ACCOUNTING EMPLOYMENT MARKET UPDATE JUNE - SEPTEMBER 2016
ABOUT THIS GUIDE Chandler Macleod’s national Salary Guides provides insight on job market conditions, permanent and temporary pay rates and employment trends. Information for these quarterly reports has been provided by Chandler Macleod recruitment consultants, candidates, clients and other sources. With years of local knowledge and experience in their respective areas of expertise, our specialist recruiters have a deep understanding of their market, the roles they recruit and current pay rates. All salary ranges and hourly rates are approximate guides only. While the salary ranges listed are current, we are seeing increasing variations on market rates as the number of organisations basing pay rates on specific circumstances increases. The permanent salaries listed are base salaries only and do not include superannuation, bonuses, incentive schemes or other benefits. The contract rates listed are the rate paid to the contractor and do not include superannuation, management fees, incentive schemes or other benefits or fees. Roles marked N/A indicate insufficient data to represent the market adequately, please contact our consultants for further information about these roles.
CONTACT US Sydney 02 9269 8666 Melbourne 03 8629 1100 Brisbane
07 3003 7755
Perth 08 9217 0510 Adelaide 08 8408 9000 Canberra 02 6268 9888
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ACCOUNTING EMPLOYMENT MARKET UPDATE JUNE - DECEMBER 2016
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NATIONAL MARKET UPDATE Nationally, we are seeing significant Accounting job market volatility as the Australian economy continues to transition from mining to a broader based services economy. Over the last 12 months we have seen many organisations restructure to realign to the evolving corporate market place. Despite this, many organisations are facing stringent controls on operating costs, productivity and efficiency improvements which is impacting medium-longer term workforce planning. We are seeing demand for Finance Managers, Business Systems Analysts, Cost Accountants, Assistant Accountants, Financial Analysts and Payroll Officers across most states which will intensify during EOFY. Generally there is high demand for qualified finance professionals with local market experience and a proven track record of working collaboratively across organisations, identifying cost savings and embracing digital technology innovations to achieve business goals. These qualified “in-demand� finance and accounting candidates, with perceived niche skills, will continue to enjoy greater permanent career opportunities as the war for talent intensifies. Employers looking to attract top talent should be prepared to leverage the power of their brand and make a compelling financial offer to secure top talent. As employers remain challenged to plan for the longer term, we can expect to see the continued trend of fixed-term contract roles aligned to specific company projects and initiatives. Most accounting and finance candidates have become accustomed to working in this fashion and the trend is set to continue into late 2016. Organisations looking to retain top high performers and emerging leaders will need to identify and build clear career pathways.
NEW SOUTH WALES The New South Wales Accounting job market is strong across the board with steady demand for both chartered and commercial candidates. We are seeing a very reactive chartered market compounded by EOFY activity and sustained mid-level turnover. On the other hand, the commercial market is in a high recruitment phase across a variety of specialisms. Demand for experienced Business Analysts is high and employers are generally favouring candidates with SAP, Oracle and/or Pronto expertise. We are also seeing an on-going shortage of Chartered Accountants as the higher salaries and stronger EVP of commercial roles continue to appeal to mid-level candidates. With cost efficiencies and productivity a priority, many organisations are moving towards centralised shared services models for finance and admin functions, this is driving high numbers of Accounts Payable and Payroll candidates back into the market. Given the timing of the federal election over EOFY peak season, we are anticipating little to no impact on hiring decisions with both commercial and chartered organisations requiring the usual level of temporary finance support. Over the coming months we are also expecting demand to increase in the civil infrastructure sector as a number of Government funded projects commence.
