Comptroller vs bookkeeper

The differences between comptrollers and bookkeepers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 6-8 years to become a comptroller, becoming a bookkeeper takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a comptroller has an average salary of $81,446, which is higher than the $40,337 average annual salary of a bookkeeper.

The top three skills for a comptroller include payroll taxes, external auditors and general ledger accounts. The most important skills for a bookkeeper are payroll tax returns, customer service, and reconciliations.

Comptroller vs bookkeeper overview

	Comptroller	Bookkeeper
Yearly salary	$81,446	$40,337
Hourly rate	$39.16	$19.39
Growth rate	17%	-5%
Number of jobs	20,780	38,481
Job satisfaction	-	5
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 67%	Bachelor's Degree, 46%
Average age	46	51
Years of experience	8	6

Comptroller vs bookkeeper salary

Comptrollers and bookkeepers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Comptroller	Bookkeeper
Average salary	$81,446	$40,337
Salary range	Between $52,000 And $126,000	Between $30,000 And $52,000
Highest paying City	New York, NY	Washington, DC
Highest paying state	New York	New York
Best paying company	Scotiabank	NTT Data International L.L.C.
Best paying industry	Hospitality	Manufacturing

Differences between comptroller and bookkeeper education

There are a few differences between a comptroller and a bookkeeper in terms of educational background:

	Comptroller	Bookkeeper
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 67%	Bachelor's Degree, 46%
Most common major	Accounting	Accounting
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Comptroller vs bookkeeper demographics

Here are the differences between comptrollers' and bookkeepers' demographics:

	Comptroller	Bookkeeper
Average age	46	51
Gender ratio	Male, 48.2% Female, 51.8%	Male, 15.4% Female, 84.6%
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, 6.8% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 14.4% Asian, 6.6% White, 67.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%
LGBT Percentage	11%	7%

Differences between comptroller and bookkeeper 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.

Bookkeeper example responsibilities.

Manage AR, prepare deposits and perform basic receptionist/customer service tasks in office.
Perform journal entries, balance ledger, perform bank reconciliations, control inventory, coordinate proper guest accommodation.
Post and update of daily sales and purchases into QuickBooks system.
Execute monthly collection of Medicaid surplus funds from clients on a monthly basis.
Post resident receipts, Medicaid remittance, and process adjusting entries to the A/R detail.
Work closely with QC personnel for the planning of tooling and the flow process of PWB's.

Comptroller vs bookkeeper skills

Common comptroller skills

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

Common bookkeeper skills

Payroll Tax Returns, 12%
Customer Service, 10%
Reconciliations, 10%
Data Entry, 7%
Journal Entries, 5%
Financial Transactions, 4%