City controller vs corporate controller

The differences between city controllers and corporate controllers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-8 years to become both a city controller and a corporate controller. Additionally, a corporate controller has an average salary of $144,304, which is higher than the $110,568 average annual salary of a city controller.

The top three skills for a city controller include financial reports, payroll and balance sheet accounts. The most important skills for a corporate controller are payroll, CPA, and GAAP.

City controller vs corporate controller overview

	City Controller	Corporate Controller
Yearly salary	$110,568	$144,304
Hourly rate	$53.16	$69.38
Growth rate	17%	17%
Number of jobs	19,157	57,715
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 75%	Bachelor's Degree, 77%
Average age	46	46
Years of experience	8	8

City controller vs corporate controller salary

City controllers and corporate controllers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	City Controller	Corporate Controller
Average salary	$110,568	$144,304
Salary range	Between $68,000 And $177,000	Between $99,000 And $209,000
Highest paying City	-	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	-	California
Best paying company	-	SideCars
Best paying industry	-	Manufacturing

Differences between city controller and corporate controller education

There are a few differences between a city controller and a corporate controller in terms of educational background:

	City Controller	Corporate Controller
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 75%	Bachelor's Degree, 77%
Most common major	Accounting	Accounting
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

City controller vs corporate controller demographics

Here are the differences between city controllers' and corporate controllers' demographics:

	City Controller	Corporate Controller
Average age	46	46
Gender ratio	Male, 58.8% Female, 41.2%	Male, 72.8% Female, 27.2%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 8.4% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 13.6% Asian, 7.9% White, 65.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%	Black or African American, 7.7% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 14.8% Asian, 9.4% White, 63.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage	11%	11%

Differences between city controller and corporate controller duties and responsibilities

City controller example responsibilities.

Manage accounting systems configuration and improvement, external auditor communication and requirements, regulatory compliance and SOX controls review.
Manage accounting systems configuration and improvement, external auditor communication and requirements, regulatory compliance and SOX controls review.
Create custom reports in ADP for accounting department analysis and distribution to management.

Corporate controller example responsibilities.

Manage general accounting staff (A/P, A/R, & G/L), financial planning, reporting and analysis functions.
Direct and manage all aspects of the external audit, including implementation of Sarbanes-Oxley requirements.
Lead implementation of SyteLine ERP solution to replace outdate manufacturing software and streamline manufacturing and transaction processes.
Develop long-term financial/ operational strategy for high-tech company as well as managed accounting, finance, and treasury operations.
Facilitate maintenance of treasury and risk management activity serving as primary point of contact for all financially relate matters.
Implement procedures for standard journal entries, monthly reconciliations, account analysis and documentation to support the monthly reporting requirements.

City controller vs corporate controller skills

Common city controller skills

Financial Reports, 41%
Payroll, 30%
Balance Sheet Accounts, 12%
Financial Operations, 8%
Firsthand Knowledge, 4%
Press Releases, 3%

Common corporate controller skills

Payroll, 7%
CPA, 6%
GAAP, 6%
Internal Controls, 6%
External Auditors, 5%
General Ledger, 3%

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City Controller
City Controller vs Corporate Controller

Updated January 8, 2025

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