a one-off — quoted separately, never hidden inside the monthly retainer.
What you'd pay elsewhere
A full-time US controller costs $110,000–$160,000 a year all-in once you add payroll taxes, benefits and bonus on top of base salary. That is the right hire for a company with the volume and complexity to keep a controller genuinely busy five days a week — and a heavy fixed cost for one that does not. Recruitment fees add a further 15–25% of first-year salary, and a single in-house controller is also a single point of failure when they take leave or move on. Outsourced accounting firms and controller services generally quote $1,500–$6,000 a month depending on scope, though many staff the close to junior or offshore teams. The case for outsourcing is the same as for any fractional senior role: you buy the expertise and the deliverable, not the full salary.
How we price it
BlackpeakCFO prices outsourced controller work as one fixed monthly fee, scoped to your business and agreed in writing before anything starts — no hourly meter, no surprise invoices. Every engagement is delivered personally by Stuart Wilson, ACMA CGMA: a chartered management accountant and AICPA member with 24 years in finance, whose background is financial control and reporting. There are no junior associates and no offshore team — the person who closes your month is the person who answers your email. You get a reliable monthly close, GAAP-compliant reporting and books you can trust, at a price that does not move with the volume of a given month.
Common questions about how much does an outsourced controller cost?
What does a controller do that a bookkeeper does not?
A bookkeeper records transactions — categorizing them and reconciling the accounts. A controller owns the whole monthly close on top of that: accruals, prepayments, balance-sheet reconciliations, GAAP-compliant reporting and oversight of the bookkeeping itself. The bookkeeper makes sure the entries are recorded; the controller makes sure the financial statements are correct and reliable enough to make decisions from.
What is the difference between a controller and a CFO?
A controller owns accuracy — the monthly close, GAAP reporting and bookkeeping oversight, making sure the numbers are right. A CFO owns what the numbers mean — forecasting, cash strategy, fundraising and the decisions ahead. The controller looks at what happened; the CFO looks at what is coming. Many businesses need a solid controller layer first and add CFO-level work as they grow. BlackpeakCFO offers both and will tell you honestly which one you need.
Is an outsourced controller cheaper than a full-time hire?
Usually, yes. A full-time US controller costs $110,000–$160,000 a year all-in. An outsourced controller from $1,995/month costs roughly $24,000–$54,000 a year — because you are buying a scoped close process and reporting package, not a full salary. For companies that cannot keep a controller busy five days a week, outsourcing delivers the same reliable monthly numbers at a fraction of the fixed cost.
Do I still need a bookkeeper if I have an outsourced controller?
It depends on volume. For a smaller business the controller engagement can cover both the bookkeeping and the close. For a higher-volume business it is often more efficient to have a bookkeeper handle day-to-day data entry while the controller reviews, closes and reports. BlackpeakCFO will scope whichever structure fits your transaction volume and tell you plainly which is the better value.
When should I move from a controller to a fractional CFO?
When the questions stop being "are these numbers right?" and start being "what do these numbers tell us to do?" Once the monthly close is reliable, the next gap is usually forecasting, cash planning, fundraising or board reporting — that is CFO territory. Because BlackpeakCFO offers both as fixed-price engagements, moving up or adding CFO work is a straightforward conversation, not a renegotiation.
Related
Get a fixed price for your business
Send your details in a one-minute form. Stuart reads every one personally and replies within one business day with a written, fixed quote — no phone call required, no obligation.
Get a fixed controller quote →