Labor Market Pulse · Finance · October 2026
Finance Labor Market Report: Dubuque, IA MSA — October 2026
Dubuque finance pay climbs as metro labor market tightens further.
Dubuque unemployment near 3.1%-3.3% against a 4.1% national rate is pushing Financial Analyst pay up significantly to $77,402, even as Controller pay cools to $118,012.
Free archive edition. Published by WageScape as sent to subscribers; data as of October 2026.
Key indicators
- Dubuque MSA unemployment: 3.1%-3.3% — vs 4.1% national, 3.2% Iowa statewide
- Dubuque nonfarm payrolls: 62,200 — Record high, +1,200 y/y as of June 2026
- Iowa financial activities weekly wage: $1,534 — Highest of any Iowa industry sector
- CFO turnover rate (national): 18.3% — Highest since pandemic, per Crist|Kolder
Key takeaways
Financial Analyst pay is repricing faster than the national market.
Metro advertised pay rose significantly to $77,402, still below the $94,646 national median but closing the gap quickly. Finance leaders benchmarking against last year's local figures risk underbidding for analyst talent in a metro with sub-3.5% unemployment.
Tax Specialist pay divergence signals a local benchmarking gap worth investigating.
Metro advertised pay for Tax Specialists fell significantly to $42,986 even as national pay rose to $69,556 — a nearly 40% gap that is unusual for a role with steady national demand. This may reflect a thin local posting sample instead of an actual market shift, and warrants cross-checking before setting offers.
Controller pay is cooling locally while climbing nationally.
Metro Controller pay moved down to $118,012 against a rising national median of $115,420, a reversal of the usual metro premium pattern. Combined with 18.3% national CFO turnover, this may indicate Dubuque employers are filling Controller seats through internal promotion instead of competitive external hires.
Record metro employment leaves little room for flat compensation budgets.
Dubuque payrolls hit 62,200 in June, a new high, while unemployment sits near 3.1%-3.3% versus 4.1% nationally. Flat total rewards budgets built for a looser labor market may underfund retention in a metro where finance and accounting talent has few local alternatives to poach from.
Median advertised pay by role — Dubuque, IA MSA
| Role | 25th percentile | Median advertised pay | 75th percentile | Metro trend | National median |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Controller | $92,250 | $118,012 | $121,070 | Moderate decline | $115,420 |
| Senior Accountant * | $72,500 | $84,851 | $87,500 | Stable | $87,731 |
| Financial Analyst | $69,709 | $77,402 | $77,500 | Significant increase | $94,646 |
| Billing Specialist | $35,377 | $40,260 | $40,558 | Stable | $49,000 |
| Tax Specialist | $33,379 | $42,986 | $45,481 | Significant decline | $69,556 |
| Credit Analyst * | $57,069 | $63,135 | $63,523 | Moderate increase | $71,397 |
| FP&A Manager * | $103,775 | $125,993 | $136,259 | Moderate increase | $130,000 |
* State-level figure shown where metro postings were too few.
WageScape's median is calibrated to correct for spurious low-value postings (reported as the 60th percentile of raw advertised pay). Download: CSV · JSON
Local market conditions
Dubuque MSA employment is running near record levels, with June 2026 nonfarm payrolls at 62,200, up 1,200 year-over-year, while unemployment holds near 3.1%-3.3%, well below the 4.1% national rate and tight relative to Iowa's 3.2% statewide figure. Healthcare and manufacturing employment have hit all-time highs in the seven-county region, but Iowa's financial activities sector continues to carry the state's highest average weekly earnings at $1,534, reinforcing that local finance talent competes against a wage ceiling that is already elevated relative to other industries.
What it means
Dubuque's labor tightness compounds a national finance talent problem — 18.3% CFO turnover and 85% of CFOs reporting finance talent shortages mean local employers are competing for a smaller, costlier pool while the metro's own unemployment rate signals almost no slack to absorb new demand. Metro Financial Analyst pay has moved up significantly (now $77,402, trailing the national $94,646 but closing fast), suggesting local employers are repricing roles to retain talent now, ahead of a market softening that national data shows is not materializing. Consider reviewing Financial Analyst and FP&A Manager compensation bands now, before Q1 budget cycles lock in rates that may already be behind the local trend.
Looking ahead
Early indicator: Watch whether Q3 QCEW data, released October 30 by Iowa Workforce Development, confirms financial activities sector wage growth is sustained into Q4 or was a one-quarter anomaly. This will shape whether Financial Analyst and FP&A Manager pay increases should be treated as structural for 2027 budget planning.
Emerging pressure point: National finance talent shortages (85% of CFOs affected) and rising contract-staffing use (70% of finance leaders) may push more contingent finance labor into smaller metros like Dubuque as firms look outside saturated urban markets. Track whether local postings begin reflecting contract or fractional finance roles.
Worth watching: Iowa's labor force participation rate fell to 66.9% in September from 67.8% a year prior, driven by retirements. A regional finance workforce skewing toward retirement eligibility could tighten succession planning for Controller and senior accounting roles over the next two budget cycles.
Potential inflection point: Wells Fargo's continued Iowa layoffs (460 workers this year, including 86 at West Des Moines effective December) could release finance and accounting talent into the broader Iowa labor pool. Monitor whether any of that talent surfaces in Dubuque-area applicant flow given the metro's tight local supply.
Sources
- Telegraph Herald — Dubuque MSA nonfarm payrolls reached 62,200 in June 2026, up 1,200 year-over-year
- Iowa Workforce Development — Iowa financial activities sector average weekly earnings of $1,534 as of September 2026
- Crist|Kolder Associates — CFO turnover projected at 18.3% in 2026, highest since the pandemic
- MAVI — 85% of CFOs report finance talent shortages affecting operations
- Bureau of Labor Statistics / Iowa Workforce Development — Dubuque metro unemployment rate near 3.1%-3.3% versus 4.1% national
- Iowa Workforce Development — Iowa labor force participation fell to 66.9% in September 2026, down from 67.8%
Methodology
Advertised pay from active employer job postings, not survey data. WageScape's median is calibrated to correct for spurious low-value postings: distribution analysis shows roughly the lowest 10% of raw values are erroneous entries, so the reported median is the 60th percentile of raw advertised pay. WageScape observes 98% of U.S. job openings daily.
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