Accounting & Finance Market Insights Report

The future of accounting and finance talent in Australia

The accounting and finance talent market in 2026 is active and candidate-rich, but the professionals who can influence beyond their function remain hard to secure.

Restructures, redundancies, shared services and offshoring have increased the volume of finance candidates in market. At the same time, businesses are becoming more selective, prioritising professionals who can translate data into forecasts, identify pricing and margin opportunities, and partner with sales, operations and supply chain to influence commercial decisions.

Whether you’re planning your next hire, benchmarking salaries or exploring your next career move, this Talent Insights Report provides a clear view of the trends, skills, salary benchmarks and recruitment advice shaping the accounting and finance market in 2026.

Understand the key drivers influencing the current job market

Gain insights into the most sought-after skills and roles in demand

Get detailed salary benchmarks to ensure you remain competitive

Discover opportunities to enhance your recruitment strategy

man with glasses smiling and giving a handshake to a woman

A candidate-rich market

Restructures, redundancies and offshoring have increased the volume of finance candidates available. Businesses are more selective as a result, with strong demand for commercially oriented, data-literate and stakeholder-facing professionals.

Commercial partnering is priority

Businesses are seeking finance professionals who can advise, translate data into forecasts, identify pricing and margin opportunities, and partner across the business to influence decision-making.

Back to the office

Small to mid-sized businesses are returning to four or five days in office. The ability to partner with the broader business is driving this shift, while candidates are seeking flexibility in other ways, such as hours, benefits or proximity to home.

Contracting as a strategic solution across the industry

We have seen contracting become a vital part of workforce strategy in Supply Chain, which reflects the need for flexibility and speed in an uncertain environment.

As demand for contractors continues to rise, it’s the quality of the network and the ability to connect with proven, engaged supply chain professionals at speed that makes the difference.

Supply Chain teams are under pressure to deliver, but many are running lean. Contracting gives them the breathing room to stabilise, maintain performance, and move transformation forward while they find the right long-term hires.

Tiernan O'Brien
Consultant | Supply Chain

Clients are more particular than ever, and they have every right to be. There is a depth of talent in the market right now, but what everyone is fighting for is the same: finance professionals who can partner with the business, tell the story through data, and drive commercial decisions.

Rohan McMaster
Client Partner | Executive Search

A clear & compelling EVP

Businesses that are proactive about their employer brand, invest in their people, and adapt quickly to new expectations are the ones attracting the talent others struggle to reach.

Retaining top talent- especially in today’s climate - demands more than salary and surface-level perks. High-performing professionals are staying where they can see a pathway to growth, feel valued for their contribution, and trust the leadership to prioritise both wellbeing and progression.

A robust recruitment process

In a market where demand for the same talent is high, providing a positive experience during the recruitment and onboarding process is essential to maintaining a strong employer brand.

Partnering with a recruitment company can help as we have access to a large database of passive and active candidates and provide a single point of contact during the recruitment process.

Receive strategic advice on structure, roles and salaries

Remuneration pressures persist so understanding current salary benchmarks is essential for attracting and retaining top talent.

Our report includes detailed salary data across various roles within Accounting & Finance.

Available contractors to meet your needs

Contractors provide flexibility, reduce long-term commitment, and can be a strategic way to fill immediate gaps.

Many of our clients are embracing contractors as a strategic talent solution to flex up and down their teams for project-based work or to access in-demand skills.

Contact our Contracting team for more info.

Although increased candidate activity has seen higher job application volumes, specialist talent that can solve transformation challenges are remaining competitively sought after.

David Goodrem
Associate Director | Engineering, Operations, Technical & Safety

Christine Armadass

Manager
Procurement, Accounting & Finance, Melbourne

Katie Newman

Executive Consultant
Contracting, Accounting & Finance, Melbourne

Conor Meehan

Consultant
Accounting & Finance, Contracting, Retail, Business to Business, Consumer & FMCG, Government, Healthcare, Melbourne

Rohan McMaster

Client Partner
Executive search, Accounting & Finance, Business to Business, Consumer & FMCG, Retail, Education, Not for profit, Services, National, Melbourne

Accounting & Finance Insights Report

The future of accounting and finance talent in Australia

Download your copy of the report

What you'll get out of this report

Understand the key drivers influencing the current job market

Gain insights into the most sought-after skills and roles in demand

Get detailed salary benchmarks to ensure you remain competitive

Discover opportunities to enhance your recruitment strategy

Industry trends

A candidate-rich market

Commercial partnering is priority

Back to the office

Contracting as a strategic solution across the industry

Supply Chain teams are under pressure to deliver, but many are running lean. Contracting gives them the breathing room to stabilise, maintain performance, and move transformation forward while they find the right long-term hires.

Employer expectations in 2026

Clients are more particular than ever, and they have every right to be. There is a depth of talent in the market right now, but what everyone is fighting for is the same: finance professionals who can partner with the business, tell the story through data, and drive commercial decisions.

Right talent, right skills, right now

A clear & compelling EVP

A robust recruitment process

Receive strategic advice on structure, roles and salaries

Available contractors to meet your needs

Looking for the right talent?

Although increased candidate activity has seen higher job application volumes, specialist talent that can solve transformation challenges are remaining competitively sought after.

Accounting & finance consultants

Christine Armadass

Katie Newman

Conor Meehan

Rohan McMaster

Supply chain success stories

Head of Logistics

Demand and Inventory Planning Analyst

GM Supply Chain

Supply Chain Director

Supply Chain Manager

Regional Supply Chain Manager

National Logistics Manager, Head of Logistics

National S&OP Manager

Head of Customer Service & Logistics

National Implementation Manager

Our insights

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Data-driven transformation: the CFO's imperative for decision making

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The qualities and priorities of modern CFOs

Looking for the right talent?

Interested inlearning more?

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Employers

Services

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Right talent, right
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Supply chain
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