Cost controller vs accounting analyst

The differences between cost controllers and accounting analysts 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 controller and an accounting analyst. Additionally, a cost controller has an average salary of $76,697, which is higher than the $58,399 average annual salary of an accounting analyst.

The top three skills for a cost controller include project management, cost analysis and financial statements. The most important skills for an accounting analyst are reconciliations, customer service, and account reconciliations.

Cost controller vs accounting analyst overview

	Cost Controller	Accounting Analyst
Yearly salary	$76,697	$58,399
Hourly rate	$36.87	$28.08
Growth rate	6%	6%
Number of jobs	17,477	81,097
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 70%	Bachelor's Degree, 74%
Average age	44	44
Years of experience	4	4

What does a cost controller do?

A Cost Controller manages the project costs. Cost Controllers' tasks include developing, controlling, planning, and forecasting the project's budget. They make sure that projects are completed within the approved budget and minimize the deflection from it. Cost Controllers should know about total cost management concepts, budget distribution, and setting a cost limit. They should also know how to detect issues, analyze cost reports, and value management. Being a cost controller also requires skills to effectively communicate the project's cost performance, concerns, and recovery plans to the project team.

What does an accounting analyst do?

An accounting analyst is responsible for supporting the accounting operations of an organization, analyzing financial transactions and financial statements, and resolving account discrepancies. Accounting analysts interpret financial data by consolidating account transactions, performing account reconciliation, and managing account receivables. They also assist in preparing and releasing invoices, issuing billing statements, and creating comprehensive financial reports on the company's budget and expenses. An accounting analyst must have excellent knowledge of the accounting principles and disciplines, as well as extensive analytical and communication skills to perform duties and meet deadlines under minimal supervision.

Cost controller vs accounting analyst salary

Cost controllers and accounting analysts have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Cost Controller	Accounting Analyst
Average salary	$76,697	$58,399
Salary range	Between $51,000 And $114,000	Between $42,000 And $79,000
Highest paying City	Sunnyvale, CA	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	Massachusetts	New York
Best paying company	NOVA Chemicals	Google
Best paying industry	Energy	Finance

Differences between cost controller and accounting analyst education

There are a few differences between a cost controller and an accounting analyst in terms of educational background:

	Cost Controller	Accounting Analyst
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 70%	Bachelor's Degree, 74%
Most common major	Accounting	Accounting
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Cost controller vs accounting analyst demographics

Here are the differences between cost controllers' and accounting analysts' demographics:

	Cost Controller	Accounting Analyst
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 63.2% Female, 36.8%	Male, 41.6% Female, 58.4%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 8.8% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 11.2% Asian, 13.4% White, 62.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%	Black or African American, 8.7% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 11.0% Asian, 14.3% White, 61.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage	7%	7%

Differences between cost controller and accounting analyst duties and responsibilities

Cost controller example responsibilities.

Improve project process by developing and implementing cost structure, then manage job-specific code of accounts for WBS approvals.
Manage treasury, open several new accounts, establish new procedures and controls, monitor daily activity.
Prepare monthly write-ups reports for the cost performance and EAC forecast
Identify wrongly charge WBS in order to control the budget release under each WBS element.
Facilitate capital project team's operating expense budgets, forecast, variance comments, accruals, and reporting.
Analyze purchase order commitment to calculate accruals.

Accounting analyst example responsibilities.

Manage and process all ACH, EFT and wire transfer transactions daily (debit or credits).
Manage reconciling monthly discrepancies between ERP transfers.
Manage budget submissions by subsidiaries in Europe/AFNE region in Hyperion.
Establish investment objectives to efficiently manage IPO proceeds within state risk parameters.
Maintain accounting controls by following GAAP and internal accounting policies; maintain financial security by following internal controls.
Review and approve monthly general ledger and bank account reconciliations for special condition accounts to ensure procedural consistency and compliance.

Cost controller vs accounting analyst skills

Common cost controller skills

Project Management, 11%
Cost Analysis, 7%
Financial Statements, 6%
Cost Estimates, 6%
Variance Analysis, 5%
Cost Data, 5%

Common accounting analyst skills

Reconciliations, 12%
Customer Service, 7%
Account Reconciliations, 6%
GAAP, 5%
Strong Analytical, 4%
Payroll, 4%

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Cost Controller vs Accounting Analyst

Updated January 8, 2025

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