CPA Salaries Projected to Advance 3.7% in 2017

Excerpt from new Robert Half Salary Guide
Excerpt from new Robert Half Salary Guide

Firms jockey for best recruits.

By CPA Trendlines Research

CPA firms should be braced to pay more and further improve their workplace offering perks to attract top talent, according to staffing firm Robert Half International.

The already hot market for hiring is stoked to get even more heated with RHI predicting that starting salaries for accounting and finance professionals will increase by an average 3.7 percent in 2017. That’s the second highest level of pay hikes projected for all major professional employment sectors nationwide, trailing only the white-hot technology sector, where it sees average starting pays rising 3.8 percent.

The Menlo Park, Calif., firm warns that “competition for top talent can be fierce,” and notes that many firms are already increasing salaries and bonuses to be tops in their local market areas or business niches. “With skilled professionals in high demand and short supply, more employers are willing to negotiate compensation with potential hires,” said Paul McDonald, senior executive director at RHI.