Accountancy Salary Guide 2025

Latest salary trends and data analysis

Accountancy and Finance salary data and insights

Role Category	Title	Region	Lower Quartile	Median	Upper Quartile
CFO	CFO	National Average	£140,183	£170,848	£219,036
CFO	CFO	London	£160,000	£195,000	£250,000
CFO	CFO	SouthEast	£148,148	£180,556	£231,481
CFO	CFO	SouthWest	£137,931	£168,103	£215,517
CFO	CFO	EastEast	£142,857	£174,107	£223,214
CFO	CFO	WestMidlands	£139,130	£169,565	£217,391
CFO	CFO	EastMidlands	£139,130	£169,565	£217,391
CFO	CFO	Yorkshire	£134,454	£163,866	£210,084
CFO	CFO	NorthEast	£133,333	£162,500	£208,333
CFO	CFO	NorthWest	£134,454	£163,866	£210,084
CFO	CFO	Scotland	£140,351	£171,053	£219,298
CFO	CFO	Wales	£132,231	£161,157	£206,612
GroupFinancialDirector	Group Financial Director	National Average	£109,518	£127,041	£148,945
GroupFinancialDirector	Group Financial Director	London	£125,000	£145,000	£170,000
GroupFinancialDirector	Group Financial Director	SouthEast	£115,741	£134,259	£157,407
GroupFinancialDirector	Group Financial Director	SouthWest	£107,759	£125,000	£146,552
GroupFinancialDirector	Group Financial Director	EastEast	£111,607	£129,464	£151,786
GroupFinancialDirector	Group Financial Director	WestMidlands	£108,696	£126,087	£147,826
GroupFinancialDirector	Group Financial Director	EastMidlands	£108,696	£126,087	£147,826
GroupFinancialDirector	Group Financial Director	Yorkshire	£105,042	£121,849	£142,857
GroupFinancialDirector	Group Financial Director	NorthEast	£104,167	£120,833	£141,667
GroupFinancialDirector	Group Financial Director	NorthWest	£105,042	£121,849	£142,857
GroupFinancialDirector	Group Financial Director	Scotland	£109,649	£127,193	£149,123
GroupFinancialDirector	Group Financial Director	Wales	£103,306	£119,835	£140,496
GroupFinancialController	Group Financial Controller	National Average	£83,234	£96,376	£122,660
GroupFinancialController	Group Financial Controller	London	£95,000	£110,000	£140,000
GroupFinancialController	Group Financial Controller	SouthEast	£87,963	£101,852	£129,630
GroupFinancialController	Group Financial Controller	SouthWest	£81,897	£94,828	£120,690
GroupFinancialController	Group Financial Controller	EastEast	£84,821	£98,214	£125,000
GroupFinancialController	Group Financial Controller	WestMidlands	£82,609	£95,652	£121,739
GroupFinancialController	Group Financial Controller	EastMidlands	£82,609	£95,652	£121,739
GroupFinancialController	Group Financial Controller	Yorkshire	£79,832	£92,437	£117,647
GroupFinancialController	Group Financial Controller	NorthEast	£79,167	£91,667	£116,667
GroupFinancialController	Group Financial Controller	NorthWest	£79,832	£92,437	£117,647
GroupFinancialController	Group Financial Controller	Scotland	£83,333	£96,491	£122,807
GroupFinancialController	Group Financial Controller	Wales	£78,512	£90,909	£115,702
FinanceDirector	Finance Director	National Average	£87,614	£118,279	£157,706
FinanceDirector	Finance Director	London	£100,000	£135,000	£180,000
FinanceDirector	Finance Director	SouthEast	£92,593	£125,000	£166,667
FinanceDirector	Finance Director	SouthWest	£86,207	£116,379	£155,172
