Labor Market Pulse · Finance · October 2026
Finance Labor Market Report: KS NONMETROPOLITAN AREA — October 2026
Nonmetro Kansas finance pay splits sharply by county and role.
Bourbon County unemployment sits at 6.3% against Sheridan County's 2.9%, while Tax Specialist advertised pay fell to $39,365 locally even as the national median climbed to $69,556.
Free archive edition. Published by WageScape as sent to subscribers; data as of October 2026.
Key indicators
- County unemployment spread: 3.4 pts — Bourbon 6.3% vs Sheridan 2.9%, Aug 2026
- Kansas finance wage gap: -32.7% — $83,306 KS avg vs $123,705 national
- Statewide unemployment: 3.8% — Unchanged since Sept 2025, ranks 25th nationally
- CFO turnover (national): 18.3% — Highest since pandemic, per Crist|Kolder
Key takeaways
Nonmetro Kansas is not one labor market.
A 3.4-point unemployment spread between Bourbon County (6.3%) and Sheridan County (2.9%) means recruiting difficulty and wage pressure vary sharply by county. Headcount cost models built on a single statewide assumption will misprice both ends.
FP&A Manager pay signals a scramble for planning talent.
Advertised pay for FP&A Manager roles rose significantly to a metro median of $127,704, nearly matching the national figure of $130,000. Compression against the national rate suggests nonmetro employers are bidding aggressively to retain scarce planning and analysis capability.
Tax Specialist pay is falling locally while rising nationally.
Metro median advertised pay for Tax Specialist dropped to $39,365, a significant decline, even as the national median climbed to $69,556 on significant growth. Widening to a 43% gap raises flight risk for tax talent during the next filing or close cycle.
Finance wage gap below national average compounds retention exposure.
Kansas finance sector wages average $83,306 versus $123,705 nationally, a 32.7% gap that predates this month's softening. Combined with 18.3% projected CFO turnover nationally, nonmetro finance leaders face above-average exposure to departures during budget and audit windows.
Median advertised pay by role — KS NONMETROPOLITAN AREA
| Role | 25th percentile | Median advertised pay | 75th percentile | Metro trend | National median |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Controller | $91,798 | $105,871 | $108,990 | Moderate increase | $115,420 |
| Senior Accountant | $69,966 | $76,192 | $79,753 | Stable | $87,731 |
| Financial Analyst | $70,199 | $84,119 | $87,873 | Moderate increase | $94,646 |
| Billing Specialist | $33,280 | $36,555 | $40,583 | Stable | $49,000 |
| Tax Specialist | $31,075 | $39,365 | $42,292 | Moderate decline | $69,556 |
| Credit Analyst | $52,863 | $57,929 | $62,500 | Significant decline | $71,397 |
| FP&A Manager | $96,904 | $127,704 | $130,627 | Significant increase | $130,000 |
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
Kansas nonmetro counties show a split labor market: Bourbon County unemployment sits at 6.3% and Geary County at 6.2%, while Riley County holds at 4.4% and Sheridan County at 2.9%, against a statewide 3.8% rate unchanged since September 2025. Statewide private payrolls fell 2,300 in September with professional and business services the lone bright spot (+700 jobs), suggesting nonmetro finance employers are competing for a shrinking pool of talent even as overall labor demand softens.
What it means
County-level unemployment spread of 3.4 points across the nonmetro footprint means headcount cost planning cannot rely on a single regional assumption — a finance team drawing from Bourbon or Geary County faces a looser labor pool than one anchored near Riley County. With Kansas finance sector wages averaging $83,306 against a $123,705 national figure, retention risk during close and audit cycles is elevated for any controller or FP&A function competing against remote or hybrid roles paying national rates. Consider mapping headcount plans to county-level labor conditions, giving particular weight to roles exposed to remote competition.
Looking ahead
Expected release: KDOL publishes October 2026 Kansas Labor Report on November 20, after most Q4 budget planning cycles begin. Finance leaders should plan headcount assumptions on September data in the interim and revisit after release.
Emerging pressure point: Job-finding rate for previously unemployed Kansans rose to 26.4% in September from 24.9% in August, signaling faster reabsorption of displaced workers into competing employers. Watch whether this tightens candidate pools for controller and senior accountant searches in Q4.
Worth watching: Tax Specialist advertised pay fell significantly locally while rising sharply nationally, a divergence worth tracking into year-end tax season hiring. Widening gaps during filing season could accelerate departures to remote-eligible national employers.
Potential inflection point: National CFO turnover is projected at 18.3% for 2026, the highest since the pandemic, with external hiring rates climbing to 37.5%. Nonmetro Kansas finance teams with below-national pay may see this play out first in controller and FP&A manager vacancies.
Sources
- BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics / USA Facts — County unemployment rates ranging from 2.9% to 6.3% across Kansas
- Kansas Department of Labor — Kansas statewide nonfarm payrolls fell 2,100 in September
- Kansas Department of Labor — Kansas finance sector wages average $83,306 vs $123,705 national
- Crist|Kolder Associates — CFO turnover projected at 18.3% in 2026, highest since pandemic
- Kansas Department of Labor — Job-finding rate rose to 26.4% in September from 24.9% in August
- Kansas Department of Labor — October 2026 Kansas Labor Report releases November 20
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.
Free to read and cite with attribution to WageScape. Terms of use.