CFO Alliance Releases 2025–2026 Global Mid-Market Talent & Compensation Trends Report

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 7, 2025

CFO Alliance Releases 2025–2026 Global Mid-Market Talent & Compensation Trends Report

Report reveals salary growth across finance roles, rising equity incentives, and persistent leadership pipeline gaps as CFOs finalize 2026 budgets.

Berwyn, PA — The CFO Alliance, in collaboration with AchieveNEXT and Aspire, today announced the release of its 2025–2026 Global Mid-Market Talent & Compensation Trends Report. This premier resource provides finance and C-suite leaders with timely insights into how compensation, culture, and capability-building must evolve to meet the demands of an uncertain economic, geopolitical, and technological environment.

Drawing on input from more than 250 mid-market finance leaders, the report highlights major trends shaping the future of finance leadership:

• Compensation Growth: Base salaries are on the rise across the board. 57% of CFOs, 53% of VPs of Finance, and 64% of Controllers saw pay increases year-over-year, reflecting continued demand for strong financial leadership despite tighter capital markets.

• Equity on the Rise: While annual bonuses remain the most common incentive (74% of CFOs participate), 25% of CFOs now receive equity-based compensation, signaling a shift toward long-term value creation and retention.

• AI Adoption Gap: A striking 51% of organizations have not yet adopted AI in their finance function, leaving a widening divide between early adopters and laggards.

• Leadership Pipeline Risk: Over one-third of organizations report weak or nonexistent leadership benches, exposing succession vulnerabilities at a time of heightened volatility.

• Top Talent Challenges: CFOs cite replacing legacy talent (33%), integrating emerging AI-related roles (29%), and managing burnout risk (25%) as their top 2026 workforce priorities.

“These findings reinforce what we’re hearing from our members every day,” said Nick Araco, CEO of CFO Alliance. “Compensation is not just about paychecks anymore — it’s about signaling investment in people for the long term. As finance leaders finish their 2026 budgets and talent strategies, they need to balance competitive compensation with culture, development, and resilience. In times of volatility, CFOs must be not only the stewards of capital, but the architects of growth.”

The report underscores that talent strategy is a financial strategy for CFOs entering 2026. It equips leaders not only with compensation benchmarks but also with a blueprint for aligning AI readiness, succession planning, and employee well-being with broader growth goals.

The 2025–2026 Global Mid-Market Talent & Compensation Trends Report is now available for free download: https://cfoalliance.com/page/benchmarking

About CFO Alliance
The CFO Alliance is the premier peer community for finance leaders, empowering members to make confident decisions on strategy, people, technology, and risk. Visit CFOAlliance.com

About AchieveNEXT
AchieveNEXT empowers individuals, teams, and enterprises to exceed ambitious growth goals through peer communities, performance benchmarking data, and innovative talent solutions. Visit AchieveNEXT.com

About Aspire Staffing Group
Aspire is a leading provider of finance and accounting talent solutions, partnering with organizations nationwide to deliver best-in-class financial leaders and consulting services.  Visit Aspire Professional Talent Solutions

Media Contact:
CFO Alliance Communications
Email: [email protected]
Phone: (610) 316-1660
Website: www.cfoalliance.com