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Cost Accountant in San Jose, 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 Jose, CA

94710 - 122760

Low
94710
The candidate is new to the role or has limited experience and is building necessary skills.
Mid
104280
The candidate has moderate experience in the role, meets most requirements or has equivalent transferable skills, and may also have relevant certifications.
High
122760
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 258060 356070 424710 Corporate Controller 200640 244200 281490 Divisional Controller 156750 213510 232650 Assistant Controller 124080 161700 187440 Plant Controller 146520 165000 179520 Director of Financial Reporting 170280 212190 243870 Senior Financial Reporting Accountant 119790 132990 147510 Financial Reporting Manager 146850 178860 210210 Financial Reporting Accountant 98010 112530 131010 Director of Accounting 166980 217800 241890 Cost Accounting Manager 129690 151470 168630 Senior Cost Accountant 110220 127050 140580 Accounting Manager 127710 149160 168300 Senior Accountant 105600 125070 143880 Staff Accountant 80520 97350 115830 Entry-Level Staff Accountant 72270 81840 91080 Senior Accountant – Financial Services 112200 135630 150810 Accountant – Financial Services 95700 117810 136290 Entry-Level Accountant – Financial Services 80520 99000 115170 Forensic Accountant 114510 144870 163350 Property Accountant 92730 106260 124410 Procurement Manager 110880 151470 170610 Procurement Specialist 63030 80520 98340 Accounting Specialist 59400 66660 72270

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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.