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Finance officer vs finance specialist

The differences between finance officers and finance specialists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a finance officer has an average salary of $68,822, which is higher than the $61,666 average annual salary of a finance specialist.

The top three skills for a finance officer include real estate, financial data and origination. The most important skills for a finance specialist are customer service, phone calls, and cash handling.

Finance officer vs finance specialist overview

Finance OfficerFinance Specialist
Yearly salary$68,822$61,666
Hourly rate$33.09$29.65
Growth rate17%10%
Number of jobs140,73097,216
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 66%Bachelor's Degree, 62%
Average age4643
Years of experience8-

What does a finance officer do?

A finance officer is responsible for monitoring the financial department and the transactions of an organization. Finance officers analyze financial reports, update account statements, and oversee the budget allocation for business operations. They also resolve billing discrepancies and banking issues, assist in cash statement release, and manage payroll disputes. A finance officer conducts data and statistical analysis to evaluate the company's financial performance and stability and identifying opportunities to increase revenues and grow more profits.

What does a finance specialist do?

A financial or finance specialist is the person who sells products and services at financial institutions. Finance specialists are financial professionals who use knowledge of accounting, tax laws, and finance for financial assistance. They may assist clients with corporate or personal finances. The primary skills they must have include interpersonal skills, formal accounting, excellent communication skills, management experience, and financial reporting. They should be equipped with vital customer service and analytical skills.

Finance officer vs finance specialist salary

Finance officers and finance specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.

Finance OfficerFinance Specialist
Average salary$68,822$61,666
Salary rangeBetween $42,000 And $110,000Between $37,000 And $100,000
Highest paying CityBoston, MAWashington, DC
Highest paying stateDelawareConnecticut
Best paying companyCitiGoogle
Best paying industry-Finance

Differences between finance officer and finance specialist education

There are a few differences between a finance officer and a finance specialist in terms of educational background:

Finance OfficerFinance Specialist
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 66%Bachelor's Degree, 62%
Most common majorAccountingBusiness
Most common collegeUniversity of PennsylvaniaUniversity of Pennsylvania

Finance officer vs finance specialist demographics

Here are the differences between finance officers' and finance specialists' demographics:

Finance OfficerFinance Specialist
Average age4643
Gender ratioMale, 52.7% Female, 47.3%Male, 42.1% Female, 57.9%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 7.6% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 14.5% Asian, 10.1% White, 63.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%Black or African American, 8.6% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 9.6% Asian, 10.0% White, 67.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage11%4%

Differences between finance officer and finance specialist duties and responsibilities

Finance officer example responsibilities.

  • Lead financial aspects of unit responsible for development and management of diverse company portfolio.
  • Collaborate with insurance company representatives, case managers and physicians to obtain treatment authorization for potential kidney and kidney/pancreas transplant patients.
  • Provide medical records to the division as needed while ensuring compliance with HIPAA guidelines.
  • Review and sign CAPEX projects and perform payback calculations, ROI analysis, as well as impairment calculations.
  • Develop targeted business plans for new business opportunities including profit projections, capital requirements, and require ROI and IRR targets.
  • Review FAFSA information for verification requirements.
  • Show more

Finance specialist example responsibilities.

  • Lead lease of aircraft including analysis and coordination of treasury, legal, tax and insurance reviews.
  • Manage client relationship by presenting solutions for customers state and unstate needs while cross-selling company products.
  • Ensure the highest standards of SOX compliance by conducting internal audits and annual SOX testing with external auditors.
  • Compare the closed month and calendar month reports in Hyperion.
  • Prepare work papers for annual audit and tax filings and coordinate with external CPA.
  • Prepare and audit coworker contract development of insurance provider contracts, SOX testing and publishing system wide contract updates.
  • Show more

Finance officer vs finance specialist skills

Common finance officer skills
  • Real Estate, 29%
  • Financial Data, 29%
  • Origination, 23%
  • Financial Procedures, 2%
  • Financial Management, 2%
  • Financial Analysis, 2%
Common finance specialist skills
  • Customer Service, 23%
  • Phone Calls, 16%
  • Cash Handling, 10%
  • Customer Inquiries, 9%
  • Patients, 6%
  • Financial Reports, 6%

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