Corporate controller vs finance director

The differences between corporate controllers and finance directors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-8 years to become both a corporate controller and a finance director. Additionally, a corporate controller has an average salary of $144,304, which is higher than the $118,518 average annual salary of a finance director.

The top three skills for a corporate controller include payroll, CPA and GAAP. The most important skills for a finance director are CPA, financial analysis, and payroll.

Corporate controller vs finance director overview

	Corporate Controller	Finance Director
Yearly salary	$144,304	$118,518
Hourly rate	$69.38	$56.98
Growth rate	17%	17%
Number of jobs	57,715	90,012
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 77%	Bachelor's Degree, 71%
Average age	46	46
Years of experience	8	8

What does a corporate controller do?

A corporate controller is an individual who is responsible for supervising the overall daily accounting operations of an organization. Integral to the financial health of the organization, corporate controllers are required to help the organization with strategic financial decisions through forecasting reports and financial statements. They oversee maintaining accounting records by keeping and storing them in an operable system. Corporate controllers are also required to manage the accounting operations of the organization's subsidiaries.

What does a finance director do?

A finance director's role is to oversee all financial activities and aspects of a company or organization. One of their duties is to gather necessary financial data and cultivate reports on essential matters such as revenue and budget, provide risk assessments and estimates, implement vital policies, and allocate funds within the company. Furthermore, a finance director must also devise strategies and recommend innovative methods for financial gains, while in adherence to the organization's policies and regulations.

Corporate controller vs finance director salary

Corporate controllers and finance directors have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Corporate Controller	Finance Director
Average salary	$144,304	$118,518
Salary range	Between $99,000 And $209,000	Between $76,000 And $183,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	Palo Alto, CA
Highest paying state	California	California
Best paying company	SideCars	Meta
Best paying industry	Manufacturing	Manufacturing

Differences between corporate controller and finance director education

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

	Corporate Controller	Finance Director
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 77%	Bachelor's Degree, 71%
Most common major	Accounting	Accounting
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Corporate controller vs finance director demographics

Here are the differences between corporate controllers' and finance directors' demographics:

	Corporate Controller	Finance Director
Average age	46	46
Gender ratio	Male, 72.8% Female, 27.2%	Male, 65.1% Female, 34.9%
Race ratio	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%	Black or African American, 7.6% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 14.5% Asian, 9.4% White, 64.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage	11%	11%

Differences between corporate controller and finance director duties and responsibilities

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.

Finance director example responsibilities.

Manage treasury functions considering the inflationary situation and changes in economic patterns to minimize any negative impact they may involve.
Improve internal controls and operating efficiency by training accountants and converting general ledger reconciliations to GAAP formats.
Prepare financial data and footnotes for independent CPA annual audit financial statements.
Develop financial models in Hyperion to aggregate sales data and allocate expenses for profitability analysis.
Complete Sarbanes-Oxley procedural requirements for entire incentive development, administration and reporting process.
Develop an electronic billing capacity and are the first Montana health care provider to bill Medicaid electronically.

Corporate controller vs finance director skills

Common corporate controller skills

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

Common finance director skills

CPA, 7%
Financial Analysis, 6%
Payroll, 4%
Work Ethic, 4%
Oversight, 4%
Financial Management, 4%

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Corporate Controller
Corporate Controller vs Finance Director

Updated January 8, 2025

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