Controller job description: duties, skills and qualifications.

Core duties

13

O*NET task statements

Preparation

Job Zone 4 of 5

considerable preparation

Typical entry education

Bachelor's degree

BLS 2025–35 · broader occupation

Median pay

$166,570

BLS May 2025 · broader occupation

Data Government data groups this job as Treasurers and Controllers (O*NET-SOC 11-3031.01; BLS series “Financial Managers”). O*NET figures on this page are for that occupation; BLS pay and projections are for the broader BLS occupation, labelled where shown.

1. Monitor financial activities and details, such as cash flow and reserve levels, to ensure that all legal and regulatory requirements are met. importance 4.4 of 5
2. Evaluate needs for procurement of funds and investment of surpluses and make appropriate recommendations. importance 4.3 of 5
3. Develop and maintain relationships with banking, insurance, and external accounting personnel to facilitate financial activities. importance 4.2 of 5
4. Delegate authority for the receipt, disbursement, banking, protection, and custody of funds, securities, and financial instruments. importance 4.2 of 5
5. Receive, record, and authorize requests for disbursements in accordance with company policies and procedures. importance 4.1 of 5
6. Advise management on short-term and long-term financial objectives, policies, and actions. importance 4.0 of 5
7. Coordinate and direct the financial planning, budgeting, procurement, or investment activities of all or part of an organization. importance 3.9 of 5
8. Prepare or direct preparation of financial statements, business activity reports, financial position forecasts, annual budgets, or reports required by regulatory agencies. importance 3.8 of 5
9. Develop internal control policies, guidelines, and procedures for activities, such as budget administration, cash and credit management, and accounting. importance 3.7 of 5
10. Receive cash and checks and make deposits. importance 3.5 of 5
11. Analyze the financial details of past, present, and expected operations to identify development opportunities and areas where improvement is needed. importance 3.5 of 5
12. Maintain current knowledge of organizational policies and procedures, federal and state policies and directives, and current accounting standards. importance 3.5 of 5
13. Monitor and evaluate the performance of accounting and other financial staff, recommending and implementing personnel actions, such as promotions and dismissals. importance 3.5 of 5

Work activities O*NET rates most important here: Working with Computers, Making Decisions and Solving Problems, Getting Information, Analyzing Data or Information and Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates.

Also part of the job

Supplemental tasks O*NET lists for this occupation: less central than the core duties above, and not done in every job.

• Prepare and file annual tax returns or prepare financial information so that outside accountants can complete tax returns.
• Supervise employees performing financial reporting, accounting, billing, collections, payroll, and budgeting duties.
• Compute, withhold, and account for all payroll deductions.
• Handle all aspects of employee insurance, benefits, and casualty programs, including monitoring changes in health insurance regulations and creating budgets for benefits and worker's compensation.
• Conduct or coordinate audits of company accounts and financial transactions to ensure compliance with state and federal requirements and statutes.
• Perform tax planning work.

Knowledge areas: Economics and Accounting, Administration and Management, Mathematics, English Language and Computers and Electronics.

Software O*NET lists for this occupation: Intuit QuickBooks, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Office software, Microsoft PowerPoint, SAP software, Hypertext markup language HTML. These are examples O*NET records for the job, not a list of tools every employer uses or a checklist of what you must know.

• Education: BLS lists a bachelor's degree as the typical entry-level education for the broader occupation.
• Experience: BLS lists 5 years or more of work experience in a related occupation as typical.
• Training on the job: BLS lists no typical on-the-job training once hired.
• Preparation: O*NET places the job in Job Zone 4 of 5 (considerable preparation). A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations.
• Licenses and certifications: not listed here. A license is a legal requirement set by a state; a certification is a credential from a private or professional body. Rules vary by state and employer, and a missing entry on this page does not mean none is required: check with your state's licensing board and see how to become a controller.

In O*NET's data, “bachelor's degree” and “master's degree” were reported equally often (48% each) by O*NET's occupation experts for this occupation, so no single level is the most common.

Job title: Controller
[Company] · [City, State] · [Full-time or part-time] · [Pay range, where your state requires one]

About the role
[Company] is hiring a Controller to direct financial activities, such as planning, procurement, and investments for all or part of an organization.
[One sentence on your team and why this role matters.]

What you will do
- Monitor financial activities and details, such as cash flow and reserve levels, to ensure that all legal and regulatory requirements are met.
- Evaluate needs for procurement of funds and investment of surpluses and make appropriate recommendations.
- Develop and maintain relationships with banking, insurance, and external accounting personnel to facilitate financial activities.
- Delegate authority for the receipt, disbursement, banking, protection, and custody of funds, securities, and financial instruments.
- Receive, record, and authorize requests for disbursements in accordance with company policies and procedures.
- Advise management on short-term and long-term financial objectives, policies, and actions.
- Coordinate and direct the financial planning, budgeting, procurement, or investment activities of all or part of an organization.
- Prepare or direct preparation of financial statements, business activity reports, financial position forecasts, annual budgets, or reports required by regulatory agencies.

What we are looking for
- [Education: BLS lists a bachelor's degree as typical for this occupation; set the level this role truly needs]
- [Experience: BLS lists 5 years or more in a related occupation as typical; adjust to this role]
- Strength in complex problem solving, judgment and decision making and management of financial resources
- Working knowledge of Economics and Accounting and Administration and Management
- [Software your team uses, e.g. Intuit QuickBooks or Microsoft Excel]
- [Any license or certification your state or company requires]

[Schedule, benefits and how to apply]

Illustrative: every name, employer, school, date and number in these samples is fictional or a bracketed placeholder. Replace each bracket with your own true details; never copy a result you did not achieve.

Not a real job posting. This template is TryHired's illustration built from government occupational data. It is not an opening at any employer, and no employer wrote it.

For the broader BLS occupation Financial Managers, the median annual wage was $166,570 in May 2025. The broader occupation's median hourly wage was $80.08.

BLS counts the O*NET occupation Treasurers and Controllers within Financial Managers and publishes no separate wage for it, so the figure is for that broader occupation.

BLS projects employment in the broader occupation Financial managers to grow 9.7% from 2025 to 2035, with about 65,600 openings a year over that period, including openings to replace workers who leave.

See the full controller salary breakdown by percentile, state and metro.

• Read a real controller posting next to the core duties above. Duties it repeats, such as “Monitor financial activities and details, such as cash flow and…”, tell you what that employer weighs most; anything it adds is specific to that team.
• Tailor your resume to the posting, not to this page: describe only controller work you have actually done, with your own results.
• Prepare a story for each of the top-rated skills (complex problem solving and judgment and decision making); controller interview questions turns them into practice questions.