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Finance director vs finance executive

The differences between finance directors and finance executives 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 executive. Additionally, a finance director has an average salary of $118,518, which is higher than the $110,830 average annual salary of a finance executive.

The top three skills for a finance director include CPA, financial analysis and payroll. The most important skills for a finance executive are financial statements, financial services, and portfolio.

Finance director vs finance executive overview

Finance DirectorFinance Executive
Yearly salary$118,518$110,830
Hourly rate$56.98$53.28
Growth rate17%17%
Number of jobs90,012137,400
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 71%Bachelor's Degree, 67%
Average age4646
Years of experience88

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 executive do?

Finance executives oversee an organization's money and profit. They are responsible for overseeing the income and expenses of the business' money transactions. These executives evaluate financial reports such as cash-flow statements, tax planning, and budgeting. Sometimes, finance executives manage a staff of finance clerks, hire new staff, and develop schedules. They work full-time in an office, but they also often work beyond regular business hours. As for qualifications, finance executives must have at least a bachelor's degree and a considerable length of work experience in the business field.

Finance director vs finance executive salary

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

Finance DirectorFinance Executive
Average salary$118,518$110,830
Salary rangeBetween $76,000 And $183,000Between $68,000 And $178,000
Highest paying CityPalo Alto, CAWest Babylon, NY
Highest paying stateCaliforniaNew York
Best paying companyMetaApple
Best paying industryManufacturingGovernment

Differences between finance director and finance executive education

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

Finance DirectorFinance Executive
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 71%Bachelor's Degree, 67%
Most common majorAccountingAccounting
Most common collegeUniversity of PennsylvaniaUniversity of Pennsylvania

Finance director vs finance executive demographics

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

Finance DirectorFinance Executive
Average age4646
Gender ratioMale, 65.1% Female, 34.9%Male, 63.3% Female, 36.7%
Race ratioBlack 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, 7.4% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 14.2% Asian, 10.0% White, 64.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage11%11%

Differences between finance director and finance executive 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.
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Finance executive example responsibilities.

  • Manage financial statements and work independently to produce accurate records for petty cash, bank reconciliations, and data inventory.
  • Experience in ERP implementation when A/R module are migrated from old system to new PS system.
  • Improve financial results $50 million (GAAP) in 2000 over 1999 and generate the first profit in four years.
  • Assist with compliance with SOX requirements by improving internal protocols and documentation procedures.
  • Reorganize accounting department according to SOX guidelines along with recommendations for improving processes.
  • Develop decision matrix and flowcharts for a revise financial and manufacturing system within current ERP software.
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Finance director vs finance executive skills

Common finance director skills
  • CPA, 7%
  • Financial Analysis, 6%
  • Payroll, 4%
  • Work Ethic, 4%
  • Oversight, 4%
  • Financial Management, 4%
Common finance executive skills
  • Financial Statements, 18%
  • Financial Services, 12%
  • Portfolio, 12%
  • Financial Products, 3%
  • Real Estate, 3%
  • Insurance Products, 3%

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