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The differences between unit controllers 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 unit controller and a finance leader. Additionally, a finance leader has an average salary of $117,284, 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 leader are financial analysis, financial management, and business development.
| Unit Controller | Finance Leader | |
| Yearly salary | $104,008 | $117,284 |
| Hourly rate | $50.00 | $56.39 |
| Growth rate | 17% | 17% |
| Number of jobs | 55,537 | 93,582 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Years of experience | 8 | 8 |
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.
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.
Unit controllers and finance leaders have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Unit Controller | Finance Leader | |
| Average salary | $104,008 | $117,284 |
| Salary range | Between $70,000 And $153,000 | Between $78,000 And $174,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | Oregon |
| Best paying company | Wacker Chemie | Apple |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Finance |
There are a few differences between a unit controller and a finance leader in terms of educational background:
| Unit Controller | Finance Leader | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| Most common major | Accounting | Accounting |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between unit controllers' and finance leaders' demographics:
| Unit Controller | Finance Leader | |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 69.3% Female, 30.7% | Male, 60.0% Female, 40.0% |
| 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, 7.5% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 14.2% Asian, 10.0% White, 63.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |