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Cost Accountant in Chicago, IL

Cost Accountant Job Description

Cost accountants help organizations manage and analyze the financial impact of production, operations and inventory. These professionals play a key role in budgeting, cost control and profitability analysis, supporting strategic decision making across manufacturing and service environments.

Typical cost accountant duties:

Preparing and analyzing cost reports related to materials, labor and overheadMonitoring inventory valuation and reconciling cost discrepanciesAssisting with budgeting and forecasting based on cost trends and production dataCollaborating with operations and finance teams to improve cost efficiencyConducting variance analysis and identifying cost-saving opportunitiesSupporting month- and year-end close processes with accurate cost entriesMaintaining cost accounting systems and ensuring data integrityPreparing reports for management to support pricing and profitability decisionsStaying current on cost accounting standards, industry trends and best practices

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Salary for Cost Accountant in Chicago, IL
89688 - 116250
Low
89688
The candidate is new to the role or has limited experience and is building necessary skills.
Mid
98750
The candidate has moderate experience in the role, meets most requirements or has equivalent transferable skills, and may also have relevant certifications.
High
116250
The candidate has extensive experience and advanced skills for the role, and may also have specialized certifications.
Projected salaries for related positions Job title Low Mid High Chief Financial Officer 244375 337188 402188 Corporate Controller 190000 231250 266563 Divisional Controller 148438 202188 220313 Assistant Controller 117500 153125 177500 Plant Controller 138750 156250 170000 Director of Financial Reporting 161250 200938 230938 Senior Financial Reporting Accountant 113438 125938 139688 Financial Reporting Manager 139063 169375 199063 Financial Reporting Accountant 92813 106563 124063 Director of Accounting 158125 206250 229063 Cost Accounting Manager 122813 143438 159688 Senior Cost Accountant 104375 120313 133125 Accounting Manager 120938 141250 159375 Senior Accountant 100000 118438 136250 Staff Accountant 76250 92188 109688 Entry-Level Staff Accountant 68438 77500 86250 Senior Accountant – Financial Services 106250 128438 142813 Accountant – Financial Services 90625 111563 129063 Entry-Level Accountant – Financial Services 76250 93750 109063 Forensic Accountant 108438 137188 154688 Property Accountant 87813 100625 117813 Procurement Manager 105000 143438 161563 Procurement Specialist 59688 76250 93125 Accounting Specialist 56250 63125 68438

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Our starting salary projections come from a rigorous, multistep process so that our numbers accurately reflect the marketplace. They are based on actual compensation for professionals Robert Half has matched with employers across the country and third-party job posting data from Textkernel that we use to independently validate the salary levels. Starting compensation—pay for someone new to a role—can vary significantly based on a candidate’s skills, experience and certifications, as well as other factors including industry, company size and revenue, and demand for the role. To reflect this variability, we report our salary data in three levels: low, mid and high.