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Cost Accountant in San Diego, 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 San Diego, CA
88253 - 114390
Low
88253
The candidate is new to the role or has limited experience and is building necessary skills.
Mid
97170
The candidate has moderate experience in the role, meets most requirements or has equivalent transferable skills, and may also have relevant certifications.
High
114390
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 240465 331793 395753 Corporate Controller 186960 227550 262298 Divisional Controller 146063 198953 216788 Assistant Controller 115620 150675 174660 Plant Controller 136530 153750 167280 Director of Financial Reporting 158670 197723 227243 Senior Financial Reporting Accountant 111623 123923 137453 Financial Reporting Manager 136838 166665 195878 Financial Reporting Accountant 91328 104858 122078 Director of Accounting 155595 202950 225398 Cost Accounting Manager 120848 141143 157133 Senior Cost Accountant 102705 118388 130995 Accounting Manager 119003 138990 156825 Senior Accountant 98400 116543 134070 Staff Accountant 75030 90713 107933 Entry-Level Staff Accountant 67343 76260 84870 Senior Accountant – Financial Services 104550 126383 140528 Accountant – Financial Services 89175 109778 126998 Entry-Level Accountant – Financial Services 75030 92250 107318 Forensic Accountant 106703 134993 152213 Property Accountant 86408 99015 115928 Procurement Manager 103320 141143 158978 Procurement Specialist 58733 75030 91635 Accounting Specialist 55350 62115 67343

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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.