Comptroller vs corporate controller

The differences between comptrollers 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 comptroller and a corporate controller. Additionally, a corporate controller has an average salary of $144,304, which is higher than the $81,446 average annual salary of a comptroller.

The top three skills for a comptroller include payroll taxes, external auditors and general ledger accounts. The most important skills for a corporate controller are payroll, CPA, and GAAP.

Comptroller vs corporate controller overview

	Comptroller	Corporate Controller
Yearly salary	$81,446	$144,304
Hourly rate	$39.16	$69.38
Growth rate	17%	17%
Number of jobs	20,780	57,715
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 67%	Bachelor's Degree, 77%
Average age	46	46
Years of experience	8	8

Comptroller vs corporate controller salary

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

	Comptroller	Corporate Controller
Average salary	$81,446	$144,304
Salary range	Between $52,000 And $126,000	Between $99,000 And $209,000
Highest paying City	New York, NY	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	New York	California
Best paying company	Scotiabank	SideCars
Best paying industry	Hospitality	Manufacturing

Differences between comptroller and corporate controller education

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

	Comptroller	Corporate Controller
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 67%	Bachelor's Degree, 77%
Most common major	Accounting	Accounting
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Comptroller vs corporate controller demographics

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

	Comptroller	Corporate Controller
Average age	46	46
Gender ratio	Male, 48.2% Female, 51.8%	Male, 72.8% Female, 27.2%
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, 7.7% 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 comptroller and corporate controller 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.

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.

Comptroller vs corporate controller skills

Common comptroller skills

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

Common corporate controller skills

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

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Comptroller
Comptroller vs Corporate Controller

Updated January 8, 2025

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