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The differences between finance directors and senior 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 a senior finance manager. Additionally, a senior finance manager has an average salary of $133,358, which is higher than the $118,518 average annual salary of a finance director.
The top three skills for a finance director include CPA, financial analysis and payroll. The most important skills for a senior finance manager are hyperion, financial performance, and financial analysis.
| Finance Director | Senior Finance Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $118,518 | $133,358 |
| Hourly rate | $56.98 | $64.11 |
| Growth rate | 17% | 17% |
| Number of jobs | 90,012 | 139,639 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| 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.
A senior finance manager is an individual who supervises financial department staff members as well as monitors the daily financial operations within a company. Senior finance managers must keep track of the financial status and performance of the company so that they can identify areas for potential improvement. They review financial data and prepare reports to be presented to the management to help them in their business decision making. Senior finance managers must also maintain policies within the company and should have a deep understanding of financial regulations and legislations.
Finance directors and senior finance managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Finance Director | Senior Finance Manager | |
| Average salary | $118,518 | $133,358 |
| Salary range | Between $76,000 And $183,000 | Between $95,000 And $185,000 |
| Highest paying City | Palo Alto, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Meta | Roku |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Professional |
There are a few differences between a finance director and a senior finance manager in terms of educational background:
| Finance Director | Senior Finance Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Most common major | Accounting | Accounting |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between finance directors' and senior finance managers' demographics:
| Finance Director | Senior Finance Manager | |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 65.1% Female, 34.9% | Male, 70.3% Female, 29.7% |
| 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, 14.3% Asian, 10.0% White, 63.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |