Accountant vs. Controller: What’s the Difference?

Accountant vs. Controller: An Overview

Few career paths match an accountant‘s combination of solid pay, low stress, job security, and opportunity for advancement. Accountants rarely worry about burning out or feel compelled to switch industries, and many will move into positions of prominence and importance in an organization. One such position is the controller (sometimes spelled “comptroller,” but always pronounced “controller”), who is the person responsible for a firm’s accounting-related activities.

Considering a job as one or the other? Here’s how the two compare.

Accountants

Non-controller accountants have a number of specialties to choose from. Some go into auditing, while others work on taxes. Some work for the government, while others perform cost accounting and internal reports.

Accountants of all stripes serve as bookkeepers. Some analyze the work of other bookkeepers. They work to prevent fraud and maintain accuracy for their co-workers, investors, creditors, and regulators. Many become Certified Public Accountants (CPAs) and are held to a strict code of professional ethics.

Controllers

The most common controllers are business controllers and corporate controllers, who handle entire accounting systems for their employers. For smaller companies, this means setting up the accounting infrastructure and performing the bookkeeping, whereas larger companies use controllers in an overseer role. Other controllers work for the government and are akin to chief financial officers (CFOs) for their respective agencies.

A business controller is essentially a chief accounting officer for a firm. The controller is considered a member of the executive staff and typically plays a critical role in managing the accounting personnel in the company.

A common yet under-appreciated role of the business controller is interpreting financial data. Controllers typically have a great deal of accounting and business forecasting experience, particularly as it pertains to tax management. A controller may also be called on to lend their expertise on investments, creditor relationships, corporate governance, or other areas.

Often, the controller has one or two assistant controllers at their disposal. Assistant controllers are normally less experienced and spend more time in the day-to-day minutiae of data collection, regulatory and statutory reporting, and the preparation of particularly challenging journal entries.

Key Differences

Education and Skills

Most accountants study accounting and receive a degree in that subject. It’s possible to become an entry-level accountant with a degree in finance, statistics, mathematics, or economics, but employers typically prefer someone with a deeper understanding of generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP).

Senior-level accountancy jobs require a CPA designation. Other credentials include certified management accountant (CMA) and chartered financial analyst (CFA).

Senior financial accounting and reporting jobs might need three to six years of work experience, while tax accountants or junior auditors might only need one to three years after passing the CPA exams.

It doesn’t always take years of direct accounting experience to become a controller, but it helps. Controllers, especially those for larger companies, have a wider focus than simply accounting protocol. Many have a Master of Business Administration (MBA) or another advanced degree in finance. Perhaps the most helpful designation for aspiring controllers is the CMA.

Salary

The majority of career accountants earn above $60,000 within three to five years after becoming CPAs. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the median annual wage for accountants and auditors in 2023 was $79,880 per year ($38.41 per hour). Some positions, such as tax managers or internal audit managers, can earn as much as $151,000, including bonuses. Many accountants aspire to be partners at accounting firms, where they can earn hundreds of thousands of dollars.

The median annual salary for financial managers—which includes controllers—was $156,100 per year ($75.05 per hour) in 2023, according to BLS data. In some industries, the term “comptroller” indicates an even more senior position and, ostensibly, an even higher salary.

Work/Life Balance

Most accountants work standard 40- to 45-hour weeks and enjoy plenty of paid leave, holidays, vacation time, and even a modest amount of schedule flexibility.

However, accountants work long and intense hours during tax season (roughly February to April) before taking some time off during spring and summer. It’s not uncommon to work more than 10 hours a day for six days a week during tax season.

A Berkeley analysis of controllers between 2013 and 2015 estimated that the average controller works 170 hours per month, or a little less than 43 hours a week. Like their accounting counterparts, controllers tend to experience a much better work/life balance than others in the financial industry.

The Bottom Line

A mid-level accountant is a specialist, whereas a controller is a generalist. Most accountants become increasingly specialized and narrowed in their career focus over a few years. Controllers can’t afford to be experts in just one area, since they have to oversee entire accounting operations.

Would you thrive in a management role? Then consider becoming a controller. Or would you prefer to be an expert only, with no management responsibilities? Then an accountant may be the right job for you. Of course, there’s a chance this isn’t an either/or decision. You might do both, first working as an accountant, and then as a controller.