FinanceDirector	Finance Director	EastEast	£89,286	£120,536	£160,714
FinanceDirector	Finance Director	WestMidlands	£86,957	£117,391	£156,522
FinanceDirector	Finance Director	EastMidlands	£86,957	£117,391	£156,522
FinanceDirector	Finance Director	Yorkshire	£84,034	£113,445	£151,261
FinanceDirector	Finance Director	NorthEast	£83,333	£112,500	£150,000
FinanceDirector	Finance Director	NorthWest	£84,034	£113,445	£151,261
FinanceDirector	Finance Director	Scotland	£87,719	£118,421	£157,895
FinanceDirector	Finance Director	Wales	£82,645	£111,570	£148,760
FinancialControllerashdown	Financial Controller	National Average	£70,091	£78,853	£87,614
FinancialControllerashdown	Financial Controller	London	£80,000	£90,000	£100,000
FinancialControllerashdown	Financial Controller	SouthEast	£74,074	£83,333	£92,593
FinancialControllerashdown	Financial Controller	SouthWest	£68,966	£77,586	£86,207
FinancialControllerashdown	Financial Controller	EastEast	£71,429	£80,357	£89,286
FinancialControllerashdown	Financial Controller	WestMidlands	£69,565	£78,261	£86,957
FinancialControllerashdown	Financial Controller	EastMidlands	£69,565	£78,261	£86,957
FinancialControllerashdown	Financial Controller	Yorkshire	£67,227	£75,630	£84,034
FinancialControllerashdown	Financial Controller	NorthEast	£66,667	£75,000	£83,333
FinancialControllerashdown	Financial Controller	NorthWest	£67,227	£75,630	£84,034
FinancialControllerashdown	Financial Controller	Scotland	£70,175	£78,947	£87,719
FinancialControllerashdown	Financial Controller	Wales	£66,116	£74,380	£82,645
GroupAccountant	Group Accountant	National Average	£56,949	£65,711	£70,091
GroupAccountant	Group Accountant	London	£65,000	£75,000	£80,000
GroupAccountant	Group Accountant	SouthEast	£60,185	£69,444	£74,074
GroupAccountant	Group Accountant	SouthWest	£56,034	£64,655	£68,966
GroupAccountant	Group Accountant	EastEast	£58,036	£66,964	£71,429
GroupAccountant	Group Accountant	WestMidlands	£56,522	£65,217	£69,565
GroupAccountant	Group Accountant	EastMidlands	£56,522	£65,217	£69,565
GroupAccountant	Group Accountant	Yorkshire	£54,622	£63,025	£67,227
GroupAccountant	Group Accountant	NorthEast	£54,167	£62,500	£66,667
GroupAccountant	Group Accountant	NorthWest	£54,622	£63,025	£67,227
GroupAccountant	Group Accountant	Scotland	£57,018	£65,789	£70,175
GroupAccountant	Group Accountant	Wales	£53,719	£61,983	£66,116
FinanceManager	Finance Manager	National Average	£56,949	£65,711	£74,472
FinanceManager	Finance Manager	London	£65,000	£75,000	£85,000
FinanceManager	Finance Manager	SouthEast	£60,185	£69,444	£78,704
FinanceManager	Finance Manager	SouthWest	£56,034	£64,655	£73,276
FinanceManager	Finance Manager	EastEast	£58,036	£66,964	£75,893
FinanceManager	Finance Manager	WestMidlands	£56,522	£65,217	£73,913
FinanceManager	Finance Manager	EastMidlands	£56,522	£65,217	£73,913
FinanceManager	Finance Manager	Yorkshire	£54,622	£63,025	£71,429
FinanceManager	Finance Manager	NorthEast	£54,167	£62,500	£70,833
FinanceManager	Finance Manager	NorthWest	£54,622	£63,025	£71,429
FinanceManager	Finance Manager	Scotland	£57,018	£65,789	£74,561
FinanceManager	Finance Manager	Wales	£53,719	£61,983	£70,248
AuditManager	Audit Manager	National Average	£61,330	£70,091	£78,853
AuditManager	Audit Manager	London	£70,000	£80,000	£90,000
AuditManager	Audit Manager	SouthEast	£64,815	£74,074	£83,333
AuditManager	Audit Manager	SouthWest	£60,345	£68,966	£77,586
AuditManager	Audit Manager	EastEast	£62,500	£71,429	£80,357
AuditManager	Audit Manager	WestMidlands	£60,870	£69,565	£78,261
AuditManager	Audit Manager	EastMidlands	£60,870	£69,565	£78,261
AuditManager	Audit Manager	Yorkshire	£58,824	£67,227	£75,630
AuditManager	Audit Manager	NorthEast	£58,333	£66,667	£75,000
AuditManager	Audit Manager	NorthWest	£58,824	£67,227	£75,630
AuditManager	Audit Manager	Scotland	£61,404	£70,175	£78,947
AuditManager	Audit Manager	Wales	£57,851	£66,116	£74,380
SeniorManagementAccountant	Senior Management Accountant	National Average	£56,949	£61,330	£70,091
SeniorManagementAccountant	Senior Management Accountant	London	£65,000	£70,000	£80,000
SeniorManagementAccountant	Senior Management Accountant	SouthEast	£60,185	£64,815	£74,074
SeniorManagementAccountant	Senior Management Accountant	SouthWest	£56,034	£60,345	£68,966
SeniorManagementAccountant	Senior Management Accountant	EastEast	£58,036	£62,500	£71,429
SeniorManagementAccountant	Senior Management Accountant	WestMidlands	£56,522	£60,870	£69,565
SeniorManagementAccountant	Senior Management Accountant	EastMidlands	£56,522	£60,870	£69,565
SeniorManagementAccountant	Senior Management Accountant	Yorkshire	£54,622	£58,824	£67,227
SeniorManagementAccountant	Senior Management Accountant	NorthEast	£54,167	£58,333	£66,667
SeniorManagementAccountant	Senior Management Accountant	NorthWest	£54,622	£58,824	£67,227
SeniorManagementAccountant	Senior Management Accountant	Scotland	£57,018	£61,404	£70,175
SeniorManagementAccountant	Senior Management Accountant	Wales	£53,719	£57,851	£66,116
ManagementAccountantashdown	Management Accountant	National Average	£52,568	£56,949	£65,711
ManagementAccountantashdown	Management Accountant	London	£60,000	£65,000	£75,000
ManagementAccountantashdown	Management Accountant	SouthEast	£55,556	£60,185	£69,444
ManagementAccountantashdown	Management Accountant	SouthWest	£51,724	£56,034	£64,655
ManagementAccountantashdown	Management Accountant	EastEast	£53,571	£58,036	£66,964
ManagementAccountantashdown	Management Accountant	WestMidlands	£52,174	£56,522	£65,217
ManagementAccountantashdown	Management Accountant	EastMidlands	£52,174	£56,522	£65,217
ManagementAccountantashdown	Management Accountant	Yorkshire	£50,420	£54,622	£63,025
ManagementAccountantashdown	Management Accountant	NorthEast	£50,000	£54,167	£62,500
ManagementAccountantashdown	Management Accountant	NorthWest	£50,420	£54,622	£63,025
ManagementAccountantashdown	Management Accountant	Scotland	£52,632	£57,018	£65,789
ManagementAccountantashdown	Management Accountant	Wales	£49,587	£53,719	£61,983
FinancialAccountantashdown	Financial Accountant	National Average	£48,188	£54,321	£65,711
FinancialAccountantashdown	Financial Accountant	London	£55,000	£62,000	£75,000
FinancialAccountantashdown	Financial Accountant	SouthEast	£50,926	£57,407	£69,444
FinancialAccountantashdown	Financial Accountant	SouthWest	£47,414	£53,448	£64,655
FinancialAccountantashdown	Financial Accountant	EastEast	£49,107	£55,357	£66,964
FinancialAccountantashdown	Financial Accountant	WestMidlands	£47,826	£53,913	£65,217
FinancialAccountantashdown	Financial Accountant	EastMidlands	£47,826	£53,913	£65,217
FinancialAccountantashdown	Financial Accountant	Yorkshire	£46,218	£52,101	£63,025
FinancialAccountantashdown	Financial Accountant	NorthEast	£45,833	£51,667	£62,500
FinancialAccountantashdown	Financial Accountant	NorthWest	£46,218	£52,101	£63,025
FinancialAccountantashdown	Financial Accountant	Scotland	£48,246	£54,386	£65,789
FinancialAccountantashdown	Financial Accountant	Wales	£45,455	£51,240	£61,983
PartQualifiedManagementAccountant	Part Qualified Management Accountant	National Average	£39,426	£45,559	£52,568
PartQualifiedManagementAccountant	Part Qualified Management Accountant	London	£45,000	£52,000	£60,000
PartQualifiedManagementAccountant	Part Qualified Management Accountant	SouthEast	£41,667	£48,148	£55,556
PartQualifiedManagementAccountant	Part Qualified Management Accountant	SouthWest	£38,793	£44,828	£51,724
PartQualifiedManagementAccountant	Part Qualified Management Accountant	EastEast	£40,179	£46,429	£53,571
PartQualifiedManagementAccountant	Part Qualified Management Accountant	WestMidlands	£39,130	£45,217	£52,174
PartQualifiedManagementAccountant	Part Qualified Management Accountant	EastMidlands	£39,130	£45,217	£52,174
PartQualifiedManagementAccountant	Part Qualified Management Accountant	Yorkshire	£37,815	£43,697	£50,420
PartQualifiedManagementAccountant	Part Qualified Management Accountant	NorthEast	£37,500	£43,333	£50,000
PartQualifiedManagementAccountant	Part Qualified Management Accountant	NorthWest	£37,815	£43,697	£50,420
PartQualifiedManagementAccountant	Part Qualified Management Accountant	Scotland	£39,474	£45,614	£52,632
PartQualifiedManagementAccountant	Part Qualified Management Accountant	Wales	£37,190	£42,975	£49,587
PartQualifiedFinancialAccountant	Part Qualified Financial Accountant	National Average	£39,426	£45,559	£52,568
PartQualifiedFinancialAccountant	Part Qualified Financial Accountant	London	£45,000	£52,000	£60,000
PartQualifiedFinancialAccountant	Part Qualified Financial Accountant	SouthEast	£41,667	£48,148	£55,556
PartQualifiedFinancialAccountant	Part Qualified Financial Accountant	SouthWest	£38,793	£44,828	£51,724
PartQualifiedFinancialAccountant	Part Qualified Financial Accountant	EastEast	£40,179	£46,429	£53,571
PartQualifiedFinancialAccountant	Part Qualified Financial Accountant	WestMidlands	£39,130	£45,217	£52,174
PartQualifiedFinancialAccountant	Part Qualified Financial Accountant	EastMidlands	£39,130	£45,217	£52,174
PartQualifiedFinancialAccountant	Part Qualified Financial Accountant	Yorkshire	£37,815	£43,697	£50,420
PartQualifiedFinancialAccountant	Part Qualified Financial Accountant	NorthEast	£37,500	£43,333	£50,000
PartQualifiedFinancialAccountant	Part Qualified Financial Accountant	NorthWest	£37,815	£43,697	£50,420
PartQualifiedFinancialAccountant	Part Qualified Financial Accountant	Scotland	£39,474	£45,614	£52,632
PartQualifiedFinancialAccountant	Part Qualified Financial Accountant	Wales	£37,190	£42,975	£49,587
Purchase/SalesLedger	Purchase/Sales Ledger	National Average	£26,284	£30,665	£33,293
Purchase/SalesLedger	Purchase/Sales Ledger	London	£30,000	£35,000	£38,000
Purchase/SalesLedger	Purchase/Sales Ledger	SouthEast	£27,778	£32,407	£35,185
Purchase/SalesLedger	Purchase/Sales Ledger	SouthWest	£25,862	£30,172	£32,759
Purchase/SalesLedger	Purchase/Sales Ledger	EastEast	£26,786	£31,250	£33,929
Purchase/SalesLedger	Purchase/Sales Ledger	WestMidlands	£26,087	£30,435	£33,043
Purchase/SalesLedger	Purchase/Sales Ledger	EastMidlands	£26,087	£30,435	£33,043
Purchase/SalesLedger	Purchase/Sales Ledger	Yorkshire	£25,210	£29,412	£31,933
Purchase/SalesLedger	Purchase/Sales Ledger	NorthEast	£25,000	£29,167	£31,667
Purchase/SalesLedger	Purchase/Sales Ledger	NorthWest	£25,210	£29,412	£31,933
Purchase/SalesLedger	Purchase/Sales Ledger	Scotland	£26,316	£30,702	£33,333
Purchase/SalesLedger	Purchase/Sales Ledger	Wales	£24,793	£28,926	£31,405
AccountsAssistant	Accounts Assistant	National Average	£26,284	£28,912	£32,417
AccountsAssistant	Accounts Assistant	London	£30,000	£33,000	£37,000
AccountsAssistant	Accounts Assistant	SouthEast	£27,778	£30,556	£34,259
AccountsAssistant	Accounts Assistant	SouthWest	£25,862	£28,448	£31,897
AccountsAssistant	Accounts Assistant	EastEast	£26,786	£29,464	£33,036
AccountsAssistant	Accounts Assistant	WestMidlands	£26,087	£28,696	£32,174
AccountsAssistant	Accounts Assistant	EastMidlands	£26,087	£28,696	£32,174
AccountsAssistant	Accounts Assistant	Yorkshire	£25,210	£27,731	£31,092
AccountsAssistant	Accounts Assistant	NorthEast	£25,000	£27,500	£30,833
AccountsAssistant	Accounts Assistant	NorthWest	£25,210	£27,731	£31,092
AccountsAssistant	Accounts Assistant	Scotland	£26,316	£28,947	£32,456
AccountsAssistant	Accounts Assistant	Wales	£24,793	£27,273	£30,579
CreditControlManager	Credit Control Manager	National Average	£39,426	£48,188	£56,949
CreditControlManager	Credit Control Manager	London	£45,000	£55,000	£65,000
CreditControlManager	Credit Control Manager	SouthEast	£41,667	£50,926	£60,185
CreditControlManager	Credit Control Manager	SouthWest	£38,793	£47,414	£56,034
CreditControlManager	Credit Control Manager	EastEast	£40,179	£49,107	£58,036
CreditControlManager	Credit Control Manager	WestMidlands	£39,130	£47,826	£56,522
CreditControlManager	Credit Control Manager	EastMidlands	£39,130	£47,826	£56,522
CreditControlManager	Credit Control Manager	Yorkshire	£37,815	£46,218	£54,622
CreditControlManager	Credit Control Manager	NorthEast	£37,500	£45,833	£54,167
CreditControlManager	Credit Control Manager	NorthWest	£37,815	£46,218	£54,622
CreditControlManager	Credit Control Manager	Scotland	£39,474	£48,246	£57,018
CreditControlManager	Credit Control Manager	Wales	£37,190	£45,455	£53,719
CreditController	Credit Controller	National Average	£30,665	£33,293	£36,798
CreditController	Credit Controller	London	£35,000	£38,000	£42,000
CreditController	Credit Controller	SouthEast	£32,407	£35,185	£38,889
CreditController	Credit Controller	SouthWest	£30,172	£32,759	£36,207
