Unit controller vs finance director

The differences between unit controllers and finance directors 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 finance director. Additionally, a finance director has an average salary of $118,518, 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 finance director are CPA, financial analysis, and payroll.

Unit controller vs finance director overview

	Unit Controller	Finance Director
Yearly salary	$104,008	$118,518
Hourly rate	$50.00	$56.98
Growth rate	17%	17%
Number of jobs	55,537	90,012
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 71%	Bachelor's Degree, 71%
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 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.

Unit controller vs finance director salary

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

	Unit Controller	Finance Director
Average salary	$104,008	$118,518
Salary range	Between $70,000 And $153,000	Between $76,000 And $183,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	Palo Alto, CA
Highest paying state	California	California
Best paying company	Wacker Chemie	Meta
Best paying industry	Technology	Manufacturing

Differences between unit controller and finance director education

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

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

Unit controller vs finance director demographics

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

	Unit Controller	Finance Director
Average age	46	46
Gender ratio	Male, 69.3% Female, 30.7%	Male, 65.1% Female, 34.9%
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, 7.6% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 14.5% Asian, 9.4% White, 64.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage	11%	11%

Differences between unit controller and finance director 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.

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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.

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Unit controller vs finance director skills

Common unit controller skills

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

Common finance director skills

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

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Updated January 8, 2025

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