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The differences between unit controllers and projects controllers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 6-8 years to become a unit controller, becoming a projects controller takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a unit controller has an average salary of $104,008, which is higher than the $79,451 average annual salary of a projects controller.
The top three skills for a unit controller include financial analysis, payroll and financial reports. The most important skills for a projects controller are project management, financial analysis, and project controller.
| Unit Controller | Projects Controller | |
| Yearly salary | $104,008 | $79,451 |
| Hourly rate | $50.00 | $38.20 |
| Growth rate | 17% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 55,537 | 16,334 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Average age | 46 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 8 | 4 |
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 project controller is responsible for evaluating the effectiveness of project management procedures, ensuring that the team adheres to the clients' specifications and requirements, and keeping all project resources and deliverables within the budget goals and set timeframe. Project controllers determine the progress of the project and coordinate the updates to the client, adjusting the project approach as needed to achieve high-quality standards and objectives. They also maintain an organized report of expenditures, as well as generating process reports to identify potential process improvement techniques that will maximize operational efficiency.
Unit controllers and projects controllers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Unit Controller | Projects Controller | |
| Average salary | $104,008 | $79,451 |
| Salary range | Between $70,000 And $153,000 | Between $53,000 And $118,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | California | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | Wacker Chemie | California Resources |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Finance |
There are a few differences between a unit controller and a projects controller in terms of educational background:
| Unit Controller | Projects Controller | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Most common major | Accounting | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between unit controllers' and projects controllers' demographics:
| Unit Controller | Projects Controller | |
| Average age | 46 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 69.3% Female, 30.7% | Male, 55.9% Female, 44.1% |
| 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, 8.5% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 10.8% Asian, 13.9% White, 62.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 7% |