Finance & accounting hiring trends & top salaries: 2026 Workforce Planning Guide
Even in a turbulent market, finance and accounting remain among the best-paying fields, with 6% projected growth through 2033.1 Turnover and large salary jumps have stabilized, yet concerns over layoffs and cautious hiring are slowing recruitment.
Companies still need core talent such as senior accountants, controllers, and accounts receivable specialists, but demand is highest for professionals who blend accounting with AI, data analytics, and automation skills. Regulatory shifts are fueling the hunt for data-savvy auditors, while employers increasingly prize versatile generalists over narrow specialists. Open finance and accounting roles have surged 150% in just one year, with 87% of leaders citing a talent shortage.2 This gap underscores the need for proactive workforce planning and creative talent strategies to secure top performers.
“Finance and accounting professionals who bridge the gap between operations and strategy supported by solid data will have a leg up in this market,”
Stacy Snider, Sr. Vice President, Finance & Accounting Executive Search, Addison Group
Aligning employer expectations with candidate priorities
The talent shortage is real, but industry urgency to fix it is not. With 75% of CPAs near retirement and fewer students pursuing accountancy degrees, reforms are needed to make accounting careers more affordable and attractive.3 Employers are raising their own hurdles: longer interview processes (often with CFO involvement), more technical/psychological testing, and stricter return-to-office policies. While employees value in-office connection, many won’t consider offers without hybrid flexibility.
To compete, employers should streamline interview processes; offer competitive salaries; and provide flexibility and valued perks (e.g., professional development and pet insurance for Millennial/Gen Z candidates). Companies that fail to adapt risk losing top candidates to more agile competitors.4
“AI can draft 95% of an IPO prospectus in minutes… the last 5 percent now matters because the rest is now a commodity.”
David Solomon, CEO Goldman Sachs
AI as collaborator, not competitor
Addison Group is seeing that half of CFOs expect AI to reduce finance roles by 2026, fueling ongoing concerns. Yet 85% of finance leaders are actively advancing their AI knowledge to prepare for what’s coming.5
While some fear bots may replace certain tasks, many finance professionals are energized by AI’s ability to streamline repetitive work. Accountants using AI close monthly statements 7.5 days faster and cut back-office processing time by 8.5%6, freeing up time for higher-value, client-facing advisory work.
Rather than replacing finance teams, AI is shifting their focus. Leaders embrace AI for automating routine, resource-heavy tasks while recognizing that human judgment, critical thinking, and strategic insight remain indispensable.7
The future of finance and accounting will require a blend of human expertise and technological efficiency, not one in place of the other. The winners will be those who leverage AI to amplify—not replace—the expertise of their people.
In-demand roles
- VP of Finance
- VP Controller
- Accountant
- Financial Analyst
Highest-paid finance and accounting salaries
| Title | National Averages |
| CFO | $262,769 |
| VP of Finance | $241,004 |
| FP&A Director | $238,468 |
| Head of Treasury | $234,945 |
| Chief Accounting Officer | $232,158 |
| Tax Director | $230,644 |
| Finance Director | $195,296 |
| Controller | $188,814 |
| Sarbanes Oxley (SOX) Manager | $186,618 |
| Mergers and Acquisitions Consultant | $180,075 |
| Tax Manager | $179,387 |
For more valuable insights and national averages of salaries across hundreds of roles in administrative, digital marketing, finance, accounting, healthcare, human resources, and information technology, download your free copy today.
- https://www.bls.gov/ooh/business-and-financial/accountants-and-auditors.htm#:~:text=4%25-,Employment%20of%20accountants%20and%20auditors%20is%20projected%20to%20grow%206,on%20average%2C%20over%20the%20decade.
- https://www.cpapracticeadvisor.com/2025/04/30/87-percent-of-finance-leaders-report-critical-talent-shortage-in-accounting/159980/#:~:text=April%2030%2C%202025-,87%20Percent%20of%20Finance%20Leaders%20Report%20Critical%20Talent%20Shortage%20in,of%20Finance%20and%20Accounting%20Outsourcing.
- https://www.ft.com/content/3f1db452-afaa-465e-beb0-666045f8e73e
- https://www.bizjournals.com/bizjournals/news/2025/06/23/work-benefit-gen-z-pet-insurance-2025-adzuna.html
- https://www.thefinanceweekly.com/post/finance-leaders-believe-ai-will-reduce-jobs
- https://www.gsb.stanford.edu/insights/ai-reshaping-accounting-jobs-doing-boring-stuff#:~:text=According%20to%20the%20study%2C%20accountants,who%20are%20already%20in%20place.%E2%80%9D
- https://www.ceotodaymagazine.com/2025/01/goldman-sachs-ceo-david-solomon-on-ais-game-changing-role-in-banking/?utm_source=chatgpt.com
