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Finance planner vs corporate finance analyst

The differences between finance planners and corporate finance analysts can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a finance planner and a corporate finance analyst. Additionally, a corporate finance analyst has an average salary of $76,023, which is higher than the $71,607 average annual salary of a finance planner.

The top three skills for a finance planner include financial aid, financial services and client facing. The most important skills for a corporate finance analyst are financial analysis, strong analytical, and financial models.

Finance planner vs corporate finance analyst overview

Finance PlannerCorporate Finance Analyst
Yearly salary$71,607$76,023
Hourly rate$34.43$36.55
Growth rate15%9%
Number of jobs91,557114,375
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 73%Bachelor's Degree, 76%
Average age4540
Years of experience44

What does a finance planner do?

A financial planner is responsible for handling client accounts and providing financial advice to determine the best investment options according to the clients' interests and risk appetite. Financial planners record the clients' living expenses as a part of their portfolio, identifying their long-term goals and objectives, and giving tax advice. They also educate clients with investment options and opportunities to improve the clients' account performance and sell financial products. A financial planner must have excellent analytical and communication skills to conduct data and statistical analysis, especially in researching financial instruments in the market.

What does a corporate finance analyst do?

Corporate finance analysts make significant business decisions based on the data they gather. Typically, corporate finance analysts work within an organization and support management decisions through actionable financial information. They monitor the taxes, expenses, financial statements, and other financial details of where the company sources its income. This position requires a formal qualification in accounting. It also necessitates the analyst to develop interpersonal skills, knowledge in information technology software, financial reporting skills, and experience in management.

Finance planner vs corporate finance analyst salary

Finance planners and corporate finance analysts have different pay scales, as shown below.

Finance PlannerCorporate Finance Analyst
Average salary$71,607$76,023
Salary rangeBetween $42,000 And $120,000Between $52,000 And $109,000
Highest paying CitySpringfield, MASan Francisco, CA
Highest paying stateMassachusettsMichigan
Best paying companyNorthern TrustGoogle
Best paying industryInsuranceFinance

Differences between finance planner and corporate finance analyst education

There are a few differences between a finance planner and a corporate finance analyst in terms of educational background:

Finance PlannerCorporate Finance Analyst
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 73%Bachelor's Degree, 76%
Most common majorBusinessBusiness
Most common collegeUniversity of PennsylvaniaUniversity of Pennsylvania

Finance planner vs corporate finance analyst demographics

Here are the differences between finance planners' and corporate finance analysts' demographics:

Finance PlannerCorporate Finance Analyst
Average age4540
Gender ratioMale, 62.0% Female, 38.0%Male, 63.5% Female, 36.5%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 5.7% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 9.6% Asian, 8.4% White, 71.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1%Black or African American, 5.6% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 7.7% Asian, 14.1% White, 68.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1%
LGBT Percentage5%7%

Differences between finance planner and corporate finance analyst duties and responsibilities

Finance planner example responsibilities.

  • Manage financial planning, educate clients on fix indexed annuities, and consistently analyze financial markers and ever-changing client needs.
  • Manage and strengthen customer relationships through cross-selling and up-selling to maximize retention and income generation by contacting existing and prospective customers.
  • Represent a large brokerage firm for products and services through direct sales.
  • Educate clients in tax implications for products that include mutual funds, securities, and retirement plans.
  • Redesign the existing report from a value-base manual effort to a Hyperion driven report, vastly improving both efficiency and accuracy.
  • Gain additional responsibility as a season FSR.
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Corporate finance analyst example responsibilities.

  • Lead finance project team to create site-wide (Essbase) reporting system under extremely tight deadlines.
  • Develop, maintain financial models/applications (VBA Excel/Access) to automate and streamline business processes and perform financial analysis.
  • Record related journal entries and general ledger account reconciliations and functions using journal entry and account reconciliation software tools.
  • Provide technical expertise in process design and implementation of the new Hyperion general ledger system and associate reports.
  • Reconstruct, modify and maintain operating expense planning model in HYPERION.
  • Reduce errors and rework in daily operations via visual basic (VBA) macros and SQL manipulation.
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Finance planner vs corporate finance analyst skills

Common finance planner skills
  • Financial Aid, 21%
  • Financial Services, 9%
  • Client Facing, 8%
  • Retirement Planning, 7%
  • Estate Planning, 6%
  • Life Insurance, 6%
Common corporate finance analyst skills
  • Financial Analysis, 8%
  • Strong Analytical, 7%
  • Financial Models, 7%
  • Hyperion, 4%
  • Balance Sheet, 4%
  • Due Diligence, 4%

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