CreditController	Credit Controller	EastEast	£31,250	£33,929	£37,500
CreditController	Credit Controller	WestMidlands	£30,435	£33,043	£36,522
CreditController	Credit Controller	EastMidlands	£30,435	£33,043	£36,522
CreditController	Credit Controller	Yorkshire	£29,412	£31,933	£35,294
CreditController	Credit Controller	NorthEast	£29,167	£31,667	£35,000
CreditController	Credit Controller	NorthWest	£29,412	£31,933	£35,294
CreditController	Credit Controller	Scotland	£30,702	£33,333	£36,842
CreditController	Credit Controller	Wales	£28,926	£31,405	£34,711
PayrollManager	Payroll Manager	National Average	£43,807	£48,188	£56,949
PayrollManager	Payroll Manager	London	£50,000	£55,000	£65,000
PayrollManager	Payroll Manager	SouthEast	£46,296	£50,926	£60,185
PayrollManager	Payroll Manager	SouthWest	£43,103	£47,414	£56,034
PayrollManager	Payroll Manager	EastEast	£44,643	£49,107	£58,036
PayrollManager	Payroll Manager	WestMidlands	£43,478	£47,826	£56,522
PayrollManager	Payroll Manager	EastMidlands	£43,478	£47,826	£56,522
PayrollManager	Payroll Manager	Yorkshire	£42,017	£46,218	£54,622
PayrollManager	Payroll Manager	NorthEast	£41,667	£45,833	£54,167
PayrollManager	Payroll Manager	NorthWest	£42,017	£46,218	£54,622
PayrollManager	Payroll Manager	Scotland	£43,860	£48,246	£57,018
PayrollManager	Payroll Manager	Wales	£41,322	£45,455	£53,719
PayrollAssociate	Payroll Associate	National Average	£30,665	£35,045	£39,426
PayrollAssociate	Payroll Associate	London	£35,000	£40,000	£45,000
PayrollAssociate	Payroll Associate	SouthEast	£32,407	£37,037	£41,667
PayrollAssociate	Payroll Associate	SouthWest	£30,172	£34,483	£38,793
PayrollAssociate	Payroll Associate	EastEast	£31,250	£35,714	£40,179
PayrollAssociate	Payroll Associate	WestMidlands	£30,435	£34,783	£39,130
PayrollAssociate	Payroll Associate	EastMidlands	£30,435	£34,783	£39,130
PayrollAssociate	Payroll Associate	Yorkshire	£29,412	£33,613	£37,815
PayrollAssociate	Payroll Associate	NorthEast	£29,167	£33,333	£37,500
PayrollAssociate	Payroll Associate	NorthWest	£29,412	£33,613	£37,815
PayrollAssociate	Payroll Associate	Scotland	£30,702	£35,088	£39,474
PayrollAssociate	Payroll Associate	Wales	£28,926	£33,058	£37,190
PayrollAdministrator	Payroll Administrator	National Average	£28,912	£33,293	£36,798
PayrollAdministrator	Payroll Administrator	London	£33,000	£38,000	£42,000
PayrollAdministrator	Payroll Administrator	SouthEast	£30,556	£35,185	£38,889
PayrollAdministrator	Payroll Administrator	SouthWest	£28,448	£32,759	£36,207
PayrollAdministrator	Payroll Administrator	EastEast	£29,464	£33,929	£37,500
PayrollAdministrator	Payroll Administrator	WestMidlands	£28,696	£33,043	£36,522
PayrollAdministrator	Payroll Administrator	EastMidlands	£28,696	£33,043	£36,522
PayrollAdministrator	Payroll Administrator	Yorkshire	£27,731	£31,933	£35,294
PayrollAdministrator	Payroll Administrator	NorthEast	£27,500	£31,667	£35,000
PayrollAdministrator	Payroll Administrator	NorthWest	£27,731	£31,933	£35,294
PayrollAdministrator	Payroll Administrator	Scotland	£28,947	£33,333	£36,842
PayrollAdministrator	Payroll Administrator	Wales	£27,273	£31,405	£34,711

