How to hire a finance controller

How to hire a finance controller, step by step

Here's a step-by-step finance controller hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a finance controller job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new finance controller
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a finance controller do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your finance controller job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find a finance controller for hire on a part-time basis or as a contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   A finance controller's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, finance controllers from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   The following list breaks down different types of finance controllers and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Finance Controller	Description	Hourly rate
   Finance Controller	Financial managers are responsible for the financial health of an organization. They produce financial reports, direct investment activities, and develop strategies and plans for the long-term financial goals of their organization.	$34-75
   Accounting Director	An Accounting Director supervises the general accounting and financial reporting functions, as well as financial services within a company or organization. They also ensure that all transactions and financial policies for their organization meet federal regulations and standards.	$42-92
   Accounting Manager	An accounting manager is responsible for supervising and monitoring the overall accounting department operations. Duties of an accounting manager include reviewing account information and account statements, processing invoices, analyzing financial data, performing account reconciliations, assisting with tax processing and audit reports, and generating financial reports for presentation with the board... Show more	$28-56

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • CPA
   • Payroll
   • Financial Controller
   • GAAP
   • General Ledger
   • Internal Controls
   • Reconciliations
   • External Auditors
   • Close Process
   • Financial Analysis
   • Strong Analytical
   • Financial Data
   • Journal Entries
   • Cash Flow

   Check all skills

   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.

   More finance controller duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your finance controller job description helps attract top candidates to the position. A finance controller salary can be affected by several factors, such as geography, experience, seniority, certifications, and the prestige of the hiring company.

   For example, the average salary for a finance controller in Nebraska may be lower than in New York, and an entry-level finance controller usually earns less than a senior-level finance controller. Additionally, a finance controller with certifications may command a higher salary, and working for a well-known company or start-up may also impact an employee's pay.

   Average finance controller salary

   $105,869yearly

   $50.90 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level finance controller salary

   $71,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 13, 2025

   Average finance controller salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	New York	$117,864	$57
   2	California	$113,035	$54
   3	New Jersey	$112,822	$54
   4	Ohio	$110,788	$53
   5	Maryland	$109,255	$53
   6	Washington	$103,946	$50
   7	Massachusetts	$102,636	$49
   8	District of Columbia	$98,590	$47
   9	Pennsylvania	$96,701	$46
   10	Virginia	$94,608	$45
   11	Delaware	$94,264	$45
   12	Illinois	$93,141	$45
   13	Colorado	$92,504	$44
   14	Utah	$90,932	$44
   15	Texas	$89,744	$43
   16	Indiana	$89,690	$43
   17	North Carolina	$88,791	$43
   18	Oregon	$85,774	$41
   19	Georgia	$84,594	$41
   20	Florida	$77,677	$37

   Average finance controller salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Sage Memorial Hospital	$152,499	$73.32
   2	Bloomberg	$150,236	$72.23	40
   3	Amazon	$139,326	$66.98	252
   4	Cisco	$138,927	$66.79	3
   5	Westpac	$138,898	$66.78
   6	J.P. Morgan	$133,324	$64.10
   7	Citi	$132,149	$63.53	20
   8	Calypso Technology	$131,943	$63.43
   9	FIA	$131,722	$63.33
   10	Getac	$130,976	$62.97
   11	AbbVie	$130,753	$62.86	34
   12	Florida Power and Light	$128,056	$61.57	11
   13	KLA	$127,740	$61.41	4
   14	Goldman Sachs	$126,730	$60.93	6
   15	Global Financial Mortgage	$126,692	$60.91	27
   16	Agilent Technologies	$124,347	$59.78	12
   17	Hisense USA	$124,288	$59.75
   18	SAS Institute	$124,172	$59.70	2
   19	Microsoft	$124,096	$59.66	94
   20	ALM	$123,843	$59.54

4. Writing a finance controller job description

   A job description for a finance controller role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's a finance controller job description:

   Finance controller job description example

   Terreva Renewables is a wholly-owned subsidiary of CIM GROUP fund vehicles. We are currently hiring a Fund Controller responsible for the overall quality of the accounting, information supporting the financial reporting, maintenance of fixed asset schedules, interfacing with external audit firms and portfolio company ownership. Also responsible for, performance measurement and preparation of management reports, including cash flow forecasting and other analysis, for renewable energy assets.
   
