Labor Market Pulse · Finance · October 2026
Finance Labor Market Report: Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux, LA MSA — October 2026
Houma Controller pay climbs as Financial Analyst pay falls sharply.
Metro Controller advertised pay rose to $100,560 while Financial Analyst pay dropped to $74,281 against a stable $94,646 national median, as Terrebonne Parish unemployment held at 4.1%.
Free archive edition. Published by WageScape as sent to subscribers; data as of October 2026.
Key indicators
- Metro nonfarm employment: 86,300 — Up 500 y/y, Sept. 2026 (not seasonally adj.)
- Terrebonne Parish unemployment: 4.1% — vs. 4.0% Louisiana, 4.1% national
- Forecast metro job growth: 3.1% — Through Q2 2027, fastest of LA metros
- CFO turnover rate (national): 18.3% — Highest since pandemic, per Crist|Kolder
Key takeaways
Controller pay is repricing faster than the rest of the finance stack.
Metro Controller advertised pay rose significantly to $100,560, narrowing the gap with the $115,420 national median. This tracks a national pattern of elevated CFO and senior finance turnover (18.3% projected for 2026) and suggests Houma employers are competing harder to retain scarce senior finance talent.
Financial Analyst pay decline breaks from the national trend.
Metro Financial Analyst advertised pay fell significantly to $74,281 while the national median held stable at $94,646 — now a roughly $20,000 gap. Consider whether this reflects local demand softness, a shift toward junior-level postings, or real wage compression before adjusting hiring budgets.
Tight metro labor market is pulling finance pay up with it.
Terrebonne Parish unemployment at 4.1% and forecast employment growth of 3.1% through Q2 2027 — the fastest of any Louisiana metro — mean finance roles are competing with transportation, marine, and industrial sectors for the same shrinking candidate pool. Tax Specialist pay, up significantly to $60,201 locally, is consistent with this broader tightening.
Contract staffing shift adds audit-readiness risk during close cycles.
70% of finance and accounting leaders nationally are increasing contract talent use in H2 2026, a trend likely to reach resource-constrained metros like Houma given local hiring difficulty. Contract reliance during close and audit periods can create documentation and control gaps worth flagging to audit committees now.
Median advertised pay by role — Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux, LA MSA
| Role | 25th percentile | Median advertised pay | 75th percentile | Metro trend | National median |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Controller * | $51,228 | $100,560 | $112,496 | Significant increase | $115,420 |
| Senior Accountant * | $72,500 | $87,497 | $88,299 | Stable | $87,731 |
| Financial Analyst | $70,785 | $74,281 | $74,281 | Significant decline | $94,646 |
| Billing Specialist * | $35,922 | $43,680 | $50,407 | Stable | $49,000 |
| Tax Specialist | $40,295 | $60,201 | $70,720 | Significant increase | $69,556 |
| Credit Analyst * | $55,537 | $69,944 | $71,058 | Stable | $71,397 |
| FP&A Manager * | $100,539 | $127,500 | $138,231 | Stable | $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
Houma-Thibodaux nonfarm employment held near 86,300 in September, up just 500 jobs year-over-year, while regional forecasts point to the fastest metro job growth in Louisiana over the next three quarters as port modernization and energy-sector activity build. Terrebonne Parish unemployment sat at 4.1% in May, among the state's tightest, meaning finance and accounting roles in the metro compete directly with transportation, marine, and industrial employers for a thin labor pool.
What it means
Advertised pay for Controller ($100,560) and Tax Specialist ($60,201) roles has moved up significantly locally, suggesting employers are repricing finance positions to compete with the metro's broader wage pressure, treating finance compensation as exposed to local labor tightness. Financial Analyst pay has fallen significantly against a stable national median, a gap that may reflect local demand softness or a shift toward lower-cost staffing models specific to this metro — worth distinguishing before setting FY27 compensation ranges. Consider reviewing Financial Analyst and Controller pay bands against current advertised data before relying on prior-year benchmarks, given the divergence between these two roles this month.
Looking ahead
Early indicator: Watch whether Financial Analyst advertised pay continues falling locally or stabilizes — a sustained drop against a flat national median would justify revising FY27 budget assumptions for that role specifically.
Emerging pressure point: Regional employment growth of 3.1% forecast through Q2 2027 — the fastest in Louisiana — will intensify competition for finance talent from energy, marine, and transportation employers offering comparable or higher wages.
Potential inflection point: National CFO turnover at 18.3%, the highest since the pandemic, combined with a 37.5% external hire rate, raises succession and vacancy risk for Houma finance leaders approaching year-end close and budget cycles.
Worth watching: No October WARN notices have surfaced locally, but statewide construction-driven job growth (18,800 jobs, 52% of Louisiana's annual gain) could pull administrative and finance support talent out of smaller Houma employers.
Sources
- Bureau of Labor Statistics — Houma-Thibodaux nonfarm employment at 86,300, up 500 y/y September 2026
- Bureau of Labor Statistics — Terrebonne Parish unemployment at 4.1% as of May 2026
- Regional economic forecast — Metro employment forecast to grow 3.1% through Q2 2027, fastest in Louisiana
- Crist|Kolder Associates — CFO turnover projected at 18.3% in 2026, highest since pandemic
- Industry survey (AFP/Robert Half) — 70% of finance leaders increasing contract talent use in H2 2026
- Louisiana Workforce Commission — Louisiana construction added 18,800 jobs, 52% of annual net job gain
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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