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A successful CFO needs to balance monetary and people needs in order to operate an efficient and profitable organization. 

The CFO may oversee various departments at the same time, including purchasing, investments, tax, debt management, accounts payable, accounts receivable, and pricing. 

To reach the highest level of financial responsibility in most companies, aspiring CFOs can take many different career paths. 

Payscale.com has created an excellent interactive CFO career paths chart, which we've embedded below. Hover over any of the roles to find your own path. 

The chart shows that the CFO role isn't necessarily defined by a financial track. An employee could begin their career in business development, non-profit work, account management, or a more traditional financial position. Some employees even choose to shift laterally from their CEO role to work in a more financial-facing position. 

Ultimately there is a lot of flexibility in how a CFO earns their role. Check out our article on the nine skills future CFOs need to become successful financial leaders. 

Find out how your salary stacks up on PayScale.

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