Senior auditor vs internal audit director

The differences between senior auditors and internal audit directors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, an internal audit director has an average salary of $129,717, which is higher than the $74,382 average annual salary of a senior auditor.

The top three skills for a senior auditor include CPA, internal audit and audit reports. The most important skills for an internal audit director are CPA, internal controls, and risk management.

Senior auditor vs internal audit director overview

	Senior Auditor	Internal Audit Director
Yearly salary	$74,382	$129,717
Hourly rate	$35.76	$62.36
Growth rate	6%	6%
Number of jobs	23,025	25,537
Job satisfaction	5	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 79%	Bachelor's Degree, 77%
Average age	44	44
Years of experience	-	-

What does a senior auditor do?

Senior auditors have a vital role to play in the financial auditing process. They hold more responsibilities compared to staff auditors and report to an auditing manager directly. They have varied duties and responsibilities, including assigning tasks to staff auditors, overseeing compliant and precise auditing processes, and performing control and risk assessments. Senior auditors also are responsible for presenting audit findings, coordinating periodical audits, and submitting reports to the manager. If you are looking to apply for this role, you need to have a bachelor's degree in accounting or finance, strong analytical and mathematical skills, and proficiency in MS Office.

What does an internal audit director do?

An internal audit director is in charge of spearheading and overseeing the auditing procedures in an organization, ensuring accuracy and efficiency. Among their responsibilities include setting goals and objectives, managing budgets and timelines, gathering and analyzing the organization's financial data, supervising staff, and developing strategies to optimize procedures. They may also liaise with internal and external agencies, perform audits, and address issues and concerns, investigating and resolving them promptly and efficiently. Moreover, as a director, it is essential to lead and encourage the workforce to reach goals, all while enforcing the organization's policies and regulations.

Senior auditor vs internal audit director salary

Senior auditors and internal audit directors have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Senior Auditor	Internal Audit Director
Average salary	$74,382	$129,717
Salary range	Between $54,000 And $101,000	Between $83,000 And $200,000
Highest paying City	Washington, DC	Albany, NY
Highest paying state	New York	New York
Best paying company	Microsoft	Citi
Best paying industry	Technology	Retail

Differences between senior auditor and internal audit director education

There are a few differences between a senior auditor and an internal audit director in terms of educational background:

	Senior Auditor	Internal Audit Director
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 79%	Bachelor's Degree, 77%
Most common major	Accounting	Accounting
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Senior auditor vs internal audit director demographics

Here are the differences between senior auditors' and internal audit directors' demographics:

	Senior Auditor	Internal Audit Director
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 62.7% Female, 37.3%	Male, 72.5% Female, 27.5%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 8.3% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 10.6% Asian, 14.2% White, 62.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%	Black or African American, 8.8% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 11.2% Asian, 12.1% White, 63.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage	7%	7%

Differences between senior auditor and internal audit director duties and responsibilities

Senior auditor example responsibilities.

Conduct routine retrospective and prospective audits for ICD-10 CM/PCS, CPT and HCPCS for outpatient/inpatient facility and manage auditors.
Lead internal control reviews for an internationally own agriculture manufacturing company focuse on the inventory and payroll areas.
Create technology specific audit programs for SOX and operational audits ensuring that risks are clearly define and adequately test.
Enforce regulatory requirements and uphold Sarbanes-Oxley financial disclosure procedures to ensure accurate representation of internal and on-site audit assignments.
Guide clients with the compliance of the accounting standards (IFRS).
Prepare, and conduct all GxP (GMP, GLP, and GCP) in house and CMO training.

Internal audit director example responsibilities.

Implement COSO framework to achieve objectives relate to financial reporting, regulatory compliance, and operational effectiveness and efficiency.
Manage Sarbanes-Oxley implementation and internal audit outsourcing and co-sourcing activities for clients in multiple industries including financial services and manufacturing companies.
Develop internal audit risk assessments base on COSO internal control framework.
Establish internal quality control standards which enable maximum SOX reliance strategy by external auditors resulting in reduce external audit fees.
Review detailed work papers and reports in accordance with the department and IIA standards.
Establish compliance program which include all internal company investigations and ethics training for all employees.

Senior auditor vs internal audit director skills

Common senior auditor skills

CPA, 13%
Internal Audit, 7%
Audit Reports, 6%
Audit Procedures, 5%
Audit Engagements, 5%
Risk Assessments, 4%

Common internal audit director skills

CPA, 9%
Internal Controls, 8%
Risk Management, 7%
Audit Reports, 5%
SOX, 5%
Audit Committee, 4%

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Senior Auditor vs Internal Audit Director

Updated January 8, 2025

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