Finance management specialist vs corporate controller

The differences between finance management specialists and corporate 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 management specialist and a corporate controller. Additionally, a corporate controller has an average salary of $144,304, which is higher than the $70,219 average annual salary of a finance management specialist.

The top three skills for a finance management specialist include financial resources, financial reports and financial data. The most important skills for a corporate controller are payroll, CPA, and GAAP.

Finance management specialist vs corporate controller overview

	Finance Management Specialist	Corporate Controller
Yearly salary	$70,219	$144,304
Hourly rate	$33.76	$69.38
Growth rate	17%	17%
Number of jobs	143,820	57,715
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 61%	Bachelor's Degree, 77%
Average age	46	46
Years of experience	8	8

What does a finance management specialist do?

A finance management specialist is in charge of overseeing and managing a company's financial activities, ensuring accuracy and smooth workflow. They typically coordinate with different departments to gather accurate data, manage budgets and schedules, prepare cost and budget reports, and assess existing procedures to identify areas needing improvement. They must also maintain extensive records, produce sales forecasts, and participate in creating financial goals and objectives. Furthermore, as a finance management specialist, it is essential to develop strategies to optimize financial operations, all while implementing the company's policies and regulations.

What does a corporate controller do?

A corporate controller is an individual who is responsible for supervising the overall daily accounting operations of an organization. Integral to the financial health of the organization, corporate controllers are required to help the organization with strategic financial decisions through forecasting reports and financial statements. They oversee maintaining accounting records by keeping and storing them in an operable system. Corporate controllers are also required to manage the accounting operations of the organization's subsidiaries.

Finance management specialist vs corporate controller salary

Finance management specialists and corporate controllers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Finance Management Specialist	Corporate Controller
Average salary	$70,219	$144,304
Salary range	Between $48,000 And $101,000	Between $99,000 And $209,000
Highest paying City	Washington, DC	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	New York	California
Best paying company	PayPal	SideCars
Best paying industry	Government	Manufacturing

Differences between finance management specialist and corporate controller education

There are a few differences between a finance management specialist and a corporate controller in terms of educational background:

	Finance Management Specialist	Corporate Controller
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 61%	Bachelor's Degree, 77%
Most common major	Business	Accounting
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Finance management specialist vs corporate controller demographics

Here are the differences between finance management specialists' and corporate controllers' demographics:

	Finance Management Specialist	Corporate Controller
Average age	46	46
Gender ratio	Male, 52.1% Female, 47.9%	Male, 72.8% Female, 27.2%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 7.5% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 14.3% Asian, 10.1% White, 63.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%	Black or African American, 7.7% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 14.8% Asian, 9.4% White, 63.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage	11%	11%

Differences between finance management specialist and corporate controller duties and responsibilities

Finance management specialist example responsibilities.

Specialize in data collection logistics and documentation on specific vehicles and manage inventory using CRM applications.
Project team member on ERP implementations for several clients.
Execute and, validate all credit card purchases in ERP and with DFAS.
Process incoming checks from employees & other outside sources for deposit to the U.S. Treasury.
Ensure GAAP compliance in revenue recognition, forecasting, internal account structure management, reporting & analysis.
Prepare monthly, quarterly, and annual forecasts including trend/margin analysis, and ensuring proper GAAP revenue recognition.

Corporate controller example responsibilities.

Manage general accounting staff (A/P, A/R, & G/L), financial planning, reporting and analysis functions.
Direct and manage all aspects of the external audit, including implementation of Sarbanes-Oxley requirements.
Lead implementation of SyteLine ERP solution to replace outdate manufacturing software and streamline manufacturing and transaction processes.
Develop long-term financial/ operational strategy for high-tech company as well as managed accounting, finance, and treasury operations.
Facilitate maintenance of treasury and risk management activity serving as primary point of contact for all financially relate matters.
Implement procedures for standard journal entries, monthly reconciliations, account analysis and documentation to support the monthly reporting requirements.

Finance management specialist vs corporate controller skills

Common finance management specialist skills

Financial Resources, 10%
Financial Reports, 7%
Financial Data, 6%
Budget Formulation, 6%
Budget Execution, 5%
Financial Management Systems, 5%

Common corporate controller skills

Payroll, 7%
CPA, 6%
GAAP, 6%
Internal Controls, 6%
External Auditors, 5%
General Ledger, 3%

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Finance Management Specialist
Finance Management Specialist vs Corporate Controller

Updated January 8, 2025

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