2027 Accounting and Finance Salary Guide

What should you pay, or earn, in accounting and finance in 2027?

Minneapolis · Upper Midwest · National

Accounting and finance hiring in 2027 won't be defined by a single headline. Talent is tight, candidates hold real leverage, and employers are rethinking everything from pay to return-to-office policies. In a market where preparation matters more than speed, knowing what a role is truly worth is the foundation of every good decision, whether you're making an offer or weighing one.

SkyWater's 2027 Accounting and Finance Salary Guide gives you real-world salary ranges for 45 roles, from staff accountants to CFOs, in the Greater Minneapolis market. Each range is broken out by company size and paired with the context you need to hire and negotiate with confidence.

Hear What's Shaping Accounting and Finance Pay in 2027

 

Lindsay Dubbeldee, Managing Director of SkyWater's Accounting and Finance practice, shares what the team is seeing in the market and what it means for employers and candidates heading into 2027.

What's Inside the 2027 Guide

  • Salary ranges for 45 roles across leadership, management, and individual contributor levels, including CFO, VP of Finance, corporate controller, assistant controller, accounting manager, tax manager, senior financial analyst, and staff accountant.
  • Ranges by company size for small ($0 to $50M), medium ($51M to $500M), and large ($501M+) organizations.
  • Five indicators for every role: Minneapolis vs. national pay, compensation direction, hiring demand, and AI impact over the next three to five years, alongside the salary range.
  • Seven trends to watch in 2027, including private investment in family-owned businesses, tariffs reshaping the finance seat, and return-to-office policies redrawing the talent map.
  • SkyWater placement data showing five years of hiring and salary trends in accounting and finance.
  • Practical advice for employers and candidates on retaining talent and evaluating offers beyond the number.

Key Findings for 2027

  • Starting salaries have climbed sharply. The median starting salary for SkyWater's accounting and finance placements rose 42% from 2021 to 2025, from $95,000 to $135,000.
  • Senior accountants are the hardest finance role to fill, according to a 2026 survey of finance leaders, and slow hiring processes are costing employers top candidates.
  • The talent pipeline is still tight, but turning. Accounting degrees fell another 6.6% in the 2023-24 academic year, though program enrollment jumped 12.4% as of spring 2025.
  • Minneapolis CFO pay trails the national market, while most other accounting and finance roles pay in line with national averages.
  • AI is changing what "qualified" looks like. Accountant job postings mentioning AI skills jumped 67% year over year in early 2026. Leadership roles show low AI impact, while rules-based roles like general ledger, fixed asset, and accounts payable rate high.

Who This Guide Is For

CFOs, controllers, business owners, and HR teams who want to build competitive offers, retain key finance talent, and benchmark pay against the Minneapolis and national markets.

Accounting and finance professionals who want to understand their market value, prepare for salary conversations, and evaluate their next opportunity.

Sources

This guide draws on SkyWater's own placement and recruiting data, firsthand market observations from our practice leaders, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED), Salary.com, and Indeed. We cross-referenced this data against publicly available compensation research from other national search and staffing firms. Conditions vary by company, industry, and candidate, so treat these ranges as a starting point for a conversation, not a final answer.

SEE ALL SALARY GUIDES

Frequently Asked Questions

What accounting and finance roles are included in the 2027 salary guide?
The guide covers 45 roles across leadership, management, and individual contributor levels, from staff and fixed asset accountants to controllers, VPs of Finance, and CFOs.

How much does a controller make in Minneapolis?
Corporate controller base salaries in the guide range from $158,000 at smaller companies to $273,500 at larger ones. The guide also includes plant controller and assistant controller ranges.

How does company size affect accounting and finance salaries?
Smaller, less complex organizations tend to pay toward the low end of a range, while larger, more complex organizations pay toward the high end. Every role includes small, medium, and large company ranges.

How is AI affecting accounting and finance jobs?
AI hasn't reduced demand for finance talent, but it's changing the skill set employers look for. Strategic and leadership roles rate low for AI impact, while more repeatable, rules-based roles rate high.

Do the salary ranges include bonuses?
No. Ranges reflect typical base salary in the Greater Minneapolis market. Bonuses and other incentive pay are not included.

Read More About Compensation