Finance director vs administrative & finance manager

The differences between finance directors and administrative & 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 director and an administrative & finance manager. Additionally, a finance director has an average salary of $118,518, which is higher than the $76,989 average annual salary of an administrative & finance manager.

The top three skills for a finance director include CPA, financial analysis and payroll. The most important skills for an administrative & finance manager are payroll processing, human resources, and oversight.

Finance director vs administrative & finance manager overview

	Finance Director	Administrative & Finance Manager
Yearly salary	$118,518	$76,989
Hourly rate	$56.98	$37.01
Growth rate	17%	17%
Number of jobs	90,012	143,109
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 71%	Bachelor's Degree, 63%
Average age	46	46
Years of experience	8	8

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.

What does an administrative & finance manager do?

An administrative and finance manager handles a company's expenditures, requests, invoices, and other financial documentation. Their primary duty is to oversee a finance team's daily work. Additionally, they must coordinate financial staff, ensure that orders from management are carried out, complete the company's financial statements, and provide tax data for the legal department.

Finance director vs administrative & finance manager salary

Finance directors and administrative & finance managers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Finance Director	Administrative & Finance Manager
Average salary	$118,518	$76,989
Salary range	Between $76,000 And $183,000	Between $55,000 And $107,000
Highest paying City	Palo Alto, CA	New York, NY
Highest paying state	California	New York
Best paying company	Meta	Meta
Best paying industry	Manufacturing	Insurance

Differences between finance director and administrative & finance manager education

There are a few differences between a finance director and an administrative & finance manager in terms of educational background:

	Finance Director	Administrative & Finance Manager
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 71%	Bachelor's Degree, 63%
Most common major	Accounting	Business
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Finance director vs administrative & finance manager demographics

Here are the differences between finance directors' and administrative & finance managers' demographics:

	Finance Director	Administrative & Finance Manager
Average age	46	46
Gender ratio	Male, 65.1% Female, 34.9%	Male, 50.7% Female, 49.3%
Race ratio	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%	Black or African American, 7.5% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 14.4% Asian, 10.1% White, 63.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage	11%	11%

Differences between finance director and administrative & finance manager duties and responsibilities

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.

Administrative & finance manager example responsibilities.

Manage payroll and organizational projects using QuickBooks for non-profits.
Process bi-weekly payroll utilizing QuickBooks and manage financial and clinical performance.
Manage accounts payable/receivable, deposits, payroll preparation, purchasing and inventory management, liaison to accountant.
Prepare monthly and annual financial statements along with supporting schedules resulting in minimal follow up by external CPA's.
Work closely with the CPA firm to ensure proper income tax filing and keep the company books flowing smoothly.
Direct ERP system implementation, establish beginning balances and database information, and train users on applications and requirements.

Finance director vs administrative & finance manager skills

Common finance director skills

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

Common administrative & finance manager skills

Payroll Processing, 10%
Human Resources, 7%
Oversight, 7%
Administrative Procedures, 6%
Financial Management, 5%
Financial Analysis, 5%

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Finance Director vs Administrative & Finance Manager

Updated January 8, 2025

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