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The differences between assistant controllers and finance directors 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 director. Additionally, a finance director has an average salary of $118,518, 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 director are CPA, financial analysis, and payroll.
| Assistant Controller | Finance Director | |
| Yearly salary | $91,447 | $118,518 |
| Hourly rate | $43.96 | $56.98 |
| Growth rate | 17% | 17% |
| Number of jobs | 58,643 | 90,012 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 76% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Years of experience | 8 | 8 |
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 director's role is to oversee all financial activities and aspects of a company or organization. One of their duties is to gather necessary financial data and cultivate reports on essential matters such as revenue and budget, provide risk assessments and estimates, implement vital policies, and allocate funds within the company. Furthermore, a finance director must also devise strategies and recommend innovative methods for financial gains, while in adherence to the organization's policies and regulations.
Assistant controllers and finance directors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Assistant Controller | Finance Director | |
| Average salary | $91,447 | $118,518 |
| Salary range | Between $63,000 And $132,000 | Between $76,000 And $183,000 |
| Highest paying City | Stamford, CT | Palo Alto, CA |
| Highest paying state | Connecticut | California |
| Best paying company | Cloudflare | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between an assistant controller and a finance director in terms of educational background:
| Assistant Controller | Finance Director | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 76% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Most common major | Accounting | Accounting |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between assistant controllers' and finance directors' demographics:
| Assistant Controller | Finance Director | |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 49.8% Female, 50.2% | Male, 65.1% Female, 34.9% |
| 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, 7.6% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 14.5% Asian, 9.4% White, 64.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |