Director of administration & finance vs finance controller

The differences between directors of administration & finance and finance 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 director of administration & finance and a finance controller. Additionally, a director of administration & finance has an average salary of $109,366, which is higher than the $105,869 average annual salary of a finance controller.

The top three skills for a director of administration & finance include payroll, oversight and financial management. The most important skills for a finance controller are CPA, payroll, and financial controller.

Director of administration & finance vs finance controller overview

	Director Of Administration & Finance	Finance Controller
Yearly salary	$109,366	$105,869
Hourly rate	$52.58	$50.90
Growth rate	17%	17%
Number of jobs	80,486	97,342
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 69%	Bachelor's Degree, 70%
Average age	46	46
Years of experience	8	8

What does a director of administration & finance do?

A director of administration & finance oversees and directs an organization's administration and finance department, ensuring operations run smoothly and efficiently according to company standards and regulations. It is their duty to set goals and guidelines, lead the research and development efforts, establish procedures, manage the budgets and costs, review and evaluate financial reports, and implement the organizations' policies and standards. Moreover, a director of administration & finance leads staff and supervises all operations, solving issues and concerns if any would arise.

What does a finance controller do?

A financial controller is primarily in charge of the daily finance activities and accounting functions of a company. Their responsibilities typically revolve around preparing and organizing financial reports, analyzing data and looking out for any discrepancies or inconsistencies, and overseeing the company's overall revenues and expenditures. A financial controller must also maintain documentation, participate in risk assessment and budgeting activities, and develop strategies for profit growth. Furthermore, one must coordinate with other department staff to ensure accuracy, all while implementing the company's policies and regulations.

Director of administration & finance vs finance controller salary

Directors of administration & finance and finance controllers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Director Of Administration & Finance	Finance Controller
Average salary	$109,366	$105,869
Salary range	Between $73,000 And $161,000	Between $71,000 And $156,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	Yonkers, NY
Highest paying state	Nevada	New York
Best paying company	UCI Health	Sage Memorial Hospital
Best paying industry	Health Care	Technology

Differences between director of administration & finance and finance controller education

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

	Director Of Administration & Finance	Finance Controller
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 69%	Bachelor's Degree, 70%
Most common major	Accounting	Accounting
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Director of administration & finance vs finance controller demographics

Here are the differences between directors of administration & finance' and finance controllers' demographics:

	Director Of Administration & Finance	Finance Controller
Average age	46	46
Gender ratio	Male, 55.3% Female, 44.7%	Male, 61.5% Female, 38.5%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 7.8% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 15.0% Asian, 8.4% White, 64.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%	Black or African American, 7.6% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 14.5% Asian, 10.2% White, 63.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage	11%	11%

Differences between director of administration & finance and finance controller duties and responsibilities

Director of administration & finance example responsibilities.

Manage payroll and HRIS system administration utilizing ADP and PeopleSoft applications and provide HRIS reports to employees and senior management team.
Lead the consolidation of financial and operational systems for non-acute services including rehabilitation and psychiatry services.
Provide organizational cash flow oversight as well as, update and implement inter-departmental policies.
Install ADP computerize payroll reporting with electronic tax deposits and federal/state reporting resulting in payroll processing cost savings.
Oversee the coordination of employee benefits and office administrative contacts and functions including direct monitoring of payroll processing.
Coordinate administrative operations including general oversight of office, computer and other equipment maintenance, and purchasing and vendor contact.

Finance controller example responsibilities.

Lead the implementation of a fully integrate ERP system resulting in increase financial integrity.
Supervise a staff of seven in the areas of A/P, A/R, G/L, financial reporting and payroll.
Coordinate annual financial audit with external CPA firm and implement internal controls to satisfy recommendations from auditors.
Develop and implement procedures with internal controls for all financial and operational processes to ensure GAAP compliance.
Prepare all accounts for the month-end closing process and additionally gather information for daily/monthly reconciliations and journal entries.
Work with outside CPA on year-end tax planning; ensure the timely filing and payment of corporate taxes.

Director of administration & finance vs finance controller skills

Common director of administration & finance skills

Payroll, 12%
Oversight, 9%
Financial Management, 6%
Administrative Functions, 4%
Internal Controls, 4%
Risk Management, 3%

Common finance controller skills

CPA, 7%
Payroll, 7%
Financial Controller, 7%
GAAP, 5%
General Ledger, 5%
Internal Controls, 5%

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Director Of Administration & Finance
Director Of Administration & Finance vs Finance Controller

Updated January 8, 2025

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