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The differences between accounting managers 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 manager and a finance controller. Additionally, a finance controller has an average salary of $105,869, which is higher than the $84,451 average annual salary of an accounting manager.
The top three skills for an accounting manager include reconciliations, CPA and GAAP. The most important skills for a finance controller are CPA, payroll, and financial controller.
| Accounting Manager | Finance Controller | |
| Yearly salary | $84,451 | $105,869 |
| Hourly rate | $40.60 | $50.90 |
| Growth rate | 17% | 17% |
| Number of jobs | 92,089 | 97,342 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Years of experience | 8 | 8 |
An accounting manager is responsible for supervising and monitoring the overall accounting department operations. Duties of an accounting manager include reviewing account information and account statements, processing invoices, analyzing financial data, performing account reconciliations, assisting with tax processing and audit reports, and generating financial reports for presentation with the board. An accounting manager must have excellent knowledge of the accounting principles and legislation to assist the team with the company's financial goals. Accounting managers must have the outstanding analytical, critical thinking, and decision-making skills to develop the best competitive financial strategies.
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 managers and finance controllers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Accounting Manager | Finance Controller | |
| Average salary | $84,451 | $105,869 |
| Salary range | Between $60,000 And $117,000 | Between $71,000 And $156,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Yonkers, NY |
| Highest paying state | Vermont | New York |
| Best paying company | Morgan Lewis | Sage Memorial Hospital |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Technology |
There are a few differences between an accounting manager and a finance controller in terms of educational background:
| Accounting Manager | Finance Controller | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Most common major | Accounting | Accounting |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between accounting managers' and finance controllers' demographics:
| Accounting Manager | Finance Controller | |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 40.4% Female, 59.6% | Male, 61.5% Female, 38.5% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 7.7% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 14.8% Asian, 10.0% White, 63.2% 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% |