Salary guidance

Salaries typically fall between the lower and upper quartiles depending on candidate availability, demand for those skills, level of experience, industry sector and the size of the business or organisation.

Lower quartile

The band under which 25% of salaries are paid. The entry point for the job role

Median

The midpoint salary for the job role

Upper quartile

The band above which 25% of salaries are paid. For experienced professionals operating at expert level.

Key observations

Accounting Job Market Insights

The accountancy job market has been a resilient sector during a lacklustre period of economic growth. Economic uncertainty, post-Brexit trade complexities, ongoing regulatory changes and a shortfall in qualified specialist talent have driven demand for skilled professionals. Businesses are demanding analysts for real time financial data analysis, coupled with a desire to drive down costs and seek out operational efficiencies.

Roles in Demand

Management Accountants
As businesses focus on efficiency in light of rising operational costs, management accountants are in demand for their budgeting, cost control, and performance analysis skills.

Finance Manager
In smaller organisations, Finance Managers are now taking on business partnering roles. They're valued as strategic advisors, not just financial analysts, turning financial data into actionable insights.

Technology and Systems Accountants
Digital transformation continues to accelerate across the UK. Accountants skilled in integrating cloud-based software and AI-driven analytics tools, such as Xero or SAP, are in high demand to streamline operations and enhance decision-making.

Hiring Challenges

Accounting salaries have crept up in comparison to other sectors and are often increased by a fixed percentage annually. This has led to an environment where in demand skills represent a flight risk amongst existing employees.

A Persistent Skills Gap
The UK faces a shortage of accountants with niche skills, particularly in finance systems technology, audit and financial analysis. Slower qualification pipelines and competition for talent across sectors are exacerbating the existing skills gap.

Increased Competition in London and Regional Hubs
While London remains a focal point for accounting roles, regional hubs such as Manchester, Birmingham, and Edinburgh are also experiencing heightened demand. Companies in these areas often face fierce competition for local talent.

Shifting Candidate Expectations
With employees increasingly prioritising flexibility, work-life balance, and purpose-driven, challenging roles, employers that do not meet these expectations may struggle to secure top candidates as economic stability returns.

Economic Pressures on Hiring Budgets
As UK businesses grapple with inflation and rising costs, some face constraints in offering competitive packages, particularly for senior or specialist roles.

Expected Salary Increases

Despite high employment within the finance sector and steady demand, salary growth for accountancy sector job roles is expected to only marginally exceed the national average, with expected salary increases of 4-6% in 2025.

Recommendations for Accounting and Finance Professionals

As organisations increasingly seek greater value from their finance teams, the ability to collaborate and partner with business functions to provide financial data and metrics for informed decision-making has become a highly sought-after skill. Those who develop strong interpersonal and soft skills will be best positioned to capitalise on this growing demand.

July 2024

Falling inflation and the prospect of lower interest rates are improving business confidence within the finance profession. Despite a cautious approach towards hiring and salary negotiations at the start of 2024, business sentiment is improving. Many accountancy skills are already in tight supply and, with an increase in demand, we predict salaries to rise ahead of inflation this year.

The accounting industry is undergoing a transformation driven by technology, as explored in our Accounting and AI report, which is disrupting traditional accounting models. The integration of artificial intelligence (AI), automation, and advanced analytics is reshaping the way accountants perform their roles. This shift towards technological advancements requires accountants to adapt, upskill, and embrace new technologies to remain competitive in the evolving landscape.

Key points

Demand for candidates is rising and there are still shortages in key areas such as audit and for those with analytical skills.

Following an Ashdown Group study of over 12,000 UK accountancy professionals, 70% of employees are positive about the efficiency advancements being made with AI technology and automation.

There is an increase in demand for systems accountants and analysts with the ability to translate business processes into automated tasks, extracting and presenting financial information more efficiently.

A key observation from finance employees was that they want more training with technology tools to help them be more effective and greater communication around the use of automation technology and the long term effect on jobs.

Entry level finance roles are having more of their routine tasks automated by accounting systems meaning they can spend more of their time on higher value tasks.

The average salary increase across accounting roles is 6.5%. Audit has seen an increase of 10% and is one of the most highly sought after skills. Employers are increasingly seeking those with strong interpersonal skills such as critical thinking, problem solving, teamwork and communication. Developing these skills will command a premium salary beyond hard technical skills alone.

