Unit controller vs corporate controller

The differences between unit controllers and corporate controllers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-8 years to become both a unit controller and a corporate controller. Additionally, a corporate controller has an average salary of $144,304, which is higher than the $104,008 average annual salary of a unit controller.

The top three skills for a unit controller include financial analysis, payroll and financial reports. The most important skills for a corporate controller are payroll, CPA, and GAAP.

Unit controller vs corporate controller overview

	Unit Controller	Corporate Controller
Yearly salary	$104,008	$144,304
Hourly rate	$50.00	$69.38
Growth rate	17%	17%
Number of jobs	55,537	57,715
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 71%	Bachelor's Degree, 77%
Average age	46	46
Years of experience	8	8

What does a unit controller do?

The duties of a unit controller depend on one's line of work or industry of employment. In a corporate setting, their responsibilities typically revolve around performing administrative tasks such as planning and producing business plans, coordinating with different departments or officials to gather data, overseeing sales and expenditures, preparing and processing documentation, managing the schedules and budgets, and devising strategies to identify new business opportunities. They may also present progress reports and sales forecasts to senior managers or executives. Furthermore, as a unit controller, it is essential to lead and encourage the workers to reach goals.

What does a corporate controller do?

A corporate controller is an individual who is responsible for supervising the overall daily accounting operations of an organization. Integral to the financial health of the organization, corporate controllers are required to help the organization with strategic financial decisions through forecasting reports and financial statements. They oversee maintaining accounting records by keeping and storing them in an operable system. Corporate controllers are also required to manage the accounting operations of the organization's subsidiaries.

Unit controller vs corporate controller salary

Unit controllers and corporate controllers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Unit Controller	Corporate Controller
Average salary	$104,008	$144,304
Salary range	Between $70,000 And $153,000	Between $99,000 And $209,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	California	California
Best paying company	Wacker Chemie	SideCars
Best paying industry	Technology	Manufacturing

Differences between unit controller and corporate controller education

There are a few differences between a unit controller and a corporate controller in terms of educational background:

	Unit Controller	Corporate Controller
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 71%	Bachelor's Degree, 77%
Most common major	Accounting	Accounting
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Unit controller vs corporate controller demographics

Here are the differences between unit controllers' and corporate controllers' demographics:

	Unit Controller	Corporate Controller
Average age	46	46
Gender ratio	Male, 69.3% Female, 30.7%	Male, 72.8% Female, 27.2%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 7.4% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 14.2% Asian, 10.0% White, 64.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%	Black or African American, 7.7% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 14.8% Asian, 9.4% White, 63.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage	11%	11%

Differences between unit controller and corporate controller duties and responsibilities

Unit controller example responsibilities.

Manage global consolidation of month end closing including review/analysis of financial statements ensuring adherence of GAAP guidelines.
Maintain and update the ERP system and average actual batch costing.
Provide training to finance and operation staff for the new ERP system.
Implement online expense report system and online account reconciliations along with lead the accounts payable outsourcing project.
Assess and close A/P & A/R ledger on a monthly basis, validate content and resolve various issues.
Prepare consolidated financial statements in accordance with GAAP.

Corporate controller example responsibilities.

Manage general accounting staff (A/P, A/R, & G/L), financial planning, reporting and analysis functions.
Direct and manage all aspects of the external audit, including implementation of Sarbanes-Oxley requirements.
Lead implementation of SyteLine ERP solution to replace outdate manufacturing software and streamline manufacturing and transaction processes.
Develop long-term financial/ operational strategy for high-tech company as well as managed accounting, finance, and treasury operations.
Facilitate maintenance of treasury and risk management activity serving as primary point of contact for all financially relate matters.
Implement procedures for standard journal entries, monthly reconciliations, account analysis and documentation to support the monthly reporting requirements.

Unit controller vs corporate controller skills

Common unit controller skills

Financial Analysis, 9%
Payroll, 8%
Financial Reports, 6%
Internal Controls, 5%
Close Process, 5%
Financial Data, 5%

Common corporate controller skills

Payroll, 7%
CPA, 6%
GAAP, 6%
Internal Controls, 6%
External Auditors, 5%
General Ledger, 3%

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Unit Controller
Unit Controller vs Corporate Controller

Updated January 8, 2025

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