Head accountant vs senior cost accountant

The differences between head accountants and senior 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 head accountant and a senior cost accountant. Additionally, a head accountant has an average salary of $119,485, which is higher than the $65,824 average annual salary of a senior cost accountant.

The top three skills for a head accountant include account management, client relationships and business development. The most important skills for a senior cost accountant are reconciliations, variance analysis, and GAAP.

Head accountant vs senior cost accountant overview

	Head Accountant	Senior Cost Accountant
Yearly salary	$119,485	$65,824
Hourly rate	$57.44	$31.65
Growth rate	6%	6%
Number of jobs	43,069	45,010
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 63%	Bachelor's Degree, 79%
Average age	44	44
Years of experience	4	4

Head accountant vs senior cost accountant salary

Head accountants and senior cost accountants have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Head Accountant	Senior Cost Accountant
Average salary	$119,485	$65,824
Salary range	Between $73,000 And $194,000	Between $48,000 And $89,000
Highest paying City	Albany, NY	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	Massachusetts	New Jersey
Best paying company	Citi	OraSure Technologies
Best paying industry	Construction	Health Care

Differences between head accountant and senior cost accountant education

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

	Head Accountant	Senior Cost Accountant
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 63%	Bachelor's Degree, 79%
Most common major	Accounting	Accounting
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Head accountant vs senior cost accountant demographics

Here are the differences between head accountants' and senior cost accountants' demographics:

	Head Accountant	Senior Cost Accountant
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 51.1% Female, 48.9%	Male, 59.7% Female, 40.3%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 8.1% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 10.4% Asian, 16.0% White, 61.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%	Black or African American, 8.4% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 10.8% Asian, 12.3% White, 64.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage	7%	7%

Differences between head accountant and senior cost accountant duties and responsibilities

Head accountant example responsibilities.

Manage complex pricing structure and maintain SalesForce CRM funnel for forecasting accuracy.
Handle A/P, A/R, accruals, fix assets, and prepay items.
Analyze, audit and/or prepare monthly financial records for individual schools, monthly payroll liability reconciliations and account analysis.
Complete various questionnaires require by GAAP (e.g.
Complete third party billing for Medicaid and Medicare claims.
Prepare all tax reports and evaluate any discrepancies with company CPA.

Senior cost accountant example responsibilities.

Manage quarterly inventory reserves in accordance with company policy which follows GAAP guidance.
Prepare internal financial reports for treasury manage accounts include in external compliance reports.
Process month end close including journal entries, account reconciliations, variance analysis, financial statement preparation and corporate reporting.
Provide user training and technical support for ERP and payroll systems.
Implement process improvements for monthly close process and SOX documentation retention.
Complete account reconciliations in accordance with maintaining the integrity of assets and liabilities for balance sheet inventory accounts.

Head accountant vs senior cost accountant skills

Common head accountant skills

Account Management, 32%
Client Relationships, 10%
Business Development, 5%
National Accounts, 5%
General Ledger, 4%
Financial Reports, 3%

Common senior cost accountant skills

Reconciliations, 9%
Variance Analysis, 6%
GAAP, 5%
Account Reconciliations, 4%
SR, 4%
SOX, 3%

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Head Accountant vs Senior Cost Accountant

Updated January 8, 2025

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