2024 Canada Finance and Accounting Salaries and Hiring Trends

Competition is intense for skilled finance and accounting talent, and top candidates often receive multiple job offers. Some employers prefer to hold out for experienced professionals with in-demand skills, but that approach can result in overlooking high-potential candidates. To overcome staffing gaps, managers are considering people who may need technical training but have polished soft skills. “Hire for potential and train for the job” can often be the answer.

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Hiring Trends in Finance and Accounting

Companies seek financial planning and reporting expertise

Businesses are increasing staff in areas such as financial planning and analysis (FP&A), general accounting, and financial reporting.

31% of managers say FP&A is the area where they are most likely to seek the assistance of contract professionals.

Offering flexibility in when and where employees work can help professionals improve work-life balance and boost companies' recruitment and retention efforts.

43% of managers say a strong job candidate turned down their offer because the company couldn’t accommodate their remote work expectations.

Financial modeling Financial
reporting Leadership and
management
experience Data analytics Technology
expertise Financial modeling Financial
reporting Leadership and
management
experience Data analytics Technology
expertise

Employers look for specific skills in financial services

In financial services, demand is high for candidates with specialized knowledge of data analytics or risk and compliance.

Public accounting firms struggle to hire and retain professionals who expect a better work-life balance. To compete for top candidates, more firms are increasing salaries and making counteroffers.

Firms support core staff with interim talent

One-third of finance and accounting employees say their departments are short-staffed.

Understaffing can cause teams to become overloaded and potentially burn out.

The shortage of skilled talent available for permanent roles has many departments turning to contract professionals to relieve core staff and take advantage of expertise not available internally.

Financial reporting Financial planning
and analysis General accounting Payroll Financial reporting Financial planning
and analysis General accounting Payroll

Salary range Benefits Nontraditional
schedules, remote
or hybrid options Day-to-day
responsibilities Company culture
and values Salary range Benefits Nontraditional
schedules, remote
or hybrid options Day-to-day
responsibilities Company culture
and values

of candidates say they wouldn’t keep interviewing with a prospective employer who declined to provide salary ranges upon request. of candidates say they wouldn’t keep interviewing with a prospective employer who declined to provide salary ranges upon request.

say they expect an employer to disclose salary ranges in job postings. say they expect an employer to disclose salary ranges in job postings.

Hottest jobs

Accounts receivable/accounts payable clerk

Controller — corporate accounting

Financial analyst

Payroll administrator

Senior accountant

Industries hiring most

Financial services

Health care

Insurance

Manufacturing

Real estate

In-demand accreditations and skills

CPA

Certified payroll manager (CPM)

Chartered financial analyst (CFA)

MBA

Payroll compliance practitioner (PCP)

Top technology skills

Customer relationship management (CRM) software

Enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems

Human resource information system (HRIS)

Microsoft Excel

Microsoft Power BI

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How do we determine our salary figures? See our methodology.

The salaries listed in the salary tables represent starting compensation only, meaning pay for someone new to a company in the position listed. Our estimates do not include bonuses, benefits or perks. We report salaries in percentiles and ranges, recognizing that professionals join companies at varied experience levels.

Other data referenced in this Salary Guide is based on online surveys developed by Robert Half and conducted by independent research firms. Respondents included hiring managers and employees from small (less than $50 million in revenues), midsize ($50 million to $1 billion) and large ($1 billion or greater) private, publicly listed and public sector organizations across Canada.

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