ACCOUNTING EMPLOYMENT MARKET UPDATE JUNE - DECEMBER 2016
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VICTORIA A lack of candidates with niche and technical expertise is impacting Victoria’s Accounting job market with CFOs generally struggling to find suitable accounting and finance talent. This is compounded by increasing demand as a significant majority of Australian companies look to further strengthen their finance and accounting teams in 2016. We are currently seeing demand for accounting and finance candidates with a proven track record, outstanding business acumen and the ability to contribute to the success of the organisation. Professionals with experience working with business intelligence tools or financial software packages, such as ERP, are at the top of the hiring list for many of our clients. We are also seeing high demand for Finance Managers, Business Analysts, Financial Accountants, Assistant Accountants, Payroll Officers and Accounts Receivable/ Payable. The CA and CPA designations remain the gold standard of post-graduate qualifications for accounting professionals, giving candidates a clear competitive edge. We are also seeing increasing demand for soft skills, particularly leadership skills and the ability to communicate financial information to stakeholders who have no financial background. Candidates who tick the boxes for both hard and soft skills are in a commanding position and employers are willing to offer competitive salaries and benefits packages to attract and retain them.
QUEENSLAND The Queensland Accounting job market has been steadily growing since November 2015 with an increasing number of mid-senior permanent roles being approved. This has largely been due to many organisations approving budget for new FTE head count, however we are also seeing vacancies created as a result of organisational restructures across many sectors. As confidence returned to the Brisbane commercial market, we have seen renewed enthusiasm for candidates to be moved through the recruitment process faster as companies look to fill vacancies swiftly. Generally, we are seeing supply outstrip demand with most advertised roles receiving a high level of interest in the Brisbane market; however there remains a shortage of good taxation accountants. Finance Business Partners are in high demand as organisations look for candidates who can work with non-financial stakeholders to understand business operations and add value through cost savings or efficiency creation. We are also seeing a trend towards temporary opportunities in the clerical accounting market as organisations strive to ensure their transactional processing workforce is scalable to align with workflow. We expect conditions to steadily improve over coming months and anticipate the standard peak in activity over EOFY despite the timing of the federal election. While it is set to remain an employer’s market for some time finding the right cultural fit and specific skill set can be challenging. Organisations looking to attract quality talent with strong reporting, taxation or Public Practice experience will need to offer attractive salary packages and embrace head hunting passive candidates.
ACCOUNTING EMPLOYMENT MARKET UPDATE JUNE - DECEMBER 2016
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WESTERN AUSTRALIA In Western Australia, the Accounting job market remains quite static with employers preferring to upskill existing staff rather than hiring. This has meant no change in permanent salaries and a preference for stability with highly experienced professionals becoming job seekers. These passive candidates are less likely to respond to advertisements but open to direct contact from recruiters. In the temporary space we have seen a return to more ‘traditional’ assignments – short to medium term leave cover; long term maternity leave positions; and ‘peak period’ cover such as EOFY support. Temporary candidates are experiencing a drop in hourly rates of up to 30%. We continue to see demand for experienced payroll candidates driven in part by considerable turnover in this area recently. Senior Analysts are also highly regarded by the market for both half-yearly and EOFY periods, along with future planning. On the flip side, redundancies in the mining space across mid to superintendent level roles has resulted in a surplus of operational candidates. Despite expectation that large scale redundancies in the WA market would result in a large number of high quality candidates applying or available for temporary roles this has not been the case. Growth in the not-for-profit and health sectors has mostly absorbed these candidates, with on-going activity in the construction sector also contributing to demand. We expect these sectors to continue to require experienced talent and anticipate employers who have made heavy cuts likely reengage mid-level roles as the market improves, albeit at a much lower rate.
SOUTH AUSTRALIA After a strong start to 2016 the South Australian Accounting job market has slowed considerably with activity expected to remain static over coming months. Despite this, we are anticipating a small increase in availability of temporary roles to support EOFY activity. The Federal Election is also expected to increase demand for temporary accounting and finance talent. We are currently seeing demand for Payroll, Accounts Payable and Accounts Receivable talent with recent Government experience highly regarded. Candidates with strong SAP experience are also highly sought after. We are also anticipating growing demand for Accountants and Analysts with mining expertise as BHP forecasts an increase in activity. Salary remains the primary motivator of candidates and we are seeing candidates decline job offers if the salary package is not higher than their current package. We are also seeing candidates increasingly prioritise other benefits such as flexible work hours, car allowances and bonus structures.
