Comptroller vs accounts payable manager

The differences between comptrollers and accounts payable managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-8 years to become both a comptroller and an accounts payable manager. Additionally, a comptroller has an average salary of $81,446, which is higher than the $69,808 average annual salary of an accounts payable manager.

The top three skills for a comptroller include payroll taxes, external auditors and general ledger accounts. The most important skills for an accounts payable manager are customer service, reconciliations, and purchase orders.

Comptroller vs accounts payable manager overview

	Comptroller	Accounts Payable Manager
Yearly salary	$81,446	$69,808
Hourly rate	$39.16	$33.56
Growth rate	17%	17%
Number of jobs	20,780	53,384
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 67%	Bachelor's Degree, 58%
Average age	46	46
Years of experience	8	8

Comptroller vs accounts payable manager salary

Comptrollers and accounts payable managers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Comptroller	Accounts Payable Manager
Average salary	$81,446	$69,808
Salary range	Between $52,000 And $126,000	Between $51,000 And $95,000
Highest paying City	New York, NY	Beaverton, OR
Highest paying state	New York	Oregon
Best paying company	Scotiabank	Microsoft
Best paying industry	Hospitality	Finance

Differences between comptroller and accounts payable manager education

There are a few differences between a comptroller and an accounts payable manager in terms of educational background:

	Comptroller	Accounts Payable Manager
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 67%	Bachelor's Degree, 58%
Most common major	Accounting	Accounting
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Comptroller vs accounts payable manager demographics

Here are the differences between comptrollers' and accounts payable managers' demographics:

	Comptroller	Accounts Payable Manager
Average age	46	46
Gender ratio	Male, 48.2% Female, 51.8%	Male, 24.0% Female, 76.0%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 7.7% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 14.8% Asian, 8.3% White, 64.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%	Black or African American, 7.9% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 15.3% Asian, 8.0% White, 64.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage	11%	11%

Differences between comptroller and accounts payable manager duties and responsibilities

Comptroller example responsibilities.

Work with the users for the UAT test phase and lead the UAT test sessions.
Complete responsibility for high-volume billing functions and managing client trust accounts, including bank reconciliations.
Manage payroll and all taxation matters, coordinate independent audit; communicate with outside organizations and agencies.
Coordinate CPA preparation of year-end financial statement compilation and tax returns.
Design and implement appropriate reports and procedures to monitor and control execution of monthly journal entries and account reconciliations.
Assist the users with the UAT test plan.

Accounts payable manager example responsibilities.

Manage bi-weekly payroll, bonuses, pay cards, PTO.
Collect, enter & manage the quality of information require to produce accurate information report to IRS.
Authorize all AP payment invoices, manage deposits and cash management functions, while providing overall complete payroll oversight.
Refine the 'pro forma invoice' system process to manage prepayments of client invoices enhancing efficiency and adding value.
Assist in computer software upgrade to integrate all accounting functions including pricing, AP, AR, GL and inventory.
Ensure timely and efficient processing of authorize AP invoices and cash disbursements, as well as AR invoices and cash receipts.

Comptroller vs accounts payable manager skills

Common comptroller skills

Payroll Taxes, 11%
External Auditors, 7%
General Ledger Accounts, 6%
Reconciliations, 6%
CPA, 4%
Journal Entries, 4%

Common accounts payable manager skills

Customer Service, 7%
Reconciliations, 6%
Purchase Orders, 5%
Vendor Invoices, 5%
Financial Statements, 4%
Payroll, 4%

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Comptroller
Comptroller vs Accounts Payable Manager

Updated January 8, 2025

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