Labor Market Pulse · Finance · October 2026
Finance Labor Market Report: Racine, WI MSA — October 2026
Racine wages climb as manufacturing jobs and headcount shrink.
Racine County unemployment rose to 4.1% even as weekly wages grew 3.8% year-over-year — the fastest pace among major Wisconsin counties — while FP&A Manager advertised pay jumped to $112,155 locally.
Free archive edition. Published by WageScape as sent to subscribers; data as of October 2026.
Key indicators
- Racine County unemployment: 4.1% — vs 3.2% Wisconsin, 4.2% national (Aug/Sep 2026)
- Racine weekly wage growth: 3.8% YoY — Highest among major WI counties, Q1 2026
- FP&A Manager advertised pay: $112,155 — Up significantly; national median $130,000
- CFO turnover, national: 18.3% — Highest since pandemic per Crist|Kolder
Key takeaways
FP&A talent is commanding a premium while transactional roles stall.
FP&A Manager advertised pay rose significantly to $112,155 locally while Senior Accountant and Controller pay held flat. Finance organizations competing for planning and forecasting talent should expect this gap to widen as budget cycles demand more scenario-modeling capacity.
Racine's rising wages mask a shrinking labor pool.
County unemployment rose to 4.1% even as weekly wages grew 3.8% year-over-year, the fastest pace among major Wisconsin counties. That combination is consistent with employers bidding up pay for a narrower set of qualified candidates, a sign of targeted competition for scarce skills rather than broad-based wage inflation.
CFO turnover nationally raises succession-planning stakes locally.
Projected 2026 CFO turnover of 18.3% and an external hiring rate of 37.5% nationally mean Racine-area finance leaders should assume any senior finance vacancy carries real risk of landing mid-close or mid-audit. Bench strength and interim coverage plans deserve a second look ahead of year-end close.
Billing Specialist pay is dropping sharply against a stable national trend.
Metro Billing Specialist advertised pay fell significantly while the national median held steady at $49,000, a divergence that may reflect softening demand for transactional back-office roles locally. Organizations recruiting into this role may find more negotiating leverage than the national market suggests.
Median advertised pay by role — Racine, WI MSA
| Role | 25th percentile | Median advertised pay | 75th percentile | Metro trend | National median |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Controller | $98,465 | $120,366 | $130,425 | Stable | $115,420 |
| Senior Accountant | $64,390 | $83,922 | $83,935 | Stable | $87,731 |
| Financial Analyst | $69,395 | $86,817 | $91,430 | Moderate increase | $94,646 |
| Billing Specialist | $39,187 | $43,680 | $43,680 | Significant decline | $49,000 |
| Tax Specialist | $38,916 | $62,369 | $67,312 | Moderate increase | $69,556 |
| Credit Analyst * | $53,409 | $64,911 | $70,000 | Stable | $71,397 |
| FP&A Manager | $105,900 | $112,155 | $112,155 | Significant 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
Racine County unemployment climbed to 4.1% in August, the 8th-highest among Wisconsin's 72 counties and a full point above the state's 3.2% rate, while the metro's finance-relevant employers continue absorbing a manufacturing sector running 4% below pre-pandemic job levels statewide. Average weekly wages in Racine rose 3.8% year-over-year in Q1 2026, outpacing every major Wisconsin county, suggesting employers are paying up to hold talent even as overall headcount softens.
What it means
Rising Racine wages amid falling headcount points to a market where employers are concentrating pay increases on roles they cannot afford to lose, leaving broader pay scales flat — a dynamic that complicates headcount cost forecasting built on blended average assumptions. FP&A Manager advertised pay is up significantly locally ($112,155) even as Controller and Senior Accountant pay sit flat, signaling that scarcity premiums are concentrating in forward-looking planning talent while transactional finance roles see little movement. Consider reviewing headcount budgets role-by-role instead of department-wide, since flat aggregate wage trends can mask significant premium pay pressure on specific finance functions.
Looking ahead
Expected: Wisconsin's manufacturing sector remains 4% below pre-pandemic job levels, and Racine's finance teams tied to manufacturing clients or parent companies should watch for further WARN filings that could affect close-cycle staffing or audit scope.
Emerging pressure point: National finance talent shortages (85% of CFOs reporting shortages per MAVI) combined with rising contract-staffing use (70% of finance leaders per Robert Half survey) suggest Racine employers may increasingly rely on contract FP&A and accounting talent, raising documentation and internal-control questions ahead of audit season.
Worth watching: Racine County's unemployment gap versus the state (4.1% vs 3.2%) has widened over the past year; watch whether this reflects manufacturing-linked layoffs feeding into available finance and accounting talent pools.
Potential inflection point: FP&A Manager pay is up significantly both locally and nationally, a trend that may continue if budget-cycle complexity keeps rising. Finance leaders planning 2027 headcount budgets should factor in continued premium pricing for planning talent and avoid assuming current levels hold flat.
Sources
- USAfacts/Bureau of Labor Statistics — Racine County unemployment at 4.1% in August 2026, 8th-highest in WI
- Bureau of Labor Statistics — Racine County wages grew 3.8% year-over-year in Q1 2026
- BLS/Wisconsin DWD — Wisconsin unemployment steady at 3.2% in September 2026
- Crist|Kolder Associates — CFO turnover projected at 18.3% in 2026, highest since pandemic
- Marquette University/BLS — Wisconsin manufacturing jobs 4% below pre-pandemic levels as of July 2026
- Robert Half — 70% of finance leaders increasing contract talent use in H2 2026
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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