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Cost Accountant in Irvine, CA

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 Irvine, CA
87535 - 113460
Low
87535
The candidate is new to the role or has limited experience and is building necessary skills.
Mid
96380
The candidate has moderate experience in the role, meets most requirements or has equivalent transferable skills, and may also have relevant certifications.
High
113460
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 238510 329095 392535 Corporate Controller 185440 225700 260165 Divisional Controller 144875 197335 215025 Assistant Controller 114680 149450 173240 Plant Controller 135420 152500 165920 Director of Financial Reporting 157380 196115 225395 Senior Financial Reporting Accountant 110715 122915 136335 Financial Reporting Manager 135725 165310 194285 Financial Reporting Accountant 90585 104005 121085 Director of Accounting 154330 201300 223565 Cost Accounting Manager 119865 139995 155855 Senior Cost Accountant 101870 117425 129930 Accounting Manager 118035 137860 155550 Senior Accountant 97600 115595 132980 Staff Accountant 74420 89975 107055 Entry-Level Staff Accountant 66795 75640 84180 Senior Accountant – Financial Services 103700 125355 139385 Accountant – Financial Services 88450 108885 125965 Entry-Level Accountant – Financial Services 74420 91500 106445 Forensic Accountant 105835 133895 150975 Property Accountant 85705 98210 114985 Procurement Manager 102480 139995 157685 Procurement Specialist 58255 74420 90890 Accounting Specialist 54900 61610 66795

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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.