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The differences between assistant controllers and finance analysts can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 6-8 years to become an assistant controller, becoming a finance analyst takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, an assistant controller has an average salary of $91,447, which is higher than the $69,887 average annual salary of a finance analyst.
The top three skills for an assistant controller include reconciliations, CPA and GAAP. The most important skills for a finance analyst are financial analysis, financial models, and financial data.
| Assistant Controller | Finance Analyst | |
| Yearly salary | $91,447 | $69,887 |
| Hourly rate | $43.96 | $33.60 |
| Growth rate | 17% | 9% |
| Number of jobs | 58,643 | 138,600 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 76% | Bachelor's Degree, 76% |
| Average age | 46 | 40 |
| Years of experience | 8 | 4 |
An assistant controller is an individual who supports and reports to the corporate controller about all the organization's accounting-related activities such as managerial accounting and financial activities. Assistant controllers are instrumental in maintaining the accountability of the organization's financial resources and protecting the assets of its investors. They delegate data entry tasks with junior accounting staff and coordinate financial audits with the vice president and chief financial officer (CFO). The minimum educational attainment of an assistant controller is to obtain a bachelor's degree in finance or accounting related field.
A finance analyst is responsible for evaluating a company's financial data and historical reports to assess investment opportunities and provide accurate financial statements in support of business strategies and company performance prediction. A financial analyst's duties also include suggesting recommendations to boost operations efficiency and grow revenues, researching the current market performance and economic trends to adjust budget goals as needed, and managing client portfolios. Finance analysts must have excellent critical and analytical thinking skills to identify the best actions for the company's profitability.
Assistant controllers and finance analysts have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Assistant Controller | Finance Analyst | |
| Average salary | $91,447 | $69,887 |
| Salary range | Between $63,000 And $132,000 | Between $46,000 And $104,000 |
| Highest paying City | Stamford, CT | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Connecticut | Connecticut |
| Best paying company | Cloudflare | The Citadel |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Finance |
There are a few differences between an assistant controller and a finance analyst in terms of educational background:
| Assistant Controller | Finance Analyst | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 76% | Bachelor's Degree, 76% |
| Most common major | Accounting | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between assistant controllers' and finance analysts' demographics:
| Assistant Controller | Finance Analyst | |
| Average age | 46 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 49.8% Female, 50.2% | Male, 56.2% Female, 43.8% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 7.7% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 14.8% Asian, 9.1% White, 64.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% | Black or African American, 5.6% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 7.7% Asian, 14.1% White, 68.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 7% |