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Senior finance manager vs finance leader

The differences between senior finance managers and finance leaders can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-8 years to become both a senior finance manager and a finance leader. Additionally, a senior finance manager has an average salary of $133,358, which is higher than the $117,284 average annual salary of a finance leader.

The top three skills for a senior finance manager include hyperion, financial performance and financial analysis. The most important skills for a finance leader are financial analysis, financial management, and business development.

Senior finance manager vs finance leader overview

Senior Finance ManagerFinance Leader
Yearly salary$133,358$117,284
Hourly rate$64.11$56.39
Growth rate17%17%
Number of jobs139,63993,582
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 68%Bachelor's Degree, 69%
Average age4646
Years of experience88

What does a senior finance manager do?

A senior finance manager is an individual who supervises financial department staff members as well as monitors the daily financial operations within a company. Senior finance managers must keep track of the financial status and performance of the company so that they can identify areas for potential improvement. They review financial data and prepare reports to be presented to the management to help them in their business decision making. Senior finance managers must also maintain policies within the company and should have a deep understanding of financial regulations and legislations.

What does a finance leader do?

The duties of a finance leader depend on one's place or industry of employment. Typically, their responsibilities revolve around monitoring the sales and financial operations in a company, preparing financial reports and statements, finding new sales opportunities, identifying the market and client needs, and maintaining records of all financial transactions. There are also instances where a finance leader may set and allocate budgets, perform audits in costs and expenditures, all while implementing the company's policies and regulations.

Senior finance manager vs finance leader salary

Senior finance managers and finance leaders have different pay scales, as shown below.

Senior Finance ManagerFinance Leader
Average salary$133,358$117,284
Salary rangeBetween $95,000 And $185,000Between $78,000 And $174,000
Highest paying CitySan Francisco, CASan Francisco, CA
Highest paying stateCaliforniaOregon
Best paying companyRokuApple
Best paying industryProfessionalFinance

Differences between senior finance manager and finance leader education

There are a few differences between a senior finance manager and a finance leader in terms of educational background:

Senior Finance ManagerFinance Leader
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 68%Bachelor's Degree, 69%
Most common majorAccountingAccounting
Most common collegeUniversity of PennsylvaniaUniversity of Pennsylvania

Senior finance manager vs finance leader demographics

Here are the differences between senior finance managers' and finance leaders' demographics:

Senior Finance ManagerFinance Leader
Average age4646
Gender ratioMale, 70.3% Female, 29.7%Male, 60.0% Female, 40.0%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 7.5% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 14.3% Asian, 10.0% White, 63.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%Black or African American, 7.5% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 14.2% Asian, 10.0% White, 63.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage11%11%

Differences between senior finance manager and finance leader duties and responsibilities

Senior finance manager example responsibilities.

  • Manage regional treasury functions including coordination with international HQ for daily cash balance requirements.
  • Manage staff of financial analysts who perform divisional and branch portfolio and profit/loss analysis.
  • Manage Oracle/Hyperion application upgrade used to support the close, consolidate and report process within Oracle/PeopleSoft ERP environment.
  • Manage financial reporting in support of CEO/CFO/President with oversight for data integrity and consistency of reporting across enterprise.
  • Manage eight team members' activities including daily transaction processing, monthly reconciliations and analysis, and financial statement preparation
  • Manage senior financial analysts responsible for evaluating the financial risks of a portfolio of large property and casualty insurance programs.
  • Show more

Finance leader example responsibilities.

  • Manage and coordinate annual GAAP audit of corporation financial statements.
  • Manage impairment and trouble debt restructures identification & measurement process in compliance with regulatory and GAAP guidance.
  • Participate in Lawson ERP implementation and training resources for corporate and site finance group.
  • Create superior back office business processes in conjunction with JD Edwards ERP implementation team.
  • Recruit by the CFO to support the growth and development of the Americas business.
  • Review, interpret, and approve budgets for all trade promotion events in the Americas.
  • Show more

Senior finance manager vs finance leader skills

Common senior finance manager skills
  • Hyperion, 7%
  • Financial Performance, 5%
  • Financial Analysis, 5%
  • Business Development, 4%
  • SR, 4%
  • Financial Models, 4%
Common finance leader skills
  • Financial Analysis, 8%
  • Financial Management, 5%
  • Business Development, 5%
  • Financial Performance, 4%
  • Strong Analytical, 4%
  • HR, 4%

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