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What is a controller/director of finance and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

Financial controls or finance directors work with the financial aspects of a company. Financial Controllers deal with reports about finances, and finance directors oversee and strategize about financial activities.

To be successful in this position, you will need a background in math, analytical skills, and leadership skills. It is advisable to be a CPA, and many controllers/directors of finance find good jobs in manufacturing, business, and health care. You will need, at the minimum, a bachelor's degree in finance, accounting, or similar finance degrees. You must have a strategic mindset and technical expertise.

As a Controller/Director of Finance, you will need to work in a regulatory environment, stay ahead of data analysis, and have a deep knowledge of the business. You must have the right mindset to guide a company's finances. With all these in mind, you can make a median salary of $165,000 per year.

ScoreController/Director Of FinanceUS Average
Salary
8.6

Avg. Salary $140,095

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 8.54%

Black or African American 7.83%

Hispanic or Latino 15.09%

Unknown 4.12%

White 64.10%

Gender

female 29.32%

male 70.68%

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

Controller/director of finance career paths

Key steps to become a controller/director of finance

  1. Explore controller/director of finance education requirements

    Most common controller/director of finance degrees

    Bachelor's

    72.8 %

    Master's

    20.6 %

    Associate

    4.1 %
  2. Start to develop specific controller/director of finance skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Oversight6.29%
    Internal Controls6.16%
    CPA5.68%
    Payroll5.58%
    GAAP5.09%
  3. Research controller/director of finance duties and responsibilities

    • Manage and direct all aspects of accounting and finance functions in accordance with applicable laws, regulations, and U.S. GAAP.
    • Manage SOX documentation, quarterly attestation, design & implementation of control deficiency remediation and scorecard reporting.
    • Establish, manage and monitor accounting and finance duties including the annual operating budget, financial statements and account reconciliations.
    • Upgrade treasury management functions by building an electronic cash flow project needs analysis template.
  4. Get controller/director of finance experience

    Generally, it takes 6-8 years to become a controller/director of finance. The most common roles before becoming a controller/director of finance include controller, accounting manager team lead and senior accountant.
  5. Prepare your controller/director of finance resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your controller/director of finance 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 controller/director of finance resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose from 10+ customizable controller/director of finance resume templates

    Build a professional controller/director of finance 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 controller/director of finance resume.
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    Controller/Director Of Finance Resume
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    Controller/Director Of Finance Resume
    Controller/Director Of Finance Resume
  6. Apply for controller/director of finance jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a controller/director of finance 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 controller/director of finance job

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Average controller/director of finance salary

The average controller/director of finance salary in the United States is $140,095 per year or $67 per hour. Controller/director of finance salaries range between $96,000 and $202,000 per year.

Average controller/director of finance salary
$140,095 Yearly
$67.35 hourly

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Controller/director of finance reviews

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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
Pros

Cfibshkb

Cons

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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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