What Does Job Costing Actually Mean?

September 26, 2019
What Does Job Costing Actually Mean?
Business owner calculating budget and expenses through job costing.

What Is the Definition of Job Costing?

 

The definition of job costing is recording the actual cost of a job, from start to finish, so you can track the profitability of each job individually.

 

Why Is This Information Important?

 

Job costing is important to track how much it costs to do each job. Indeed, this information is often more relevant to figuring out your bottom line. It can also help you determine where your pricing needs to be. Then, you can decide what type of margin you want to add to the cost of making a product or for each job your company does. This ensures that you are making money with each sale.

 

What Does That Really Mean?

 

Job costing helps business owners make smart decisions by figuring out exactly how much it costs for each job or product. If you design and make multiple products, or perform multiple jobs, you need to understand exactly how much it costs to make each one.

 

This information will help you plan for the future of your business, to ensure that you are going to continue to make a profit.

 

How Is This Determined?

 

Job costing figures out how much it costs to make a certain product by looking at the cost of materials, labor, and any overhead. Often, you can do this within your accounting software and assign a job to any costs that are specific so it can be easily tracked.

 

Why Do You Need an Accountant for Your Business?

 

The honest truth is that most small and medium-sized business owners neglect their bookkeeping. There are too many other important tasks that they need to focus on if they want to keep their business running.

 

For this reason, most business owners hire an accountant to keep their bookkeeping up-to-date. Job costing is especially time-consuming, and full-service accounting allows for your accountant to track this for you and provide details on each job so you can make better financial decisions.

 

How Can Your Accountant Help With Job Costing?

 

Accountants are trained in job costing. They will be able to help you determine what your costs are, quickly and easily. Your accountant can also help you plan for the future once he or she has figured out what it costs to make your products. If you don’t have an accountant yet, don’t hesitate to contact us for all of your financial needs.