How to hire an assistant controller

How to hire an assistant controller, step by step

Here's a step-by-step assistant controller hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write an assistant controller job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new assistant controller
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does an assistant controller do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the assistant controller you need to hire. Certain assistant controller roles might require a full-time employee, whereas others can be done by part-time workers or contractors.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   An assistant controller's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, assistant controllers from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   This list shows salaries for various types of assistant controllers.

   Type of Assistant Controller	Description	Hourly rate
   Assistant Controller	Financial managers are responsible for the financial health of an organization. They produce financial reports, direct investment activities, and develop strategies and plans for the long-term financial goals of their organization.	$30-63
   Manager Finance Planning And Analysis	A manager finance planning and analysis oversees the daily operations of a company's financial planning department. They typically have administrative duties such as setting goals and guidelines, establishing timelines and budgets, delegating tasks among teams and staff, and reviewing financial reports regularly... Show more	$36-71
   Manager/Finance Accounting	A manager of finance accounting's role is to oversee the financial activities in a company or organization. Their responsibilities revolve around coordinating with other departments to gather financial data, analyze the revenues and expenditures, and develop written reports and presentations... Show more	$31-61

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Reconciliations
   • CPA
   • GAAP
   • Internal Controls
   • Payroll Processing
   • External Auditors
   • General Ledger Accounts
   • Fixed Assets
   • Financial Data
   • Balance Sheet Accounts
   • Account Reconciliations
   • Close Process
   • Financial Analysis
   • Strong Analytical

   Check all skills

   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.

   More assistant controller duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in the assistant controller job description is a good way to get more applicants. An assistant controller salary can be affected by several factors, such as the location of the job, the level of experience, education, certifications, and the employer's prestige.

   For example, the average salary for an assistant controller in Oklahoma may be lower than in Connecticut, and an entry-level engineer typically earns less than a senior-level assistant controller. Additionally, an assistant controller with lots of experience in the field may command a higher salary as a result.

   Average assistant controller salary

   $91,447yearly

   $43.96 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level assistant controller salary

   $63,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 15, 2025

   Average assistant controller salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Connecticut	$113,441	$55
   2	California	$111,689	$54
   3	Massachusetts	$109,308	$53
   4	New York	$108,561	$52
   5	District of Columbia	$108,159	$52
   6	Maryland	$96,979	$47
   7	Nevada	$94,174	$45
   8	Virginia	$93,609	$45
   9	New Jersey	$93,561	$45
   10	Pennsylvania	$91,153	$44
   11	Washington	$89,667	$43
   12	North Carolina	$86,999	$42
   13	Oregon	$85,468	$41
   14	Illinois	$85,250	$41
   15	Texas	$84,993	$41
   16	Arizona	$82,271	$40
   17	Georgia	$79,454	$38
   18	Ohio	$79,281	$38
   19	Florida	$79,196	$38
   20	New Mexico	$75,833	$36

   Average assistant controller salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Cloudflare	$133,550	$64.21	2
   2	Natera	$130,747	$62.86	1
   3	Riverbed Holdings, Inc.	$129,480	$62.25
   4	Firstservice Residential California, Inc.	$128,367	$61.71
   5	Neuberger Berman	$125,847	$60.50	11
   6	Clarion Partners	$119,357	$57.38
   7	Cargill	$117,884	$56.67
   8	Deluxe Entertainment Services Group Inc.	$111,011	$53.37
   9	Stockbridge Capital Group	$110,471	$53.11
   10	First Reserve	$109,782	$52.78
   11	Sherpa	$108,751	$52.28	14
   12	Nabors Drilling USA, LP	$108,525	$52.18
   13	Kayne Anderson Capital Advisors	$108,367	$52.10
   14	Oracle	$107,049	$51.47	93
   15	Ziff Davis	$106,887	$51.39	2
   16	Monster Products	$106,851	$51.37	4
   17	BioMed Realty	$106,047	$50.98
   18	National Grid plc	$104,491	$50.24
   19	RGP	$103,752	$49.88	15
   20	QC HOLDINGS	$103,698	$49.85

4. Writing an assistant controller job description

   A good assistant controller job description should include a few things:

   • Summary of the role
   • List of responsibilities
   • Required skills and experience

   Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of an assistant controller job description:

   Assistant controller job description example

   Assistant Controller-BLD - 2205938 Description D.R. Horton, Inc., the largest homebuilder in the U.S., was founded in 1978 and is a publicly traded company on the New York Stock Exchange. It is engaged in the construction and sale of high quality homes designed principally for the entry-level and first time move-up markets. The Company also provides mortgage financing and title services for homebuyers through its mortgage and title subsidiaries. Please visit our website at www.drhorton.com for more information.
   
   D.R. Horton, Inc. is currently looking for an Assistant Controller for their Accounting Department. The right candidate will assist in managing all aspects of the division's historical reporting, anticipatory budgeting and financial projections, under the direction of the Division Controller/CFO. Acts as the conscience of the division which involves fiduciary responsibilities, business process improvement and challenging the thinking/decisions of the entire management team.
   Essential Duties and Responsibilities
   
   Has the fiduciary responsibility of enforcing the operating procedures and policies established by D.R. Horton.
   
   Must report financial results in conformity with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) together with financial and accounting policies established by D.R. Horton. All reporting will be due at the times and in the format required by Corporate.
   
   Must fully understand all aspects of the computerized accounting system deployed in the operating divisions, and utilize the system to its full capabilities.
   
   Is responsible for maintaining accurate budgets in the company's computerized accounting systems, ensuring that all budgets reflect out contractual or estimated contractual liabilities at all times.
   
   Will support the division controller as requested in the preparation and reliability of all financial projections required by D.R. Horton's corporate management.
   
   The responsibility for all banking activities, as delegated by the division controller, rest with the assistant controller and must be executed in accordance with company policies and procedures.
   
   Supervisory Responsibilities
   Directly supervises 1 or more employees in the Accounting Department. Carries out supervisory responsibilities in accordance with the organization's policies and applicable laws. Responsibilities include interviewing, hiring, and training employees; planning, assigning, and directing work; appraising performance; rewarding and disciplining employees; addressing complaints and resolving problems.
   
   Qualifications Education and/or Experience
   Bachelor's degree (B. A.) from four-year college or university; or 5 to 7 years related experience and/or training; or equivalent combination of education and experience.
   
   Come join a winning team with a Fortune 500 company! We are growing fast and are looking for enthusiastic attitudes and team players to join our success. We offer an excellent benefits package including vision, medical and dental. Build YOUR future with D.R. Horton, America's Builder. #WeBuildPeople2
   
   Come follow our newest Open Jobs on Twitter and like us on Facebook and Instagram!
   
   Job: Accounting Primary Location: North Carolina-Wilmington Organization: Home Builder Schedule: Full-time Job Posting: Sep 29, 2022, 5:00:00 AM

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right assistant controller for your business:

   • Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your assistant controller job on Zippia to find and recruit assistant controller candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with assistant controller candidates should focus on their interest in the role and background experience. As the hiring process goes on, you can learn more about how they'd fit into the company culture in later rounds of interviews.

   You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new assistant controller

   Once you've decided on a perfect assistant controller candidate, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, it should include benefits and perks available to the employee. Qualified candidates may be considered for other positions, so make sure your offer is competitive. Candidates may wish to negotiate. Once you've settled on the details, formalize your agreement with a contract.

   It's also good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new assistant controller. Human Resources and the hiring manager should complete Employee Action Forms. Human Resources should also ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc., and that new employee files are created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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How much does it cost to hire an assistant controller?