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The differences between unit controllers 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 unit controller and a cost accounting manager. Additionally, a unit controller has an average salary of $104,008, which is higher than the $89,286 average annual salary of a cost accounting manager.
The top three skills for a unit controller include financial analysis, payroll and financial reports. The most important skills for a cost accounting manager are variance analysis, financial analysis, and reconciliations.
| Unit Controller | Cost Accounting Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $104,008 | $89,286 |
| Hourly rate | $50.00 | $42.93 |
| Growth rate | 17% | 17% |
| Number of jobs | 55,537 | 61,135 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 78% |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Years of experience | 8 | 8 |
The duties of a unit controller depend on one's line of work or industry of employment. In a corporate setting, their responsibilities typically revolve around performing administrative tasks such as planning and producing business plans, coordinating with different departments or officials to gather data, overseeing sales and expenditures, preparing and processing documentation, managing the schedules and budgets, and devising strategies to identify new business opportunities. They may also present progress reports and sales forecasts to senior managers or executives. Furthermore, as a unit controller, it is essential to lead and encourage the workers to reach goals.
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.
Unit controllers and cost accounting managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Unit Controller | Cost Accounting Manager | |
| Average salary | $104,008 | $89,286 |
| Salary range | Between $70,000 And $153,000 | Between $67,000 And $118,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Boston, MA |
| Highest paying state | California | Connecticut |
| Best paying company | Wacker Chemie | Microsoft |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a unit controller and a cost accounting manager in terms of educational background:
| Unit Controller | Cost Accounting Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 78% |
| Most common major | Accounting | Accounting |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between unit controllers' and cost accounting managers' demographics:
| Unit Controller | Cost Accounting Manager | |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 69.3% Female, 30.7% | Male, 71.7% Female, 28.3% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 7.4% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 14.2% Asian, 10.0% White, 64.0% 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% |