Staff accountant vs cost accountant

The differences between staff accountants 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 staff accountant and a cost accountant. Additionally, a cost accountant has an average salary of $60,528, which is higher than the $54,216 average annual salary of a staff accountant.

The top three skills for a staff accountant include reconciliations, account reconciliations and GAAP. The most important skills for a cost accountant are reconciliations, variance analysis, and GAAP.

Staff accountant vs cost accountant overview

	Staff Accountant	Cost Accountant
Yearly salary	$54,216	$60,528
Hourly rate	$26.07	$29.10
Growth rate	6%	6%
Number of jobs	115,930	39,925
Job satisfaction	4	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 76%	Bachelor's Degree, 77%
Average age	44	44
Years of experience	4	4

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.

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.

Staff accountant vs cost accountant salary

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

	Staff Accountant	Cost Accountant
Average salary	$54,216	$60,528
Salary range	Between $42,000 And $68,000	Between $45,000 And $81,000
Highest paying City	Washington, DC	Edison, NJ
Highest paying state	New York	New Jersey
Best paying company	Meta	Google
Best paying industry	Government	Energy

Differences between staff accountant and cost accountant education

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

	Staff Accountant	Cost Accountant
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 76%	Bachelor's Degree, 77%
Most common major	Accounting	Accounting
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Staff accountant vs cost accountant demographics

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

	Staff Accountant	Cost Accountant
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 41.6% Female, 58.4%	Male, 52.6% Female, 47.4%
Race ratio	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%	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 staff accountant and cost accountant duties and responsibilities

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.

Show more

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.

Show more

Staff accountant vs cost accountant skills

Common staff accountant skills

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

Common cost accountant skills

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

Staff Accountant vs. similar jobs

Staff Accountant related careers

Staff Accountant related jobs

Staff Accountant jobs by location

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse business and financial jobs

A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
L
M
N
O
P
Q
R
S
T
U
V
W
X
Y
Z