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The differences between projects controllers and directors of administration & finance can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a projects controller, becoming a director of administration & finance takes usually requires 6-8 years. Additionally, a director of administration & finance has an average salary of $109,366, which is higher than the $79,451 average annual salary of a projects controller.
The top three skills for a projects controller include project management, financial analysis and project controller. The most important skills for a director of administration & finance are payroll, oversight, and financial management.
| Projects Controller | Director Of Administration & Finance | |
| Yearly salary | $79,451 | $109,366 |
| Hourly rate | $38.20 | $52.58 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 17% |
| Number of jobs | 16,334 | 80,486 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| Average age | 44 | 46 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 8 |
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.
A director of administration & finance oversees and directs an organization's administration and finance department, ensuring operations run smoothly and efficiently according to company standards and regulations. It is their duty to set goals and guidelines, lead the research and development efforts, establish procedures, manage the budgets and costs, review and evaluate financial reports, and implement the organizations' policies and standards. Moreover, a director of administration & finance leads staff and supervises all operations, solving issues and concerns if any would arise.
Projects controllers and directors of administration & finance have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Projects Controller | Director Of Administration & Finance | |
| Average salary | $79,451 | $109,366 |
| Salary range | Between $53,000 And $118,000 | Between $73,000 And $161,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | Nevada |
| Best paying company | California Resources | UCI Health |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a projects controller and a director of administration & finance in terms of educational background:
| Projects Controller | Director Of Administration & Finance | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| Most common major | Business | Accounting |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between projects controllers' and directors of administration & finance' demographics:
| Projects Controller | Director Of Administration & Finance | |
| Average age | 44 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 55.9% Female, 44.1% | Male, 55.3% Female, 44.7% |
| Race ratio | 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% | Black or African American, 7.8% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 15.0% Asian, 8.4% White, 64.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 11% |