ACCOUNTING EMPLOYMENT MARKET UPDATE JUNE - DECEMBER 2016
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PERMANENT
SALARY GUIDE NSW
VIC
QLD
WA
SA
ACCOUNTING SUPPORT
$’000
$’000
$’000
$’000
$’000
Accounts Clerk
40 - 45
45 - 50
50 - 58
55 - 70
45 - 50
Accounts Payable
60 - 65
45 - 50
50 - 58
50 - 70
45 - 60
Accounts Receivable
45 - 50
45 - 50
50 - 58
55 - 70
45 - 60
Accounts Payable Manager
70 - 75
55 - 65
75 - 100
60 - 80
60 - 90
Accounts Receivable Manager
70 - 75
55 - 65
75 - 100
60 - 80
60 - 90
Bookkeeper
55 - 65
40 - 45
50 - 60
65 - 80
50 - 65
Payroll Officer
45 - 60
45 - 55
60 - 75
50 - 70
45 - 60
Payroll Supervisor
65 - 75
55 - 70
80 - 90
60 - 90
60 - 80
Payroll Manager
80 - 100
60 - 70
70 - 100
65 - 95
70 - 90
Collections Officer
40 - 45
45 - 55
50 - 60
55 - 75
45 - 60
Reconciliations Clerk
45 - 55
55 - 75
50 - 60
55 - 70
45 - 60
Auditor
65 - 75
65 - 100
70 - 95
60 - 90
60 - 85
Internal Auditor
65 - 75
75 - 100
70 - 95
80 - 110
60 - 85
Business Analyst
80 - 100
80 - 150
75 - 110
85 - 140
70 - 90
Commercial Analyst
80 - 100
90 - 120
85 - 110
90 - 150
75 - 100
Financial Analyst
80 - 100
70 - 90
85 - 110
85 - 110
90 - 130
Finance Officer
55 - 65
50 - 60
50 - 60
70 - 90
50 - 65
AUDIT AND REPORTING
ACCOUNTING EMPLOYMENT MARKET UPDATE JUNE - DECEMBER 2016
5
PERMANENT
SALARY GUIDE NSW
VIC
QLD
WA
SA
ACCOUNTING
$’000
$’000
$’000
$’000
$’000
Assistant Accountant
55 - 65
55 - 60
55 - 65
55 - 70
50 - 65
Accountant
70 - 80
55 - 65
70 - 80
60 - 180
70 - 120
Financial Accountant
80 - 100
70 - 80
70 - 110
75 - 150
75 - 120
Corporate Accountant
80 - 90
80 - 110
75 - 90
95 - 130
70 - 120
Systems Accountant
44 - 55
65 - 90
85 - 115
90 - 150
80 - 120
Tax Accountant
70 - 90
60 - 125
80 - 120
75 - 150
80 - 130
Treasury Accountant
80 - 110
80 - 125
75 - 90
70 - 100
55 - 75
Project Accountant
70 - 90
55 - 75
80 - 95
80 - 120
N/A
Cost Accountant
80 - 90
55 - 65
85 - 110
90 - 150
70 - 80
Management Accountant
80 - 100
70 - 100
80 - 120
70 - 130
75 - 120
Commercial Manager
95 - 110
100 - 150
100 - 150
110 - 140
100 - 135
Credit Manager
75 - 95
60 - 75
85 - 110
65 - 110
70 - 90
Tax Manager
80 - 100
85 - 125
120 - 160
110 - 180
N/A
Finance Manager
100 - 120
70 - 110
100 - 120
110 - 180
110 - 150
Financial Controller
90 - 150
75 - 100
110 - 130
120 - 150
130 - 180
Finance Director
100 - 150
100 - 180
180 - 300
140 - 300
160 - 220
Chief Financial Officer
130 - 150
120 - 180
180 - 300
180 - 300
160 - 250
MANAGEMENT
