Finance director vs finance controller

The differences between finance directors 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 finance director and a finance controller. Additionally, a finance director has an average salary of $118,518, which is higher than the $105,869 average annual salary of a finance controller.

The top three skills for a finance director include CPA, financial analysis and payroll. The most important skills for a finance controller are CPA, payroll, and financial controller.

Finance director vs finance controller overview

	Finance Director	Finance Controller
Yearly salary	$118,518	$105,869
Hourly rate	$56.98	$50.90
Growth rate	17%	17%
Number of jobs	90,012	97,342
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 71%	Bachelor's Degree, 70%
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 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.

Finance director vs finance controller salary

Finance directors and finance controllers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Finance Director	Finance Controller
Average salary	$118,518	$105,869
Salary range	Between $76,000 And $183,000	Between $71,000 And $156,000
Highest paying City	Palo Alto, CA	Yonkers, NY
Highest paying state	California	New York
Best paying company	Meta	Sage Memorial Hospital
Best paying industry	Manufacturing	Technology

Differences between finance director and finance controller education

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

	Finance Director	Finance Controller
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 71%	Bachelor's Degree, 70%
Most common major	Accounting	Accounting
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Finance director vs finance controller demographics

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

	Finance Director	Finance Controller
Average age	46	46
Gender ratio	Male, 65.1% Female, 34.9%	Male, 61.5% Female, 38.5%
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, 7.6% 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 finance director and finance controller 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.

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.

Finance director vs finance controller skills

Common finance director skills

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

Common finance controller skills

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

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Finance Director
Finance Director vs Finance Controller

Updated January 8, 2025

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