Cost controller vs cost accountant

The differences between cost controllers 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 controller and a cost accountant. Additionally, a cost controller has an average salary of $76,697, which is higher than the $60,528 average annual salary of a cost accountant.

The top three skills for a cost controller include project management, cost analysis and financial statements. The most important skills for a cost accountant are reconciliations, variance analysis, and GAAP.

Cost controller vs cost accountant overview

	Cost Controller	Cost Accountant
Yearly salary	$76,697	$60,528
Hourly rate	$36.87	$29.10
Growth rate	6%	6%
Number of jobs	17,477	39,925
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 70%	Bachelor's Degree, 77%
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 cost accountant do?

A cost accountant specializes in determining the total cost incurred by a company from producing goods and services. Through the various financial data they collect, the cost accountant will devise plans and strategies that will be a vital factor in the next budget and marketing preparations of a company. Aside from this, a cost accountant is responsible for various tasks such as conducting research and analysis in different areas, keeping financial records and inventory, producing financial reports involving profitability and expenditures, and proposing a budget and other financial plans.

Cost controller vs cost accountant salary

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

	Cost Controller	Cost Accountant
Average salary	$76,697	$60,528
Salary range	Between $51,000 And $114,000	Between $45,000 And $81,000
Highest paying City	Sunnyvale, CA	Edison, NJ
Highest paying state	Massachusetts	New Jersey
Best paying company	NOVA Chemicals	Google
Best paying industry	Energy	Energy

Differences between cost controller and cost accountant education

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

	Cost Controller	Cost Accountant
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 70%	Bachelor's Degree, 77%
Most common major	Accounting	Accounting
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Cost controller vs cost accountant demographics

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

	Cost Controller	Cost Accountant
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 63.2% Female, 36.8%	Male, 52.6% Female, 47.4%
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, 12.2% White, 63.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage	7%	7%

Differences between cost controller and cost 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.

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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.

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Cost controller vs cost 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 cost accountant skills

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

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Updated January 8, 2025

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