   Terreva Renewables projects provide significant social, environmental, and economic value by reducing emissions, lowering carbon footprint and enhancing the overall reliability of energy infrastructure.
   
   Position Duties:Protects assets by establishing, monitoring, and enforcing internal controls Interfaces with outsourced accounting provider and provides oversight to ensure outsourced scope is being delivered Be the key liaison between external auditor and completing annual financial audits Reviews full-cycle accounting output from outsourced accounting provider, monitor investments including preparation and analysis of the financial statements, general ledgers, subsidiary ledgers, budgets, cash flow projections and review of job cost reports.Monitors and manages liquidity across several operating and holding companies Prepare and/or review holding company and operating company level financial statements to meet lender reporting requirements and work with Financial Reporting to assist in the preparation or review of financial statements to meet investor requirements.Manages holding company and operating company debt facilities (cash flow waterfalls, financial reporting obligations) Prepares monthly, quarterly and annual operating and capital budgets, compares actual results to budget Performs tax accounting and tracking Federal and State tax compliance/reporting and working with external tax preparers and fund ownership tax teams Identify financial, safety or security risks that the client company or organization may face Assist with operational and asset management reporting to meet executive requirements and investor inquiries
   
   Position Qualifications / Skills:Ability to organize, perform and prioritize various functions to meet deadlines with minimal supervision.Effective communication skills, both written and oral, and strong attention to detail.Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to communicate well verbally and in writing.Strong analytical skills and detail-oriented.Ability to make sound decisions.Deadline driven and ability to manage multiple tasks.Ability to work independently and to proactively evaluate and address work opportunities within the area of responsibility.Ability to apply common-sense understanding to carry out instructions.Ability to solve practical problems
   
   Education, Experience, and Licensing Requirements:Bachelor's degree in accounting or finance Minimum 5-10 years' experience in accounting/finance Experience in working with multiple legal entities under different legal umbrellas Real estate, private equity, and/or alternative investments experience, particularly fair value fund and/or partnership accounting. Expertise in the various investment asset classes, including real estate sub-classes, infrastructure, renewable energy and/or debt as well as the management, development, accounting and reporting processes. Big 4 or other Public Accounting Experience (preferred). CPA (preferred) Extensive knowledge of GAAP accounting Experience in Yardi, MRI, J. D. Edwards or comparable software
   #LI-BL1
   
   CIM does not accept unsolicited resumes from Agencies. Any unsolicited resumes received from Agencies will be considered property of CIM and no fees will be due or paid. If you wish to become an approved Agency with CIM or any of its Affiliates, please contact a member of the CIM Talent Acquisition Team.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find finance controllers for your business, try out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important talent pools for any company is its current employees.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and your current work to ask if they know any finance controllers they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level finance controllers with the right educational background.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter have more than 3.5 billion users, and they're a great place for company branding and reaching potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your finance controller job on Zippia to find and recruit finance controller candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit finance controllers, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up interviews.

   Remember to include a few questions that allow candidates to expand on their strengths in their own words. Asking about their unique skills might reveal things you'd miss otherwise. At this point, good candidates can move on to the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new finance controller

   Once you've decided on a perfect finance controller candidate, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, it should include benefits and perks available to the employee. Qualified candidates may be considered for other positions, so make sure your offer is competitive. Candidates may wish to negotiate. Once you've settled on the details, formalize your agreement with a contract.

   It's equally important to follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   To prepare for the new finance controller first day, you should share an onboarding schedule with them that covers their first period on the job. You should also quickly complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Finally, Human Resources must ensure a new employee file is created for internal record keeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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