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The differences between project accountants and projects controllers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a project accountant and a projects controller. Additionally, a projects controller has an average salary of $79,451, which is higher than the $60,467 average annual salary of a project accountant.
The top three skills for a project accountant include reconciliations, project management and contract terms. The most important skills for a projects controller are project management, financial analysis, and project controller.
| Project Accountant | Projects Controller | |
| Yearly salary | $60,467 | $79,451 |
| Hourly rate | $29.07 | $38.20 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 43,672 | 16,334 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A project accountant is primarily in charge of overseeing the budget and expenditures allocated for various projects within a company. Their responsibilities revolve around reviewing financial data and work plans, managing billing and financial reports, monitoring the flow of revenue, filing purchase orders and invoices, and processing payments to subcontractors, suppliers, and more. It is also vital to coordinate with all managing personnel to prepare necessary reports such as costs and taxes. Furthermore, it is essential to maintain data and records of all transactions, all while implementing the company's policies and regulations.
A project controller is responsible for evaluating the effectiveness of project management procedures, ensuring that the team adheres to the clients' specifications and requirements, and keeping all project resources and deliverables within the budget goals and set timeframe. Project controllers determine the progress of the project and coordinate the updates to the client, adjusting the project approach as needed to achieve high-quality standards and objectives. They also maintain an organized report of expenditures, as well as generating process reports to identify potential process improvement techniques that will maximize operational efficiency.
Project accountants and projects controllers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Project Accountant | Projects Controller | |
| Average salary | $60,467 | $79,451 |
| Salary range | Between $46,000 And $79,000 | Between $53,000 And $118,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | Perficient | California Resources |
| Best paying industry | Professional | Finance |
There are a few differences between a project accountant and a projects controller in terms of educational background:
| Project Accountant | Projects Controller | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Most common major | Accounting | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between project accountants' and projects controllers' demographics:
| Project Accountant | Projects Controller | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 36.8% Female, 63.2% | Male, 55.9% Female, 44.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 8.7% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 11.1% Asian, 12.3% White, 63.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% | Black or African American, 8.5% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 10.8% Asian, 13.9% White, 62.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 7% |