Dive Brief:

• The average U.S. salary for CFOs with moderate experience starting in a new role is forecast to tick up about 0.6% to $269,750 next year, from $268,250 forecast in the year-earlier report, according to the 2026 Salary Guide released this week by Robert Half. Starting salary projections range from $195,500 for a first-time CFO with a low level of experience up to $321,750 for those with extensive experience. 
• Finance and accounting salaries are overall projected to rise 2.1% — a pace that is just below the 2.9% August inflation rate. Still, the finance sector pay raises are expected to outpace the 1.8% national average salary increase projected across the finance, tech, marketing, legal admin and HR sectors analyzed by Menlo Park, California-based Robert Half, according to data emailed to CFO Dive. 
• While many managers surveyed were concerned with meeting pay expectations in 2026, 84% said they’d offer higher salaries to candidates with “in-demand skills,” according to the Monday press release. Higher than average starting pay was projected in the areas of public accounting, tax, audit and assurance roles, as well as artificial intelligence, machine learning and data sciences and the content strategy, digital project management and the marketing analytics space. 

Dive Insight:

The pace of salary gains has moderated recently amid broader economic headwinds, according to Robert Half.

"Wages saw a sharp rise during the Great Resignation as employers competed aggressively for talent amid labor shortages and shifting workplace expectations, Steve Saah, executive director of finance and accounting practice at Robert Half said in an email. “That momentum has since begun to stabilize as organizations began to take a more measured approach to hiring, often reflecting tighter budgets, internal equity concerns, and broader economic uncertainty."

The salary report also comes as concerns about the cooling labor market and slow hiring are on the minds of many economists and finance leaders. On Monday, New York Federal Reserve Bank President John Williams said that the labor market is “softening” while noting that monetary policy is still restraining inflation after a quarter-point cut last month in the federal funds rate, CFO Dive reported.

Amid the potential gap between employer and candidate pay expectations, perks and other benefits are increasingly important, Robert Half stated in its release.

"While offering a competitive salary is imperative, it shouldn't be the only consideration," Dawn Fay, operational president of Robert Half, said in a statement in the release. "Employers who embrace both monetary and non-monetary perks and benefits will stand out to candidates who are evaluating offers."

Assuming base pay stays the same, more than half of workers surveyed (51%) said work-life balance perks would prompt them to jump to a new employer, 42% said retirement planning would entice them and 39% cited health and wellness offerings. 

The findings are based on surveys conducted in April of nearly 2,000 workers and 2,200 hiring managers across both public and private companies of all sizes, a spokesperson said.