Projects controller vs finance director

The differences between projects controllers and finance directors 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 finance director takes usually requires 6-8 years. Additionally, a finance director has an average salary of $118,518, 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 finance director are CPA, financial analysis, and payroll.

Projects controller vs finance director overview

	Projects Controller	Finance Director
Yearly salary	$79,451	$118,518
Hourly rate	$38.20	$56.98
Growth rate	6%	17%
Number of jobs	16,334	90,012
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 71%	Bachelor's Degree, 71%
Average age	44	46
Years of experience	4	8

What does a projects controller do?

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.

What does a finance director do?

A finance director's role is to oversee all financial activities and aspects of a company or organization. One of their duties is to gather necessary financial data and cultivate reports on essential matters such as revenue and budget, provide risk assessments and estimates, implement vital policies, and allocate funds within the company. Furthermore, a finance director must also devise strategies and recommend innovative methods for financial gains, while in adherence to the organization's policies and regulations.

Projects controller vs finance director salary

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

	Projects Controller	Finance Director
Average salary	$79,451	$118,518
Salary range	Between $53,000 And $118,000	Between $76,000 And $183,000
Highest paying City	Washington, DC	Palo Alto, CA
Highest paying state	New Jersey	California
Best paying company	California Resources	Meta
Best paying industry	Finance	Manufacturing

Differences between projects controller and finance director education

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

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

Projects controller vs finance director demographics

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

	Projects Controller	Finance Director
Average age	44	46
Gender ratio	Male, 55.9% Female, 44.1%	Male, 65.1% Female, 34.9%
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, 7.6% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 14.5% Asian, 9.4% White, 64.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage	7%	11%

Differences between projects controller and finance director duties and responsibilities

Projects controller example responsibilities.

Develop GAAP compliant reporting and manage software implementations.
Manage treasury, open several new accounts, establish new procedures and controls, monitor daily activity.
Prepare accruals and revenue recognition calculations.
Work with foremen and supervisors to ensure proper WBS elements are charged.
Set up and management of charge numbers according to an establish WBS and distribution of project authorizations to team members.
Process journal entries and accruals monthly to account for all orders, revenue, and cost in the appropriate period.

Show more

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.

Show more

Projects controller vs finance director skills

Common projects controller skills

Project Management, 11%
Financial Analysis, 7%
Project Controller, 5%
Earned Value Management, 3%
Project Cost, 3%
Work Breakdown Structure, 3%

Common finance director skills

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

Projects Controller vs. similar jobs

Projects Controller related careers

Projects Controller related jobs

What similar roles do

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse business and financial jobs

A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
L
M
N
O
P
Q
R
S
T
U
V
W
X
Y
Z