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Assistant controller vs finance controller

The differences between assistant controllers 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 assistant controller and a finance controller. Additionally, a finance controller has an average salary of $105,869, which is higher than the $91,447 average annual salary of an assistant controller.

The top three skills for an assistant controller include reconciliations, CPA and GAAP. The most important skills for a finance controller are CPA, payroll, and financial controller.

Assistant controller vs finance controller overview

Assistant ControllerFinance Controller
Yearly salary$91,447$105,869
Hourly rate$43.96$50.90
Growth rate17%17%
Number of jobs58,64397,342
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 76%Bachelor's Degree, 70%
Average age4646
Years of experience88

What does an assistant controller do?

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.

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.

Assistant controller vs finance controller salary

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

Assistant ControllerFinance Controller
Average salary$91,447$105,869
Salary rangeBetween $63,000 And $132,000Between $71,000 And $156,000
Highest paying CityStamford, CTYonkers, NY
Highest paying stateConnecticutNew York
Best paying companyCloudflareSage Memorial Hospital
Best paying industryFinanceTechnology

Differences between assistant controller and finance controller education

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

Assistant ControllerFinance Controller
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 76%Bachelor's Degree, 70%
Most common majorAccountingAccounting
Most common collegeUniversity of PennsylvaniaUniversity of Pennsylvania

Assistant controller vs finance controller demographics

Here are the differences between assistant controllers' and finance controllers' demographics:

Assistant ControllerFinance Controller
Average age4646
Gender ratioMale, 49.8% Female, 50.2%Male, 61.5% Female, 38.5%
Race ratioBlack 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, 7.6% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 14.5% Asian, 10.2% White, 63.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage11%11%

Differences between assistant controller and finance controller duties and responsibilities

Assistant controller example responsibilities.

  • Lead divisional capital management through ROI analysis on new products and other capital investments to maximize returns.
  • Facilitate the implementation of ERP system, which increase productivity in efficiently and effectively manage the functionality of the organization.
  • Initiate ongoing departmental projects to automate daily tasks which include the calculations for income distributions and the daily income account reconciliation.
  • Maintain timely and accurate general ledger account reconciliations, oversee treasury management, and handle fixed asset tracking and reporting.
  • Direct balance sheet and inter-company reconciliations according to GAAP and ensure compliance across accounting, payroll, and inventory management systems.
  • Oversee corporate financial internal controls including a complete re-write of all standard operating procedure documentation and supporting annual SOX audit work.
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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.
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Assistant controller vs finance controller skills

Common assistant controller skills
  • Reconciliations, 9%
  • CPA, 8%
  • GAAP, 7%
  • Internal Controls, 5%
  • Payroll Processing, 5%
  • External Auditors, 5%
Common finance controller skills
  • CPA, 7%
  • Payroll, 7%
  • Financial Controller, 7%
  • GAAP, 5%
  • General Ledger, 5%
  • Internal Controls, 5%

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