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The differences between unit controllers and plant 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 plant controller. Additionally, a unit controller has an average salary of $104,008, which is higher than the $99,550 average annual salary of a plant controller.
The top three skills for a unit controller include financial analysis, payroll and financial reports. The most important skills for a plant controller are internal controls, GAAP, and plant management.
| Unit Controller | Plant Controller | |
| Yearly salary | $104,008 | $99,550 |
| Hourly rate | $50.00 | $47.86 |
| Growth rate | 17% | 17% |
| Number of jobs | 55,537 | 47,555 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 77% |
| 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.
A plant controller works at factories where they are primarily in charge of administrative duties and ensuring that operations adhere to budgets, schedules, and standards. As a plant controller, they are also responsible for gathering and analyzing financial data, analyzing cost reports, preparing financial statements, maintaining databases, performing audits and risk assessments, and overseeing the accounting team procedures. Additionally, they also supervise staff operations and address issues and concerns while implementing the company's policies and regulations.
Unit controllers and plant controllers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Unit Controller | Plant Controller | |
| Average salary | $104,008 | $99,550 |
| Salary range | Between $70,000 And $153,000 | Between $72,000 And $136,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Reno, NV |
| Highest paying state | California | Nevada |
| Best paying company | Wacker Chemie | Arkema |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Finance |
There are a few differences between a unit controller and a plant controller in terms of educational background:
| Unit Controller | Plant 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 |
Here are the differences between unit controllers' and plant controllers' demographics:
| Unit Controller | Plant Controller | |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 69.3% Female, 30.7% | Male, 75.9% Female, 24.1% |
| 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, 8.7% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 13.4% Asian, 7.9% White, 65.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |