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What is a chief finance and operating officer and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
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A chief finance and operating officer is the senior executive that does the job of a chief finance officer, who is in charge of a company's financial health, and the chief operating officer, who is in charge of a company's administrative processes. The chief finance and operating officer helps develop plans to improve a company's financial outlook and supervises different departments as they implement those plans. They take charge of financial processes such as portfolio management and administrative procedures such as ensuring compliance with government regulations. A chief finance and operating officer usually supervises several departments, from accounting to marketing. They're also in charge of developing financial reports to communicate with shareholders.

As senior C-suite executives, chief finance and operating officers earn a generous salary of $174,672 a year. However, they put in many years of hard work before they can reach this position.

Most chief finance and operating officers have a master's degree in business or a related field, although many do just fine with only a bachelor's degree. They also spend years developing professional experience in the financial sector, for example by working as finance officers or controllers.

ScoreChief Finance And Operating OfficerUS Average
Salary
9.3

Avg. Salary $166,139

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level
7.8

Growth rate 17%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity
3.4
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.34%

Asian 8.48%

Black or African American 8.06%

Hispanic or Latino 14.92%

Unknown 4.13%

White 64.07%

Gender

female 19.47%

male 80.53%

Age - 46
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 46
Stress level
7.8

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level
9.2

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance
4.6

Work life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Chief finance and operating officer career paths

Key steps to become a chief finance and operating officer

  1. Explore chief finance and operating officer education requirements

    Most common chief finance and operating officer degrees

    Bachelor's

    70.4 %

    Master's

    22.4 %

    Associate

    3.8 %
  2. Start to develop specific chief finance and operating officer skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Financial Statements21.38%
    Oversight5.23%
    Human Resources5.09%
    Payroll4.41%
    Regulatory Compliance4.20%
  3. Research chief finance and operating officer duties and responsibilities

    • Manage employees in GL, A/R, A/P, Credit/Collections, sales, warehousing, and shipping.
    • Manage development and implementation of customize ERP system.
    • Lead implementation of new worldwide consolidation system, Hyperion, significantly reducing closing time and improving controls over the consolidation process.
    • Streamline risk management, convert banking relationship and convert payroll processing to a third party payroll processor.
  4. Get chief finance and operating officer experience

    Generally, it takes 6-8 years to become a chief finance and operating officer. The most common roles before becoming a chief finance and operating officer include chief finance officer, controller team lead and finance vice president.
  5. Prepare your chief finance and operating officer resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your chief finance and operating officer resume.

    You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a chief finance and operating officer resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose from 10+ customizable chief finance and operating officer resume templates

    Build a professional chief finance and operating officer resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your chief finance and operating officer resume.
    Chief Finance And Operating Officer Resume
    Chief Finance And Operating Officer Resume
    Chief Finance And Operating Officer Resume
    Chief Finance And Operating Officer Resume
    Chief Finance And Operating Officer Resume
    Chief Finance And Operating Officer Resume
    Chief Finance And Operating Officer Resume
    Chief Finance And Operating Officer Resume
    Chief Finance And Operating Officer Resume
  6. Apply for chief finance and operating officer jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a chief finance and operating officer job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How did you land your first chief finance and operating officer job

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Average chief finance and operating officer salary

The average chief finance and operating officer salary in the United States is $166,139 per year or $80 per hour. Chief finance and operating officer salaries range between $87,000 and $314,000 per year.

Average chief finance and operating officer salary
$166,139 Yearly
$79.87 hourly

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Chief finance and operating officer reviews

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A zippia user wrote a review on Jun 2022
Cons

I am responsible for everything be it any side of the business


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A zippia user wrote a review on May 2020
Pros

I do not work as a finance Vice President but I would like to become one.

Cons

I don’t know because I have not worked as one.


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A zippia user wrote a review on Jul 2019
Cons

Shanghai ask sh sfhcsgvzshhxsb ej shbshvxru sh sticks d both Django


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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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