ACCOUNTING EMPLOYMENT MARKET UPDATE JUNE - DECEMBER 2016
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TEMPORARY
SALARY GUIDE NSW
VIC
QLD
WA
SA
ACCOUNTING SUPPORT
HOURLY
HOURLY
HOURLY
HOURLY
HOURLY
Accounts Clerk
25 - 40
25 - 35
25 - 30
25 - 45
20 - 30
Accounts Payable
25 - 35
25 - 40
25 - 30
25 - 40
20 - 40
Accounts Receivable
30 - 35
25 - 30
25 - 30
25 - 45
20 - 40
Accounts Payable Manager
40 - 45
45 - 65
35 - 50
35 - 50
35 - 60
Accounts Receivable Manager
40 - 45
45 - 65
35 - 50
30 - 45
35 - 60
Bookkeeper
30 - 40
35 - 50
25 - 30
35 - 45
25 - 45
Payroll Officer
25 - 45
20 - 40
30 - 40
25 - 35
20 - 40
Payroll Supervisor
40 - 50
45 - 55
40 - 45
35 - 50
30 - 55
Payroll Manager
50 - 65
40 - 50
35 - 50
35 - 50
35 - 60
Collections Officer
30 - 35
30 - 55
25 - 30
25 - 35
20 - 40
Reconciliations Clerk
30 - 40
30 - 45
25 - 30
25 - 35
20 - 40
Auditor
35 - 45
35 - 60
35 - 50
35 - 45
35 - 55
Internal Auditor
35 - 45
35 - 55
35 - 45
35 - 60
35 - 55
Business Analyst
55 - 65
50 - 70
40 - 60
45 - 70
35 - 60
Commercial Analyst
60 - 75
50 - 90
40 - 60
50 - 80
45 - 65
Financial Analyst
55 - 65
45 - 70
40 - 60
40 - 60
55 - 85
Finance Officer
30 - 45
40 - 55
25 - 30
30 - 50
25 - 45
AUDIT AND REPORTING
ACCOUNTING EMPLOYMENT MARKET UPDATE JUNE - DECEMBER 2016
7
TEMPORARY
SALARY GUIDE NSW
VIC
QLD
WA
SA
ACCOUNTING
HOURLY
HOURLY
HOURLY
HOURLY
HOURLY
Assistant Accountant
35 - 40
35 - 60
25 - 35
30 - 45
25 - 45
Accountant
35 - 65
45 - 60
35 - 40
35 - 50
45 - 60
Financial Accountant
65 - 110
50 - 90
45 - 80
50 - 75
45 - 80
Corporate Accountant
65 - 75
50 - 75
35 - 45
50 - 80
45 - 80
Systems Accountant
50 - 70
50 - 75
40 - 60
45 - 75
50 - 80
Tax Accountant
40-70
40 - 70
40 - 60
40 - 80
60 - 90
Treasury Accountant
55 - 70
50 - 75
35 - 45
50 - 90
35 - 80
Project Accountant
50 - 70
40 - 65
40 - 50
45 - 80
N/A
Cost Accountant
65 - 75
55 - 75
40 - 55
65 - 70
45 - 55
Management Accountant
45 - 55
55 - 70
40 - 60
40 - 60
45 - 80
Commercial Manager
55 - 65
50 - 70
50 - 75
55 - 100
60 - 90
Credit Manager
60 - 80
55 - 75
40 - 55
35 - 50
45 - 55
Tax Manager
50 - 80
55 - 85
60 - 80
50 - 80
N/A
Finance Manager
90 - 100
75 - 100
50 - 60
65 - 100
70 - 100
Financial Controller
70 - 95
70 - 95
70 - 90
70 - 90
70 - 90
Finance Director
120 - 130
90 - 140
90 - 150
70 - 160
100 - 140
Chief Financial Officer
120 - 150
120 - 140
90 - 150
90 - 120
95 - 120
MANAGEMENT
ACCOUNTING EMPLOYMENT MARKET UPDATE JUNE - DECEMBER 2016
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