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The differences between managers/finance accounting and cost accounting managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-8 years to become both a manager/finance accounting and a cost accounting manager. Additionally, a manager/finance accounting has an average salary of $91,315, which is higher than the $89,286 average annual salary of a cost accounting manager.
The top three skills for a manager/finance accounting include customer service, CPA and GAAP. The most important skills for a cost accounting manager are variance analysis, financial analysis, and reconciliations.
| Manager/Finance Accounting | Cost Accounting Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $91,315 | $89,286 |
| Hourly rate | $43.90 | $42.93 |
| Growth rate | 17% | 17% |
| Number of jobs | 132,824 | 61,135 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 74% | Bachelor's Degree, 78% |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Years of experience | 8 | 8 |
A manager of finance accounting's role is to oversee the financial activities in a company or organization. Their responsibilities revolve around coordinating with other departments to gather financial data, analyze the revenues and expenditures, and develop written reports and presentations. A manager of finance accounting must also maintain accurate financial records, identify any errors or inconsistencies, and perform support tasks for staff when necessary. Furthermore, as a manager, it is essential to lead and encourage the team, all while implementing the company's policies and regulations.
A cost accounting manager is responsible for analyzing and evaluating pricing and costing systems of the goods and services of an organization, ensuring its adherence to the internal guidelines and state regulations. Cost accounting managers review business and financial transactions to generate accounting reports for management reference. They also identify business opportunities that would provide revenue resources and profits by monitoring industry trends and public demands. A cost accounting manager must have excellent analytical skills and accounting principles knowledge, especially in resolving account and expense discrepancies.
Managers/finance accounting and cost accounting managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Manager/Finance Accounting | Cost Accounting Manager | |
| Average salary | $91,315 | $89,286 |
| Salary range | Between $65,000 And $127,000 | Between $67,000 And $118,000 |
| Highest paying City | New York, NY | Boston, MA |
| Highest paying state | Connecticut | Connecticut |
| Best paying company | Mayo Clinic | Microsoft |
| Best paying industry | Government | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a manager/finance accounting and a cost accounting manager in terms of educational background:
| Manager/Finance Accounting | Cost Accounting Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 74% | Bachelor's Degree, 78% |
| Most common major | Accounting | Accounting |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between managers/finance accounting' and cost accounting managers' demographics:
| Manager/Finance Accounting | Cost Accounting Manager | |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 54.9% Female, 45.1% | Male, 71.7% Female, 28.3% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 7.5% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 14.4% Asian, 10.1% White, 63.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% | Black or African American, 7.6% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 14.6% Asian, 9.2% White, 64.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |