Accounting director vs finance controller

The differences between accounting directors and finance controllers 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 a finance controller. Additionally, an accounting director has an average salary of $132,126, which is higher than the $105,869 average annual salary of a finance controller.

The top three skills for an accounting director include CPA, GAAP and internal controls. The most important skills for a finance controller are CPA, payroll, and financial controller.

Accounting director vs finance controller overview

	Accounting Director	Finance Controller
Yearly salary	$132,126	$105,869
Hourly rate	$63.52	$50.90
Growth rate	17%	17%
Number of jobs	56,323	97,342
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 a finance controller do?

A financial controller is primarily in charge of the daily finance activities and accounting functions of a company. Their responsibilities typically revolve around preparing and organizing financial reports, analyzing data and looking out for any discrepancies or inconsistencies, and overseeing the company's overall revenues and expenditures. A financial controller must also maintain documentation, participate in risk assessment and budgeting activities, and develop strategies for profit growth. Furthermore, one must coordinate with other department staff to ensure accuracy, all while implementing the company's policies and regulations.

Accounting director vs finance controller salary

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

	Accounting Director	Finance Controller
Average salary	$132,126	$105,869
Salary range	Between $89,000 And $193,000	Between $71,000 And $156,000
Highest paying City	Cambridge, MA	Yonkers, NY
Highest paying state	Massachusetts	New York
Best paying company	Yuma Regional Medical Center	Sage Memorial Hospital
Best paying industry	Technology	Technology

Differences between accounting director and finance controller education

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

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

Accounting director vs finance controller demographics

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

	Accounting Director	Finance Controller
Average age	46	46
Gender ratio	Male, 52.0% Female, 48.0%	Male, 61.5% Female, 38.5%
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, 7.6% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 14.5% Asian, 10.2% White, 63.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage	11%	11%

Differences between accounting director and finance controller 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.

Finance controller example responsibilities.

Lead the implementation of a fully integrate ERP system resulting in increase financial integrity.
Supervise a staff of seven in the areas of A/P, A/R, G/L, financial reporting and payroll.
Coordinate annual financial audit with external CPA firm and implement internal controls to satisfy recommendations from auditors.
Develop and implement procedures with internal controls for all financial and operational processes to ensure GAAP compliance.
Prepare all accounts for the month-end closing process and additionally gather information for daily/monthly reconciliations and journal entries.
Work with outside CPA on year-end tax planning; ensure the timely filing and payment of corporate taxes.

Accounting director vs finance controller skills

Common accounting director skills

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

Common finance controller skills

CPA, 7%
Payroll, 7%
Financial Controller, 7%
GAAP, 5%
General Ledger, 5%
Internal Controls, 5%

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Accounting Director
Accounting Director vs Finance Controller

Updated January 8, 2025

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