Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between accounting managers/controller and accounting consultants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both an accounting manager/controller and an accounting consultant. Additionally, an accounting manager/controller has an average salary of $93,973, which is higher than the $62,830 average annual salary of an accounting consultant.
The top three skills for an accounting manager/controller include reconciliations, CPA and internal controls. The most important skills for an accounting consultant are CPA, GAAP, and reconciliations.
| Accounting Manager/Controller | Accounting Consultant | |
| Yearly salary | $93,973 | $62,830 |
| Hourly rate | $45.18 | $30.21 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 58,292 | 74,894 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
An accounting manager/controller is responsible for spearheading and overseeing the daily operations in a company's accounting department. They monitor the company's budgets, including its costs and expenditures, and produce financial reports. It is also their duty to establish objectives and guidelines, manage accounting staff, monitor financial activities, review and assess financial statements, approve expenditures, and resolve issues promptly and efficiently. Furthermore, as an accounting manager/controller, it is essential to lead and encourage the workforce to reach goals, all while implementing the company's policies and regulations.
An Accounting Consultant is a person tasked to assist the accounting department of a company. The consultant advises businesses concerning the accounting system used by the organization. It is also through the accounting consultant's help that improvements in the accounting process are proposed, the determination of problematic areas in the workflow, possible issues in the future, and everything that needs upgrading. The accounting consultant also helps businesses conform to legal policies set about by State and Federal legislation.
Accounting managers/controller and accounting consultants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Accounting Manager/Controller | Accounting Consultant | |
| Average salary | $93,973 | $62,830 |
| Salary range | Between $66,000 And $133,000 | Between $45,000 And $86,000 |
| Highest paying City | Albany, NY | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | New York | California |
| Best paying company | Amazon | Jordan Company |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between an accounting manager/controller and an accounting consultant in terms of educational background:
| Accounting Manager/Controller | Accounting Consultant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| Most common major | Accounting | Accounting |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between accounting managers/controller' and accounting consultants' demographics:
| Accounting Manager/Controller | Accounting Consultant | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 48.4% Female, 51.6% | Male, 49.3% Female, 50.7% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 8.7% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 11.1% Asian, 12.1% White, 63.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% | Black or African American, 8.5% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 10.8% Asian, 13.4% White, 63.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 7% |