Continue Your Accounting Career by Becoming a Controller

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Being an accountant is one of the more sustainable careers. There are a variety of different accounting roles. From a traditional staff accountant all the way to being an Auditor, and everything in between, there are plenty of reasons to consider becoming an accountant. However, there is still an opportunity that is overlooked; the chance to continue your career and become an accounting controller. In order to decide if this advancement is right for you, we are first going to look at what an accounting controller is.

What is an Accounting Controller?

A simple definition of a controller is simply this; Mitchell Grant puts it this way,, “A controller is an individual who has responsibility for all accounting-related activities, including high-level accounting, managerial accounting, and finance activities, within a company”. To put it plainly, an accounting controller is in charge of all things accounting within the company they work for.

Oftentimes, accounting controllers work hand-in-hand with the company’s chief financial officer, or CFO. And in smaller business, the two roles are sometimes combined. The accounting controller has many roles. They will oversee the general ledger and financial statements, as well as payroll, accounts receiving, and more.

For more information on the various roles of an accounting controller, you can read more here.

After looking at the different roles and tasks of an accounting controller, it is time to look at the average salary. To better understand the difference between salaries, let’s look at the average salary of an accountant with a bachelor’s degree, which is around $75,000. On the other hand, the average starting salary of an accounting controller is almost $100,000 per year. Within the first year of a controller, you would be able to pay for your master’s education based simply on the difference in pay. Now let’s look at how to become a controller.

How to Become an Accounting Controller

As with any journey towards advancement, the first step is school. For those who are wanting to become a controller but do not carry a Master’s degree, you would have to look at what school best fits your needs. A Master’s in Business Administration or Accounting, are the most preferable degrees. Another way to further your accounting career is to acquire experience from a variety of different accounting roles.

Is This the Right Fit for You?

There is a lot to consider when it comes to furthering your accounting career. One of them is simply to see if this fits in your career plan and future. There is a great need for accounting controllers. With more and more business starting across the world, as well as the ever changing globalization of the field of business, there are plenty of reasons to take a chance on yourself and your career. There are so many ways you can use your accounting degree. If you find yourself looking for the next “big thing” then maybe it is time to go after something big; by becoming an accounting controller. At the end of the day, if you are motivated, relationship orientated, and reliable, then you should consider continuing your accounting career.