Finance & Accounting
Salary Guide
CFO, finance leadership, FP&A, control, treasury, tax and commercial finance reward across APAC.
The state of finance & accounting talent
Finance hiring remains one of the most consistently undersupplied markets in the region. The structural shortage of CA/CPA-qualified talent — exacerbated by reduced migration during prior years and fewer graduates entering audit — keeps upward pressure on pay for qualified candidates with three to eight years of post-qualification experience.
Commercial and business-partnering finance roles command the strongest premiums: organisations want finance leaders who can model decisions and influence the business, not just close the books. FP&A, decision support and systems-transformation experience (ERP migration, finance automation) materially lift candidate value.
At the top, the CFO remit has broadened to encompass technology, data and capital strategy. Treasury and tax specialists remain scarce and well-rewarded. Listed-company reporting roles carry a premium for regulatory and audit-committee exposure. Singapore and Hong Kong continue to pay above Australian benchmarks for regional finance leadership.
What these roles pay in Q2 2026
Base salary, AUD '000 p.a. (excl. super & STI). Bars show the typical low–high range; the marker is the market midpoint.
| Role | Low | Typical | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chief Financial OfficerMid-market | $280k | $360k | $480k |
| Chief Financial OfficerLarge / listed | $450k | $600k | $950k |
| Finance Director | $230k | $290k | $380k |
| Financial Controller | $170k | $210k | $270k |
| Head of FP&A | $190k | $230k | $300k |
| Commercial Finance Manager | $150k | $180k | $220k |
| Treasury / Tax Manager | $160k | $195k | $250k |
| Senior Financial Accountant | $120k | $140k | $165k |
Talent demand by segment
Year-on-year, 2025 → 2026
- Commercial / business partnering +8.5%
- FP&A & decision support +7.6%
- Treasury & tax +6.9%
- Financial / statutory accounting +4.5%
Where supply is tightest
- Commercially-minded finance partners who can influence operational decisions.
- Qualified accountants with 3–8 years PQE — the perennial squeeze point.
- Finance-transformation talent (ERP migration, automation, AI in finance).
- Treasury and tax specialists with regional APAC exposure.
What top talent now wants
- Hybrid working and outcome-based, not presence-based, performance management.
- Exposure to commercial decisions and a seat at the leadership table.
- Investment in modern finance systems rather than spreadsheet-heavy processes.
- Clear study support and progression for part-qualified candidates.
How to win the hire
- Speed wins: strong qualified candidates hold multiple offers — compress your process.
- Counter-offers are routine; manage the close and pre-empt with a compelling package.
- Flexibility on hybrid is a deal-breaker for the strongest commercial candidates.
- Invest in finance systems to attract talent tired of manual, low-value work.
Get the full Finance & Accounting Salary Guide
The complete edition adds location-by-location breakdowns, total-reward benchmarks (incentives and equity), diversity and retention data, and a 12-month outlook for every role band.
- City-level ranges across Sydney, Melbourne, Singapore, Hong Kong and Auckland
- Total-reward view — base, short- and long-term incentives
- Retention, counter-offer and time-to-hire benchmarks
- Forward outlook and reward recommendations
Need numbers specific to your structure and location? Altera's Talent Advisory practice delivers bespoke, defensible reward benchmarking. Book a consultation →
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