Flexible working

Our survey of UK employers has shown flexible working to be widely accepted within the accountancy profession, with all respondents either maintaining or further improving their flexible working arrangements.

Accountancy Salaries

Accounting salaries have crept up in comparison to other sectors and are often increased by a fixed percentage annually. This has led to an environment where in demand skills represent a flight risk amongst existing employees.

Most in demand skills:

Finance Analyst – 7% increase in salary
Management Accountant – 7% increase
Financial Controller – 8% increase
Financial Accountant- 7.5% increase

July 2023

The accountancy market in 2023 has been marked by a significant decline in business confidence, primarily due to inflation. This has had a profound impact on business growth, resulting in a cautious approach towards hiring and salary negotiations. Businesses are tightening their belts, with financial well-being initiatives being dropped and salary raises depressed compared to 2022.

Key points

Demand for candidates has fallen slightly, although there are still shortages in key areas such as audit and analytical skills.

The average salary increase across accounting roles in 2023 is 7%, rising to 10% for in-demand roles such as audit.

Accountancy employees want more training in AI to help them use the technologies more effectively.

Falling demand

During 2022 the demand for skilled accountants outpaced the available pool of candidates. However, in 2023 demand has fallen slightly, and candidate availability has improved. As a result, salary growth has fallen below inflation.

While there are still skill shortages in various qualified accountancy roles such as audit and senior finance, there are fewer shortages than there were in 2022. Core skills such as analytical and management accounting skills remain in high demand.

The average salary increase across accounting roles is 7%. Audit has seen an increase of 10% and is one of the most highly sought after skills.

Flexible working

Our survey of UK employers has shown flexible working to be widely accepted within the accountancy profession, with all respondents either maintaining or further improving their flexible working arrangements.

Tech transformation

The accounting industry is undergoing a transformation driven by technology, which is disrupting traditional accounting models. The integration of artificial intelligence (AI), automation, and advanced analytics is reshaping the way accountants perform their roles. This shift towards technological advancements requires accountants to adapt, upskill, and embrace new technologies to remain competitive in the evolving landscape.

A recent report by the Ashdown Group on AI adoption revealed that senior finance professionals feel broadly positive about AI and the opportunities it will bring. However, it also highlighted a significant knowledge gap, lack of understanding, and inadequate training as key areas for development among finance leaders. There is a growing need for finance professionals to invest more time in developing knowledge around emerging technologies and future planning.

January 2023

Demand for accounting skills hit a plateau in July and has remained flat – albeit at an elevated level ever since. There is still a shortage of skills across all finance roles.

Demand for accountancy professionals remains robust with more roles being advertised than available candidates. This position will put upwards pressure on salaries throughout 2023 as inflation and the cost of living continue to climb.

According to the Financial Reporting Council (FRC), the accounting profession is seeing a slow decline in graduate numbers whilst simultaneously seeing a larger number of people retiring at an earlier stage. This will put further pressure on existing skill shortages and subsequently create an environment of above-inflation salary increases to meet demand.

As businesses look to quantify the value of business functions and spending, accounting roles will remain in high demand throughout 2023.

Financial, analytical, and management accounting skills remain in high demand to support decision making in a rapidly changing economy. We anticipate tight budgets dampening salary increases during the next 12 months. As a result, attracting and retaining employees will remain one of the biggest challenges, balancing budgets with salary expectations during a cost-of-living crisis in 2023.

As in our other sectors, businesses are working hard to upskill within the accounts function, producing a number of benefits such as greater employee retention, engagement, productivity and greater collaboration within organisations.

Pressure to present financial data, which will enable faster decision making in a volatile economy, will put additional stress on finance professionals in the coming 12 months. We see the finance department building its role as a partner to other departments, and being seen as increasingly key to delivering business strategy in 2023.

The rise of AI may solve some of the skills shortages around analytical roles, but the speed of adoption and trust in these technologies remains a challenge to the industry.

Budget cuts will have a dampening effect on salaries during 2023.

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