Accounting director vs assistant director of finance

The differences between accounting directors and assistant directors of finance can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-8 years to become both an accounting director and an assistant director of finance. Additionally, an accounting director has an average salary of $132,126, which is higher than the $71,057 average annual salary of an assistant director of finance.

The top three skills for an accounting director include CPA, GAAP and internal controls. The most important skills for an assistant director of finance are customer service, payroll, and reconciliations.

Accounting director vs assistant director of finance overview

	Accounting Director	Assistant Director Of Finance
Yearly salary	$132,126	$71,057
Hourly rate	$63.52	$34.16
Growth rate	17%	17%
Number of jobs	56,323	98,892
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 76%	Bachelor's Degree, 70%
Average age	46	46
Years of experience	8	8

What does an accounting director do?

An Accounting Director supervises the general accounting and financial reporting functions, as well as financial services within a company or organization. They also ensure that all transactions and financial policies for their organization meet federal regulations and standards.

What does an assistant director of finance do?

An assistant director of finance is responsible for overseeing the financial activities of a company, ensuring accuracy and smooth workflow. They are also in charge of implementing company policies and regulations, creating new ones as needed while coordinating with the director. Moreover, an assistant director of finance may perform audits and risk assessments, allocate budgets and schedules, coordinate with different departments to gather necessary data, and create new strategies to optimize the workflow and the performance of the workforce.

Accounting director vs assistant director of finance salary

Accounting directors and assistant directors of finance have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Accounting Director	Assistant Director Of Finance
Average salary	$132,126	$71,057
Salary range	Between $89,000 And $193,000	Between $46,000 And $109,000
Highest paying City	Cambridge, MA	Oakland, CA
Highest paying state	Massachusetts	New York
Best paying company	Yuma Regional Medical Center	UCI Health
Best paying industry	Technology	Utilities

Differences between accounting director and assistant director of finance education

There are a few differences between an accounting director and an assistant director of finance in terms of educational background:

	Accounting Director	Assistant Director Of Finance
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 76%	Bachelor's Degree, 70%
Most common major	Accounting	Business
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Accounting director vs assistant director of finance demographics

Here are the differences between accounting directors' and assistant directors of finance' demographics:

	Accounting Director	Assistant Director Of Finance
Average age	46	46
Gender ratio	Male, 52.0% Female, 48.0%	Male, 46.7% Female, 53.3%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 7.7% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 14.7% Asian, 8.6% White, 64.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%	Black or African American, 7.8% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 15.1% Asian, 8.9% White, 63.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage	11%	11%

Differences between accounting director and assistant director of finance duties and responsibilities

Accounting director example responsibilities.

Manage and coordinate ACH preparation, positive pay and execution activities.
Manage and review annual preparation of work papers for CPA firm to coordinate federal returns and state franchise returns.
Manage daily receipts, payment reversals, adjustments, ACH and wire payments, and other accounts receivable activity.
Lead finance team in major ERP implementation project in the areas of inventory, accounts payable, and general ledger.
Lead the effort to establish accounting policy, streamline operating procedures and implement Sarbanes-Oxley compliance processes.
Manage foundation accounting and establish internal accounting controls and accounting procedures to ensure contributions are accounted for in accordance with GAAP.

Assistant director of finance example responsibilities.

Manage FSEOG & FWS programs in the campus.
Lead team of individuals responsible for completion of verification, R2T4, and student file audits.
Manage a majority of payroll ensuring that there are accurate accruals and necessary deductions.
Manage financial reporting in support of CEO/CFO/President with oversight for data integrity and consistency of reporting across enterprise.
Complete state and federal reporting which pertain to financial aid such as IPEDS, FISAP, and HLC reports.
Prepare journal entries, prepare reconciliations, produce financial productivity reports, and liaise with business managers as lead accounting point-of-contact.

Accounting director vs assistant director of finance skills

Common accounting director skills

CPA, 10%
GAAP, 9%
Internal Controls, 7%
Reconciliations, 5%
External Auditors, 5%
Payroll, 5%

Common assistant director of finance skills

Customer Service, 9%
Payroll, 8%
Reconciliations, 5%
Financial Analysis, 5%
Financial Data, 4%
Cash Control, 4%

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Accounting Director vs Assistant Director Of Finance

Updated January 8, 2025

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