Corporate controller vs senior finance manager

The differences between corporate controllers and senior finance 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 corporate controller and a senior finance manager. Additionally, a corporate controller has an average salary of $144,304, which is higher than the $133,358 average annual salary of a senior finance manager.

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

Corporate controller vs senior finance manager overview

	Corporate Controller	Senior Finance Manager
Yearly salary	$144,304	$133,358
Hourly rate	$69.38	$64.11
Growth rate	17%	17%
Number of jobs	57,715	139,639
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 77%	Bachelor's Degree, 68%
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 senior finance manager do?

A senior finance manager is an individual who supervises financial department staff members as well as monitors the daily financial operations within a company. Senior finance managers must keep track of the financial status and performance of the company so that they can identify areas for potential improvement. They review financial data and prepare reports to be presented to the management to help them in their business decision making. Senior finance managers must also maintain policies within the company and should have a deep understanding of financial regulations and legislations.

Corporate controller vs senior finance manager salary

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

	Corporate Controller	Senior Finance Manager
Average salary	$144,304	$133,358
Salary range	Between $99,000 And $209,000	Between $95,000 And $185,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	California	California
Best paying company	SideCars	Roku
Best paying industry	Manufacturing	Professional

Differences between corporate controller and senior finance manager education

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

	Corporate Controller	Senior Finance Manager
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 77%	Bachelor's Degree, 68%
Most common major	Accounting	Accounting
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Corporate controller vs senior finance manager demographics

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

	Corporate Controller	Senior Finance Manager
Average age	46	46
Gender ratio	Male, 72.8% Female, 27.2%	Male, 70.3% Female, 29.7%
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, 7.5% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 14.3% Asian, 10.0% White, 63.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage	11%	11%

Differences between corporate controller and senior finance manager 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.

Senior finance manager example responsibilities.

Manage regional treasury functions including coordination with international HQ for daily cash balance requirements.
Manage staff of financial analysts who perform divisional and branch portfolio and profit/loss analysis.
Manage Oracle/Hyperion application upgrade used to support the close, consolidate and report process within Oracle/PeopleSoft ERP environment.
Manage financial reporting in support of CEO/CFO/President with oversight for data integrity and consistency of reporting across enterprise.
Manage eight team members' activities including daily transaction processing, monthly reconciliations and analysis, and financial statement preparation
Manage senior financial analysts responsible for evaluating the financial risks of a portfolio of large property and casualty insurance programs.

Corporate controller vs senior finance manager skills

Common corporate controller skills

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

Common senior finance manager skills

Hyperion, 7%
Financial Performance, 5%
Financial Analysis, 5%
Business Development, 4%
SR, 4%
Financial Models, 4%

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Corporate Controller
Corporate Controller vs Senior Finance Manager

Updated January 8, 2025

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