Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
This question is about controller salaries.
What is the difference between a controller and a CFO?
The difference between a controller and a CFO is that a controller is a senior-level executive position with similar duties and responsibilities as the top-level executive CFO (chief financial officer).
The main difference is the level of hierarchy. Controllers often referred to as financial managers, usually report to the CFO and the CFO is only directly under the CEO. The CFO is among the same tier as other executive officers like a chief operating officer (COO) and chief marketing officer (CMO).
However, some companies may combine the positions and have only one position. Then, in this case, a controller would have the same duties as a CFO. They have similar responsibilities like overseeing accounting departments, creating budgets, and financial reports, managing investment decisions, and assessing risk factors.
One other slight difference is that, similar to the CEO who plans long-term and forward-looking strategies overall. The CFO does that kind of larger-picture work for financials. Controllers are usually more focused on the day-to-day financial operations and are responsible for payroll and accounting-related tasks.
Choose from 10+ customizable resume templates
Zippia allows you to choose from different easy-to-use templates, and provides you with expert advice. Using the templates, you can rest assured that the structure and format of your resume is top notch. Choose a template with the colors, fonts & text sizes that are appropriate for your industry.
