Cost controller vs staff accountant

The differences between cost controllers and staff 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 staff accountant. Additionally, a cost controller has an average salary of $76,697, which is higher than the $54,216 average annual salary of a staff accountant.

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

Cost controller vs staff accountant overview

	Cost Controller	Staff Accountant
Yearly salary	$76,697	$54,216
Hourly rate	$36.87	$26.07
Growth rate	6%	6%
Number of jobs	17,477	115,930
Job satisfaction	-	4
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 70%	Bachelor's Degree, 76%
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 staff accountant do?

Staff accountants are employees who are part of the company's accounting department. They are usually certified public accountants (CPAs). Staff accountants should be familiar with accounting tasks. Previous accounting experiences play a huge advantage in their success. They perform a variety of accounting responsibilities such as information verification and analysis, financial report preparation and presentation, financial account reconciliation, billing and payment receiving activities, vendor database management, and invoice processing requirements. They should also know how to do bookkeeping. Staff accountants should have good communication skills, analytical skills, and decision-making skills. They should also be organized and trustworthy since they will be handling confidential information.

Cost controller vs staff accountant salary

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

	Cost Controller	Staff Accountant
Average salary	$76,697	$54,216
Salary range	Between $51,000 And $114,000	Between $42,000 And $68,000
Highest paying City	Sunnyvale, CA	Washington, DC
Highest paying state	Massachusetts	New York
Best paying company	NOVA Chemicals	Meta
Best paying industry	Energy	Government

Differences between cost controller and staff accountant education

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

	Cost Controller	Staff Accountant
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 70%	Bachelor's Degree, 76%
Most common major	Accounting	Accounting
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Cost controller vs staff accountant demographics

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

	Cost Controller	Staff Accountant
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, 8.5% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 10.8% Asian, 14.4% White, 61.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage	7%	7%

Differences between cost controller and staff 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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Staff accountant example responsibilities.

Manage and monitor accounting procedures for compliance with Sarbanes-Oxley and coordinate and facilitate external audit requirements.
Contribute revenue accruals using job cost system, fix assets including reclassification, reconciliation and depreciation.
Prepare month-end journal entries and assist in compilation of financial statements, reconcile bank statements and general ledgers.
Complete audit-quality account reconciliations monthly for balance sheet accounts including the capital projects in progress accounts and miscellaneous revenue accounts.
Assume responsibility for cash management encompassing wire and ACH transfers processing, bank activity confirmation, and monthly bank account reconciliations.
Handle all A/R and A/P, payroll, change orders, collections, lien placement and release, vendor account management.

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Cost controller vs staff 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 staff accountant skills

Reconciliations, 15%
Account Reconciliations, 7%
GAAP, 6%
General Ledger Accounts, 4%
External Auditors, 4%
Internal Controls, 4%

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Updated January 8, 2025

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