Why Finance Salaries Are Rising in 2026

For many years, finance roles have been seen as predictable and essential — but not exciting or highly paid compared to other fields like tech, consulting, or data science. However, 2026 is shaping up to be a breakthrough year for finance professionals, especially those in corporate finance, FP&A, accounting, and CFOs.

In this blog, we explain what’s driving higher pay, why this shift matters, and what it means for finance careers in simple terms.

1. The Real Reason Salaries Are Rising: Talent Shortage

It’s not just about inflation or companies being generous. The real driver behind higher salaries in finance is scarcity of skilled professionals. Demand for finance and accounting talent has surged, while fewer people are entering or staying in the field. As a result:

• Most experienced finance professionals are already working.
  
  
• Open finance and accounting jobs have increased significantly year-over-year.
  
  
• Unemployment among seasoned accountants is extremely low, at around 1–2%.

That means companies aren’t competing for new workers — they’re competing for already employed talent. To attract them, firms must offer higher pay and better perks. 

2. How Finance Got Underpaid in the First Place

For decades, finance roles lagged behind other professions in pay:

• Computer science graduates often started with higher starting salaries than accounting graduates.
  
  
• Over several years, finance salaries didn’t keep up with inflation.
  
  
• Many firms viewed finance as a “cost centre” important but not worth paying top dollar for.

Because every company treated compensation this way, no one wanted to be the first to raise salaries and risk higher costs. That changed only when the shortage became real. 

3. Burnout and Fewer New Professionals

Stagnant pay met rising role complexity:

• Long hours
  
  
• Greater regulatory demands
  
  
• Busy seasons with little recovery time

This combination pushed many experienced professionals to retire early or leave the profession entirely. At the same time, fewer students chose finance as a career path. Suddenly, companies realized they couldn’t operate without skilled finance teams and there simply weren’t enough experts to go around.

4. Pay Raises Are Just One Part of the Story

As talent became harder to find, companies began offering more than just higher base salaries:

• Sign-on and retention bonuses
• Flexible hybrid or remote work options
• Well-being support and wellness budgets
• Student loan assistance and enhanced benefits

Today’s job market focuses on total compensation not just salary figures because professionals value work-life fit and long-term support, not only paycheck increases.

5. Why Strategic Finance Roles Are Benefiting the Most

The rise in finance salaries is not limited to traditional accounting roles. It reflects a broader shift in how finance functions operate within organisations.

Today, finance teams do much more than maintain records or prepare reports. They play a key role in supporting business strategy by:

• Identifying and managing financial risks
  
  
• Supporting smart allocation of funds
  
  
• Preparing forecasts and scenario plans
  
  
• Delivering insights that guide business decisions

Many organisations now need finance professionals who can look beyond historical data and focus on future outcomes. As a result, individuals who combine strong finance fundamentals with analytical thinking and business understanding are seeing higher demand and better compensation.

6. Rare Skills Command Higher Pay

Finance skills used to be widely available. Now, finance professionals who can combine finance with data fluency, strategic thinking, and technology understanding are rare and highly valued.

This means:

• Tax specialists are negotiating better offers
  
  
• Controllers are harder to recruit than many product roles
  
  
• Finance leaders with tech skills earn significantly more

In short, the market is correcting a long period of underpricing, not overpaying.

7. What 2026 Compensation Looks Like

Here’s how salaries are shaping up for key finance roles:

FP&A Roles

• Analysts: ~$85k–$120k
  
  
• Senior Analysts: ~$120k–$160k
  
  
• Managers & Directors: ~$150k–$240k+
  
  
• VP/Head of FP&A: ~$250k–$500k+ (with equity)

Controller Roles

• Senior Controllers frequently see total compensation above ~$200k–$300k

CFO Compensation

• Mid-market CFOs: ~$300k–$700k
  
  
• Public Company CFOs: ~$1M–$5M+
  
  
• Strategic equity-heavy CFOs: ~$10M+ in peak years

Professionals who focus on analytics, tech fluency, and strategic finance are likely to benefit the most from these trends.

8. What This Means for Finance Professionals

2026 isn’t the year finance suddenly became important. Instead, it’s the year companies realized they can’t succeed without high-quality finance talent. The scarcity of expertise has flipped the leverage in favour of finance professionals and employers must now compete to attract and retain them.

To stay ahead:

• Build skills in AI, data analytics, and technology
• Focus on strategic insight, not just reporting
• Be flexible in work preferences and emphasize career growth

The future of finance careers is bright but professionals who adapt and expand their skill sets will thrive the most.

Conclusion‍

Finance salaries are rising in 2026 because the market finally recognizes the value of skilled finance talent. The focus is no longer on cost control, but on strategic influence and companies are paying for the expertise they can’t afford to lose.