Cost accounting supervisor vs cost accountant

The differences between cost accounting supervisors and cost accountants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a cost accounting supervisor and a cost accountant. Additionally, a cost accounting supervisor has an average salary of $103,066, which is higher than the $60,528 average annual salary of a cost accountant.

The top three skills for a cost accounting supervisor include reconciliations, financial reports and general ledger. The most important skills for a cost accountant are reconciliations, variance analysis, and GAAP.

Cost accounting supervisor vs cost accountant overview

	Cost Accounting Supervisor	Cost Accountant
Yearly salary	$103,066	$60,528
Hourly rate	$49.55	$29.10
Growth rate	6%	6%
Number of jobs	32,987	39,925
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 80%	Bachelor's Degree, 77%
Average age	44	44
Years of experience	4	4

Cost accounting supervisor vs cost accountant salary

Cost accounting supervisors and cost accountants have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Cost Accounting Supervisor	Cost Accountant
Average salary	$103,066	$60,528
Salary range	Between $78,000 And $135,000	Between $45,000 And $81,000
Highest paying City	-	Edison, NJ
Highest paying state	-	New Jersey
Best paying company	-	Google
Best paying industry	-	Energy

Differences between cost accounting supervisor and cost accountant education

There are a few differences between a cost accounting supervisor and a cost accountant in terms of educational background:

	Cost Accounting Supervisor	Cost Accountant
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 80%	Bachelor's Degree, 77%
Most common major	Accounting	Accounting
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Cost accounting supervisor vs cost accountant demographics

Here are the differences between cost accounting supervisors' and cost accountants' demographics:

	Cost Accounting Supervisor	Cost Accountant
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 71.0% Female, 29.0%	Male, 52.6% Female, 47.4%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 8.5% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 10.8% Asian, 12.2% White, 64.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%	Black or African American, 8.7% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 11.0% Asian, 12.2% White, 63.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage	7%	7%

Differences between cost accounting supervisor and cost accountant duties and responsibilities

Cost accounting supervisor example responsibilities.

Lead the development of annual standard costs and update the system for BOM changes.
Manage quarterly inventory reserves in accordance with company policy which follows GAAP guidance.
Perform all duties in accordance with GAAP, SOX, and corporate accounting policies and procedures.
Administer employee memberships to gyms, stock purchases and other company benefits through payroll deduction.
Work with auditors to ensure SOX controls are accurate and that company is in compliance with them.
Prepare several SOX compliance reports for cost, sales distribution, collection and any other area as required.

Cost accountant example responsibilities.

Manage ledgers and perform month end journal entries.
Manage the payroll with ADP system and account receivable.
Manage costing control as well as accounts payable (A/P) and accounts receivable (A/R).
Prepare internal financial reports for treasury manage accounts include in external compliance reports.
Prepare raw material and WIP inventory reconciliations.
Develop tracking of GAAP inventory valuation for all inventory inherit from the bankrupt former company.

Cost accounting supervisor vs cost accountant skills

Common cost accounting supervisor skills

Reconciliations, 9%
Financial Reports, 6%
General Ledger, 5%
ERP, 5%
External Auditors, 4%
Variance Analysis, 4%

Common cost accountant skills

Reconciliations, 9%
Variance Analysis, 6%
GAAP, 4%
Account Reconciliations, 3%
Cost Analysis, 3%
Financial Analysis, 3%

Cost Accounting Supervisor vs. similar jobs

Cost Accounting Supervisor related careers

Cost Accounting Supervisor related jobs

What similar roles do

Zippia Careers
Business and Financial Industry
Cost Accounting Supervisor
Cost Accounting Supervisor vs Cost Accountant

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse business and financial jobs