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The differences between finance directors and finance leaders 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 leader. Additionally, a finance director has an average salary of $118,518, which is higher than the $117,284 average annual salary of a finance leader.
The top three skills for a finance director include CPA, financial analysis and payroll. The most important skills for a finance leader are financial analysis, financial management, and business development.
| Finance Director | Finance Leader | |
| Yearly salary | $118,518 | $117,284 |
| Hourly rate | $56.98 | $56.39 |
| Growth rate | 17% | 17% |
| Number of jobs | 90,012 | 93,582 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Years of experience | 8 | 8 |
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.
The duties of a finance leader depend on one's place or industry of employment. Typically, their responsibilities revolve around monitoring the sales and financial operations in a company, preparing financial reports and statements, finding new sales opportunities, identifying the market and client needs, and maintaining records of all financial transactions. There are also instances where a finance leader may set and allocate budgets, perform audits in costs and expenditures, all while implementing the company's policies and regulations.
Finance directors and finance leaders have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Finance Director | Finance Leader | |
| Average salary | $118,518 | $117,284 |
| Salary range | Between $76,000 And $183,000 | Between $78,000 And $174,000 |
| Highest paying City | Palo Alto, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | Oregon |
| Best paying company | Meta | Apple |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Finance |
There are a few differences between a finance director and a finance leader in terms of educational background:
| Finance Director | Finance Leader | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| Most common major | Accounting | Accounting |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between finance directors' and finance leaders' demographics:
| Finance Director | Finance Leader | |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 65.1% Female, 34.9% | Male, 60.0% Female, 40.0% |
| 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, 14.2% Asian, 10.0% White, 63.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |