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Job outlook for cost accounting supervisors in the United States
Cost accounting supervisor job growth summary. After extensive research, interviews, and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
The projected cost accounting supervisor job growth rate is 6% from 2018-2028.
About 81,800 new jobs for cost accounting supervisors are projected over the next decade.
Cost accounting supervisor salaries have increased 8% for cost accounting supervisors in the last 5 years.
There are over 37,346 cost accounting supervisors currently employed in the United States.
There are 32,987 active cost accounting supervisor job openings in the US.
The average cost accounting supervisor salary is $103,066.
Are cost accounting supervisor jobs in demand?
Cost accounting supervisor job and salary trends over time
Cost accounting supervisor jobs over time
Cost accounting supervisor job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 37,346 | 0.01% |
| 2020 | 36,343 | 0.01% |
| 2019 | 36,662 | 0.01% |
| 2018 | 36,086 | 0.01% |
| 2017 | 35,616 | 0.01% |
Average cost accounting supervisor salary over time
Cost accounting supervisor salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $103,066 | $49.55 | +2.8% |
| 2024 | $100,250 | $48.20 | +1.5% |
| 2023 | $98,779 | $47.49 | +1.7% |
| 2022 | $97,168 | $46.72 | +1.8% |
| 2021 | $95,486 | $45.91 | +1.4% |
Cost accounting supervisor jobs by state
Most common states for cost accounting supervisors
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 141 | 20% |
| 2 | Montana | 1,050,493 | 92 | 9% |
| 3 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 461 | 7% |
| 4 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 368 | 7% |
| 5 | Delaware | 961,939 | 66 | 7% |
| 6 | Colorado | 5,607,154 | 350 | 6% |
| 7 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 77 | 6% |
| 8 | California | 39,536,653 | 1,840 | 5% |
| 9 | Illinois | 12,802,023 | 700 | 5% |
| 10 | Virginia | 8,470,020 | 403 | 5% |
| 11 | Maryland | 6,052,177 | 320 | 5% |
| 12 | Oregon | 4,142,776 | 201 | 5% |
| 13 | Connecticut | 3,588,184 | 179 | 5% |
| 14 | Iowa | 3,145,711 | 157 | 5% |
| 15 | Utah | 3,101,833 | 141 | 5% |
| 16 | Nebraska | 1,920,076 | 89 | 5% |
| 17 | Rhode Island | 1,059,639 | 50 | 5% |
| 18 | Washington | 7,405,743 | 285 | 4% |
| 19 | Arizona | 7,016,270 | 263 | 4% |
| 20 | Wisconsin | 5,795,483 | 213 | 4% |
Most common cities for cost accounting supervisors
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Eden Prairie | 1 | 2% | $91,782 |
Cost Accounting Supervisor job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of cost accounting supervisor experts
University of Arkansas
The University of Scranton
Case Western Reserve University
Case Western Reserve University
DePaul University
California State University San Marcos
Loyola University Maryland
Widener University
South College
Rhode Island College
Red Rocks Community College
Fairfield University
Edmonds Community College
California State University - Chico
Kris Allee Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Doyle Z. Williams Chair in Professional AccountingUniversity of Arkansas
Accounting Department
What skills stand out on Cost Accounting Supervisor resumes?
Kris Allee Ph.D.: Generally, prior experience working with US GAAP for financial reporting purposes, knowledge of regulatory standards, and the ability to reconcile accounts are necessary. Most successful candidates would likely be CPAs and have several years of work experience, sufficient general business knowledge, and have some degree of software proficiency. Abilities such as data analysis and critical thinking would be key as well. Some employers prefer accounting manager candidates who hold a master's degree to signify the level of skills and knowledge they have acquired.
What skills will help Cost Accounting Supervisors earn the most?
Kris Allee Ph.D.: Certainly, passing the CPA exam is a must, as it is considered a necessary condition for advancement. Passing the exam also helps certify the minimum level of skills the person may possess. Financial analysis skills are also highly valued and hard to find in the average staff accountant. These skills traditionally would include computing, quantitative analysis, and understanding forecasting techniques and limitations. Finally, communication skills and the ability to effectively manage expectations and projects are what make an accountant indispensable and valuable to a firm.
Dr. Douglas Boyle
Chair & Professor, Director, Doctorate in Business Administration Program , Director, Nonprofit Leadership ProgramThe University of Scranton
Accounting Department
What skills stand out on Cost Accounting Supervisor resumes?
Dr. Douglas Boyle: Accounting is a very technical profession, so any credential that shows you have an advanced level of knowledge makes a candidate stand out. Accountants have many opportunities to pursue credentials. A Certified Public Accountant (CPA) is the only accounting credential that is a license from the state. If you hold a CPA, the AICPA offers six specialty credentials to consider pursuing, including Certified Information Technology Professional (CITP), Chartered Global Management Accountant (CGMA), Accredited in Business Valuation (ABV), Certified in Financial Forensics (CFF), Personal Financial Specialist (PFS), and Certified in Entity and Intangible Valuations (CEIV). Three other organizations to consider that do not require a CPA to pursue are the Institute of Management Accountants (IMA), Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA), and the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE). The IMA offers two credentials, the Certified Management Accountant (CMA) and Certified in Strategy and Competitive Analysis (CSCA). The IIA offers six credentialling opportunities, the Certified Internal Auditor (CIA), Certification in Risk Management Assurance (CRMA), Qualification in Internal Audit Leadership (QIAL), Certified Process Safety Auditor (CPSA), and Certified Professional Environmental Auditor (CPEA). Last, the ACFE offers the Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE). These opportunities enable accountants to specialize in several areas and provide opportunities to stand out. Our research shows that in addition to technical skills, soft skills are very important as you move to higher levels of a firm or organization.
What soft skills should all Cost Accounting Supervisors possess?
Dr. Douglas Boyle: Our research shows that achieving a high level of emotional intelligence is viewed as most important by senior accounting professionals. Emotional intelligence is made up of self-awareness that includes emotional awareness and self-confidence. Self-management includes self-control, trustworthiness, conscientiousness, adaptability, and innovation. Social awareness includes empathy and organizational awareness. Relationship management includes influence, conflict management, teamwork, leadership, and communication. While it is important to work on all these skills, the three that are deemed most critical for accounting professionals are trustworthiness, conscientiousness, teamwork, and communication.
Thomas King
Department Chair, Director, Master of Accountancy Program, Professor, AccountancyCase Western Reserve University
Accountancy Department
What skills stand out on Cost Accounting Supervisor resumes?
Thomas King: Evidence that someone is smart is a fast learner and works well with others.
What soft skills should all Cost Accounting Supervisors possess?
Thomas King: The ability to develop working relationships with a wide range of colleagues who have diverse skills.
What hard/technical skills are most important for Cost Accounting Supervisors?
Thomas King: The ability to extract information from unfamiliar data sets and then explain conclusions reached in a clear, persuasive manner.
What skills will help Cost Accounting Supervisors earn the most?
Thomas King: The ability to lead others to bring about intended change.
Thomas King
Department Chair, Director, Master of Accountancy Program, Professor, AccountancyCase Western Reserve University
Accountancy Department
What general advice would you give to a Cost Accounting Supervisor?
Thomas King: Be dependable. Reputations form quickly after people join organizations. A newly hired professional who demonstrates the ability to get things done rapidly and accurately will soon become a "go-to" person when new opportunities arise. Such exposure early in a career is invaluable.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Cost Accounting Supervisors?
Delvin Grant: Yes. I strongly believe coronavirus will have a lasting impact on new graduates. A increasing paradigm shift is taking place as we speak, as some IT-related jobs can be done remotely. I expect the shift to continue until a steady state condition is achieved, when companies feel they have the right mix of remote and face-to-face employment. Some companies may resist the trend, valuing face-to-face over remote working. Face-to-face satisfies a human need to socialize and, in some cultures, much business is done by face-to-face. There is evidence of a paradigm shift as many IT employees work remotely, due to the pandemic. Some companies have realized the shift is here to stay and others take a wait and see attitude. It is hard not to recognize the shift as there are cost saving from office rent, office space, heating, cooling, computing cost, travel costs, etc. The impact will vary by profession. IT and other professions are a natural fit for remote working while others are not. For example, a chemist working in a lab environment cannot work from home as his lab is the only place to mix and experiment with chemicals and chemistry.
What's a good job out of college for Cost Accounting Supervisors?
Delvin Grant: To answer this question, I am assuming a COVID-19 environment. We know most jobs can be carried out in a face-to-face mode, but if this is not possible in a COVID environment, then it is difficult to consider those jobs as good jobs. Therefore, a good job is one that can be easily carried out in a COVID environment so MIS, IT, Computer Science, and similar professions that fit a remote working mode are excellent jobs.
What technical skills for a Cost Accounting Supervisor stand out to employers?
Jolynn Zhou Ph.D.: This may be surprising to some business school students, but Excel skill is very important and highly valued by employers. In recent years, data analytics is becoming more and more important. Many business schools and accounting programs are beginning of offer this course.
Dr. JP Krahel Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Accounting, Accounting Department ChairLoyola University Maryland
Accounting Department
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Cost Accounting Supervisor job market given the pandemic?
Dr. JP Krahel Ph.D.: Given that working from home is becoming a more acceptable thing, I think you'll find geographically broader competition for what were previously local jobs. "Oh, you live in Denver? Well, we have a need for your skill set in Tampa. Do you mind working full-time from home?"
The pandemic will also likely accelerate pre-existing pushes toward automation and outsourcing. This may mean fewer jobs, but jobs that require higher-level thinking. Analytical, communication, and interpersonal skills will be more valued.
A less exciting trend that I've observed is higher turnover. One downside to the work-from-home scenario is a much lower affinity for the workplace, and a diminished sense of employer-employee connection You're also losing the soft skills that come with daily interaction, something that can't be properly replicated over a computer screen.
What technical skills for a Cost Accounting Supervisor stand out to employers?
Dr. JP Krahel Ph.D.: First, Excel. It's the most basic, essential tool for the accounting professional. If you can come in on Day 1 knowing essential keyboard shortcuts, proper formula and reference use, and how to format a spreadsheet properly, you'll have an immediate advantage over your peers.
Second, believe it or not, is writing. People think that accounting is all about numbers, but really, it's less about the math (which Excel does for you) and more about being able to explain the deeper meaning behind the results. Can you explain complex depreciation methods to an audit client? Give bad news to a tax client in an understandable way? These are big deals.
Third is data analytics. Given the immense volume of data now available to firms, someone who can extract, clean, and present that data using modern software tools will have an edge. It's really another form of communication, and one that early-career accounting professionals would do well to familiarize themselves with before entering the workforce.
What's a good job out of college for Cost Accounting Supervisors?
Dr. JP Krahel Ph.D.: Entry-level auditor or tax accountant at a public accounting firm. Pandemic or no pandemic, these are the jobs that give you a cross-sectional, top-to-bottom view of an entire company, coworkers who know the ropes and are willing to teach you on the job, and the kind of experience that future employers value dearly. There's a reason so many of my own students launch their careers at public accounting firms, regardless of where they end up years later.
Joseph Hargadon Ph.D.
Department Head, Accounting, Economics & Finance, Professor of AccountingWidener University
Department Head of Accounting, Economics & Finance
What general advice would you give to a Cost Accounting Supervisor?
Joseph Hargadon Ph.D.: Even during pre-pandemic times, I provide the following recommendations to my accounting graduates as they begin their careers. I expect that they all will work hard, be motivated and follow directions, but I always add the following:
-Be a team player.
Their ability to work well with others, even in a remote culture, will continue to be valuable. In particular, they will need to enhance their ability to collaborate in a digital environment
-Continue to be an effective time manager. Being able to prioritize and multi-task in an efficient manner will lead to a better work-life balance.
-Be adaptable and willing to change as needed. As we know change is the one constant in today's post-digital workplace.
-Have a great attitude 100% of the time.
Volunteer for additional assignments, admit your mistakes, commend your colleagues and don't be a "whiner".
Note: If you number our alphabet from 1 to 16 (A = 1, B = 2, Z= 26, etc.), you will find that the numbers that correspond to the letters in the word "ATTITUDE" add up exactly to 100%.
A T T I T U D E
1
+ 20 +
20 + 9
+ 20 +
21 + 4
+ 5 = 100%
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Cost Accounting Supervisor job market given the pandemic?
D. Pace Porter: I believe the need for accounting and financial expertise will even be greater as a result of the pandemic. First, the increased technical accounting and reporting requirements related to risks disclosures, impairment analysis and so forth, and the tax and compliance requirements as a result of the various Coronavirus relief and stimulus legislation, will prompt an increase in demand whether through in-house personnel or through CPA firms. Trends toward more technologically advanced graduates began before the pandemic but will accelerate as a result of it. More importantly, however, is the need for improving economic and operational efficiencies, and therefore cash flow, for businesses to continue as a going concern throughout this pandemic and position themselves for growth once things return to some sort of normal. Accounting and financial expertise has an increasingly important role to play here.
What general advice would you give to a Cost Accounting Supervisor?
D. Pace Porter: The accounting profession is made up of several disciplines and is inherent in all businesses from small and medium size to large, publicly traded global companies. You should have a solid idea of where you want to begin. Private industry accounting, which industry, general accounting or tax; or public accounting with a CPA firm and audit, tax or advisory services within that type organization? These are some of the questions that you must answer for yourself, as well as for the potential interviewer. You should have the information necessary to help you answer those after completing your degree and taking all of the required accounting courses. I would also advise you to focus on general skills such as written and oral communication, technology (Excel and beyond), attention to detail, time management and above all, professional integrity.
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Cost Accounting Supervisor job market given the pandemic?
Sean Cote: The biggest trends that we will see because of the pandemic is more remote jobs in the future. I know several professionals that are not going back to an office. They will continue to work from remote locations even once COVID-19 is over.
This trend continues to stress that college graduates be able to be flexible and willing to learn new technology. This trend also stresses that maybe you can have more options when it comes to one of your biggest expenses when you finish your college career... rent. You may now be able to live in lower cost of living areas and still move towards your career goals.
Janet Tarase
Lead Accounting Faculty / Accounting Department ChairRed Rocks Community College
Accounting Department
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Cost Accounting Supervisor job market given the pandemic?
Janet Tarase: Even though over 7 million people are currently unemployed, employers still need individuals to maintain their operations. Human Resource departments are recruiting individuals through social media platforms. My daughter works in HR recruiting and they only use LinkedIn. Companies are using video or phone interviews to select candidates. Which means that potential candidates have to communicate effectively and make a good first impression quickly.
Employers will be looking for individuals that have proven communication, organizational and time management skills that are able to work independently since telecommuting will be continuing in the future. Applicants will also need to have technological and critical thinking skills to manage the challenges presented while working from home. Because of the pandemic and so many of us having to work from home, companies may broaden their recruiting geography to find the best candidates out of state or in different time zones. Finally, employees need to be flexible and resilient - you never know what the next job requirement will demand.
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Cost Accounting Supervisor job market given the pandemic?
Kathi Mettler: The trend that we are seeing at Fairfield is that more people are pursuing graduate degrees (either going back to school or continuing after undergrad). The trend that I am seeing from the public accounting firms is that they are right-sizing and pushing out start dates into 2021 or early 2022. The accounting profession requires continuing professional education (CPE), so the pandemic has forced those CPE and other conferences and seminars to be online and virtual. I do believe folks will gravitate back to in-person learning and meetings once it is safe to do so, but some of these will remain online. Travel to visit clients has also stopped, so I believe that the amount of travel will be reduced going forward.
Natalie Burgos
Associate FacultyEdmonds Community College
Accounting Department
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Cost Accounting Supervisors to find work opportunities?
Natalie Burgos: I recommend searching for work opportunities on Indeed. From what I've noticed, there are new job opportunities that change every one to three days compared to other employment websites. Also, it's very convenient in many ways:
-Has an app that you can download on your iPhone, Android, or any smartphone.
-Saves documentation (resume, references, recommendation letters, and other supportive documents).
-Saves your profile (similar to LinkedIn profile) - important to change it if you're looking for a new job though!
I also recommend applying on the company's website as well after applying on Indeed. Some companies might advertise it on Indeed purposely. But some job advertisements might say, "Please apply on company website," even though there's an "apply now" button; that's probably because they don't know how to disable the "apply application button on Indeed.
What general advice would you give to a Cost Accounting Supervisor?
Gary P Braun: Always remember that your employer has a customer that they are trying to serve. They hired you to help them meet that customer's needs. So, to the extent possible, put yourself in the shoes of your employer in an attempt to anticipate the things that will help your employer meet the needs of the customer. For example, in public accounting, at the staff level there is likely to be a senior, manager, and partner on an engagement. It is probably easiest to think of how you can help the senior (essentially the person you report to) get their job done.