Accounting - Employment Marketing Update

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

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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

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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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