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Career

Treasurers and Controllers

Typical education: Bachelor's degreeModerate pressure Bright Outlook

What they do

Direct financial activities, such as planning, procurement, and investments for all or part of an organization.

Kinds of work

  • Conventional: Organizing information, following clear procedures and working with data and details.
  • Enterprising: Leading, persuading, selling and starting new projects or businesses.

Moderate pressure: How much pressure workers in this job report: deadlines, conflict, dealing with upset people, the cost of mistakes, responsibility for others' safety, competition and long hours. It varies a lot from one employer to the next. Source: U.S. Department of Labor worker surveys.

Pay, tasks and more

Salary

United States $166,570 Median per year · $80.08/hr Most earn $94,310–$323,270

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025.

What you might do

  • Advise management on short-term and long-term financial objectives, policies, and actions.
  • 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.
  • Delegate authority for the receipt, disbursement, banking, protection, and custody of funds, securities, and financial instruments.
  • Compute, withhold, and account for all payroll deductions.
  • Monitor financial activities and details, such as cash flow and reserve levels, to ensure that all legal and regulatory requirements are met.
  • Develop internal control policies, guidelines, and procedures for activities, such as budget administration, cash and credit management, and accounting.

Job outlook

Bright Outlook Rapid Growth

United States
10% more jobs by 2035, much faster than average · about 65,600 openings a year

Openings include new jobs and jobs left by workers who retire or change careers. Projections: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. "Bright Outlook": U.S. Department of Labor.

Where they work

  • Credit intermediation and related activities13.3%
  • Management of companies and enterprises9.9%
  • Securities, commodity contracts, and other financial investments and related activities8.1%
  • Accounting, tax preparation, bookkeeping, and payroll services7.0%
  • Local government, excluding education and hospitals2.9%

Share of all workers in this career. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Employment Matrix.

Experience before this job: 8 to 10 years

Career path

How people usually get into this career, from school to their first job and beyond.

Typical education: Bachelor's degreeExperience before this job: 8 to 10 years

This is not an entry-level job. Most people reach it after a bachelor's degree and roughly 8 to 10 years of related work experience, so expect about a decade or more of work after school. Finance or accounting experience builds the skills you need.

  1. Bachelor's degree in accounting, finance, or business

    4 years

    You learn core finance, accounting, and economics, which form the base for every step after this.

  2. Accountant

    3-4 years

    You learn to keep financial records, prepare reports, and follow accounting rules, which builds the detail-level skills that managers depend on.

  3. Financial Manager

    4-5 years

    You take on planning, budgeting, and oversight of financial teams, which prepares you to lead a company's money decisions.

  4. Treasurer or Controller

    Ongoing once you reach the role

    You direct the organization's cash, investments, procurement, or accounting operations, which is the core of this career.

Where it can lead

  1. Chief Financial Officer

    5+ years as a Treasurer or Controller of experience first

    You oversee all of a company's financial strategy and report to top leadership, which requires broader business judgment and a strong record of results.

  2. Chief Executive

    Over 10 years of experience, often with a master's degree of experience first

    You run the whole organization, which usually requires experience across many parts of a business and often an advanced degree.

What you can do now

Ideas for high school and college students.

In high school

  • Take math classes, especially statistics or algebraStrong math skills make accounting and finance courses in college much easier.
  • Join a business club or DECA-style organizationThese clubs teach budgeting, presenting, and teamwork, all useful in finance careers.
  • Manage money for a club or teamServing as treasurer of a school group gives you real experience tracking funds and reporting to others.
  • Get a starter job that handles moneyWorking at a store or food place teaches cash handling, accuracy, and responsibility.
  • Learn spreadsheetsPracticing basic formulas and charts builds a skill you will use in almost every finance role.

In college

  • Major in accounting, finance, or businessThese majors cover the core knowledge you need to move into accountant and financial manager roles.
  • Pursue a finance or accounting internshipInternships give you real work experience and often lead to entry-level jobs after graduation.
  • Take a campus job in the business office or bursar's officeWorking with budgets and payments gives you practical exposure to how organizations handle money.
  • Join a finance or accounting student organizationThese groups offer networking, guest speakers, and sometimes case competitions that build useful skills.
  • Start an introductory professional certification pathEarly certifications, such as those offered for bookkeeping or entry-level accounting, can strengthen your resume before you graduate.

Tips for getting started

  • Pick up hands-on experience early, such as a part-time bookkeeping job, an internship in accounting or finance, or helping a local club manage its money.
  • Get comfortable with spreadsheets and basic accounting software, since nearly every finance role uses them every day.
  • Build communication skills by presenting ideas in class or clubs, because treasurers and controllers must explain numbers clearly to non-finance leaders.

Related jobs that often lead here

Related jobs a step up

Education, experience and related careers: U.S. Department of Labor. The step-by-step path, where it can lead and what you can do now were written by AI as typical examples; many people take other ways.

College majors that lead here

Majors: U.S. Department of Education and BLS (CIP–SOC crosswalk). Earnings and debt: College Scorecard, typical across U.S. colleges.

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