Group controller vs finance director

The differences between group controllers and finance directors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-8 years to become both a group controller and a finance director. Additionally, a finance director has an average salary of $118,518, which is higher than the $110,457 average annual salary of a group controller.

The top three skills for a group controller include internal controls, GAAP and balance sheet. The most important skills for a finance director are CPA, financial analysis, and payroll.

Group controller vs finance director overview

	Group Controller	Finance Director
Yearly salary	$110,457	$118,518
Hourly rate	$53.10	$56.98
Growth rate	17%	17%
Number of jobs	40,683	90,012
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 75%	Bachelor's Degree, 71%
Average age	46	46
Years of experience	8	8

Group controller vs finance director salary

Group controllers and finance directors have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Group Controller	Finance Director
Average salary	$110,457	$118,518
Salary range	Between $69,000 And $176,000	Between $76,000 And $183,000
Highest paying City	Hoffman Estates, IL	Palo Alto, CA
Highest paying state	Illinois	California
Best paying company	Sensient Flavors NA	Meta
Best paying industry	Manufacturing	Manufacturing

Differences between group controller and finance director education

There are a few differences between a group controller and a finance director in terms of educational background:

	Group Controller	Finance Director
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 75%	Bachelor's Degree, 71%
Most common major	Accounting	Accounting
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Group controller vs finance director demographics

Here are the differences between group controllers' and finance directors' demographics:

	Group Controller	Finance Director
Average age	46	46
Gender ratio	Male, 82.2% Female, 17.8%	Male, 65.1% Female, 34.9%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 7.8% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 15.0% Asian, 8.6% White, 64.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%	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%
LGBT Percentage	11%	11%

Differences between group controller and finance director duties and responsibilities

Group controller example responsibilities.

Develop long-term financial/ operational strategy for high-tech company as well as managed accounting, finance, and treasury operations.
Ensure all revenues, operational expenses, capital expenses and reserves are recorded accurately in adherence with GAAP and corporate policies.
Participate on selection and implementation team for new company wide ERP system.
Approve orders, handle customer exceptions, close monthly books, and approve payroll and work on special projects.
Implement closed loop world-class ERP and MRPII systems, expediting access to accurate data need for decision making and corrective actions.
Utilize strong organizational and financial skills in administering weekly payroll as well as daily deposits.

Finance director example responsibilities.

Manage treasury functions considering the inflationary situation and changes in economic patterns to minimize any negative impact they may involve.
Improve internal controls and operating efficiency by training accountants and converting general ledger reconciliations to GAAP formats.
Prepare financial data and footnotes for independent CPA annual audit financial statements.
Develop financial models in Hyperion to aggregate sales data and allocate expenses for profitability analysis.
Complete Sarbanes-Oxley procedural requirements for entire incentive development, administration and reporting process.
Develop an electronic billing capacity and are the first Montana health care provider to bill Medicaid electronically.

Group controller vs finance director skills

Common group controller skills

Internal Controls, 7%
GAAP, 6%
Balance Sheet, 5%
External Auditors, 4%
R, 4%
SOX, 3%

Common finance director skills

CPA, 7%
Financial Analysis, 6%
Payroll, 4%
Work Ethic, 4%
Oversight, 4%
Financial Management, 4%