Cost controller vs certified public accountant

The differences between cost controllers and certified public 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 controller and a certified public accountant. Additionally, a cost controller has an average salary of $76,697, which is higher than the $76,693 average annual salary of a certified public accountant.

The top three skills for a cost controller include project management, cost analysis and financial statements. The most important skills for a certified public accountant are CPA, customer service, and IRS.

Cost controller vs certified public accountant overview

	Cost Controller	Certified Public Accountant
Yearly salary	$76,697	$76,693
Hourly rate	$36.87	$36.87
Growth rate	6%	6%
Number of jobs	17,477	78,792
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 70%	Bachelor's Degree, 69%
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 a certified public accountant do?

A certified public accountant (CPA) acts as an advisor to small businesses and chief financial officers to Fortune 500 companies. They typically work for both small and large public accounting firms. They offer advice on many issues, such as accounting and taxation. They aid businesses and individuals to plan and achieve their financial goals. There are several requirements to become a CPA, including having a degree in accounting, passing the CPA examination, and obtaining a CPA license to practice.

Cost controller vs certified public accountant salary

Cost controllers and certified public accountants have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Cost Controller	Certified Public Accountant
Average salary	$76,697	$76,693
Salary range	Between $51,000 And $114,000	Between $49,000 And $119,000
Highest paying City	Sunnyvale, CA	Washington, DC
Highest paying state	Massachusetts	New Jersey
Best paying company	NOVA Chemicals	Applied Materials
Best paying industry	Energy	Finance

Differences between cost controller and certified public accountant education

There are a few differences between a cost controller and a certified public accountant in terms of educational background:

	Cost Controller	Certified Public Accountant
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 70%	Bachelor's Degree, 69%
Most common major	Accounting	Accounting
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Cost controller vs certified public accountant demographics

Here are the differences between cost controllers' and certified public accountants' demographics:

	Cost Controller	Certified Public Accountant
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 63.2% Female, 36.8%	Male, 43.2% Female, 56.8%
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, 8.5% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 10.8% Asian, 12.4% White, 64.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage	7%	7%

Differences between cost controller and certified public accountant 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.

Certified public accountant example responsibilities.

Mentor highly skil accounting and tax management team to achieve establish objectives including conformity with GAAP compliance.
Maintain monthly client bookkeeping including bank reconciliations, account payable and prepare preliminary financial statements for CPA review.
Conduct bookkeeping, bank reconciliations and generate general ledgers as well as raise concerns about expenditure classifications and revenue recognition.
Prepare and review month-end close, including journal entries, general ledger account reconciliations, and financial statement supporting documentation.
Gain a working knowledge of audit objectives and procedures in compliance with GAAP and GAAS.
Prepare and monitor audit programs, assist management in design and monitoring of SOX compliance programs.

Cost controller vs certified public accountant skills

Common cost controller skills

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

Common certified public accountant skills

CPA, 48%
Customer Service, 22%
IRS, 7%
State Tax Returns, 5%
Payroll Tax Returns, 2%
Financial Statement Preparation, 1%

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Cost Controller vs Certified Public Accountant

Updated January 8, 2025

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