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The differences between finance 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 finance controller and a senior finance manager. Additionally, a senior finance manager has an average salary of $133,358, which is higher than the $105,869 average annual salary of a finance controller.
The top three skills for a finance controller include CPA, payroll and financial controller. The most important skills for a senior finance manager are hyperion, financial performance, and financial analysis.
| Finance Controller | Senior Finance Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $105,869 | $133,358 |
| Hourly rate | $50.90 | $64.11 |
| Growth rate | 17% | 17% |
| Number of jobs | 97,342 | 139,639 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Years of experience | 8 | 8 |
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.
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.
Finance controllers and senior finance managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Finance Controller | Senior Finance Manager | |
| Average salary | $105,869 | $133,358 |
| Salary range | Between $71,000 And $156,000 | Between $95,000 And $185,000 |
| Highest paying City | Yonkers, NY | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | New York | California |
| Best paying company | Sage Memorial Hospital | Roku |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Professional |
There are a few differences between a finance controller and a senior finance manager in terms of educational background:
| Finance Controller | Senior Finance Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Most common major | Accounting | Accounting |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between finance controllers' and senior finance managers' demographics:
| Finance Controller | Senior Finance Manager | |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 61.5% Female, 38.5% | Male, 70.3% Female, 29.7% |
| Race ratio | 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% | 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% |