Labor Market Pulse · Finance · October 2026
Finance Labor Market Report: Sheboygan, WI MSA — October 2026
Sheboygan Controller pay falls as the national market pays more.
Metro Controller advertised pay slid to $106,439 against a rising national median of $115,420, even as local unemployment fell to 2.6% — the tightest reading in the state.
Free archive edition. Published by WageScape as sent to subscribers; data as of October 2026.
Key indicators
- Metro unemployment rate: 2.6% — vs 3.2% Wisconsin, 4.1% national
- Controller pay divergence: $106,439 vs $115,420 — Metro down, national up — ~$9K gap
- CFO external hiring rate: 37.5% — Up from 35% in 2025 (Crist|Kolder)
- Finance talent shortage reports: 85% — Share of CFOs citing shortages (MAVI)
Key takeaways
Controller pay is falling locally while rising nationally.
Metro Controller advertised pay dropped to $106,439 against a national median climbing to $115,420 — a widening gap of roughly $9,000. With CFO turnover projected at 18.3% for 2026 and external hiring up to 37.5%, underpricing this role locally raises flight risk precisely when succession bench strength matters most.
FP&A and analyst roles show where employers are actually competing.
FP&A Manager pay rose to $116,859 and Financial Analyst pay climbed to $91,691 locally, both outpacing stable or modest national movement. That divergence suggests Sheboygan employers are prioritizing forward-looking planning capacity over traditional controllership, consistent with national reports that 70% of finance leaders are shifting toward contract models for transactional work while protecting core planning talent.
Tax Specialist pay gap signals a pricing mismatch in a tightening market.
Metro Tax Specialist pay sits at $43,086 against a national median of $69,556 — a $26,000 spread even as both are rising. Current conditions suggest this role may be underbenchmarked locally relative to its national trajectory, a risk heading into year-end tax planning and audit prep cycles.
Sheboygan's tight labor market compounds a national finance talent shortage.
A 2.6% metro unemployment rate, falling against the statewide 3.2% and national 4.1% rates, leaves little slack for Finance teams competing against manufacturing for the same analytical and administrative talent. Combined with 85% of CFOs nationally citing finance talent shortages, Sheboygan employers face a double constraint on backfilling vacancies during close and audit windows.
Median advertised pay by role — Sheboygan, WI MSA
| Role | 25th percentile | Median advertised pay | 75th percentile | Metro trend | National median |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Controller | $93,654 | $106,439 | $112,684 | Significant decline | $115,420 |
| Senior Accountant * | $75,000 | $82,500 | $85,000 | Stable | $87,731 |
| Financial Analyst | $66,735 | $91,691 | $92,455 | Significant increase | $94,646 |
| Billing Specialist * | $39,095 | $46,800 | $52,000 | Stable | $49,000 |
| Tax Specialist | $34,135 | $43,086 | $61,727 | Significant increase | $69,556 |
| Credit Analyst * | $53,409 | $64,911 | $70,000 | Stable | $71,397 |
| FP&A Manager * | $100,074 | $116,859 | $126,976 | 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
Sheboygan metro unemployment fell to 2.6% in September, the only Wisconsin city to post a year-over-year decline, while manufacturing — 21.4% of local employment versus 5.5% nationally — continues to anchor a labor market where over half of surveyed employers plan to expand headcount but report persistent difficulty filling roles. Finance and accounting labor supply remains constrained by the same dynamics: a tight county-level labor force, a manufacturing base competing for the same analytical talent, and national finance talent shortages reported by 85% of CFOs compounding local scarcity.
What it means
Metro Controller pay sliding to $106,439 against a rising national median of $115,420 suggests Sheboygan employers are either underpricing a scarce role or losing ground in a market where 37.5% of CFO hires now come from outside — a gap that widens vacancy risk during close and audit cycles. FP&A Manager and Financial Analyst roles moving up locally (to $116,859 and $91,691, respectively) point to employers actively repricing to compete for planning and analysis talent even as headcount growth statewide stalls. Consider reviewing Controller-level advertised pay against the national trajectory before the next close cycle exposes a retention gap that contract staffing cannot fully backfill.
Looking ahead
Worth watching: Controller pay has moved in opposite directions locally and nationally this month. Watch whether metro employers correct advertised rates before Q4 close season intensifies competition for interim and permanent Controller talent.
Emerging pressure point: Wisconsin's employment cost index rose 3.4% year-over-year while real compensation declined 0.4% after inflation, a dynamic Finance leaders should expect to shape 2027 budget cycle wage assumptions. Sheboygan's wage gains for lower-paid workers may be nearing a plateau if this national pattern holds locally.
Early indicator: Over half of Sheboygan County employers plan workforce expansion in 2026 despite tight labor supply, a setup that typically pushes advertised pay higher across adjacent professional roles, including finance support functions. Monitor whether Financial Analyst and FP&A pay gains extend into Senior Accountant and Credit Analyst postings next quarter.
Potential inflection point: National contract staffing use in finance functions has climbed to 70% of surveyed leaders, a shift that affects audit documentation and internal control structures. Sheboygan's tight 2.6% unemployment rate makes contract-to-FTE conversion more likely locally than in looser labor markets.
Sources
- WHBL / Wisconsin Dept. of Workforce Development — Sheboygan was the only Wisconsin city with a year-over-year unemployment decrease
- Sheboygan County Economic Development — Sheboygan production jobs account for 21.4% of local employment vs 5.5% nationally
- Crist|Kolder Associates — CFO turnover projected at 18.3% in 2026, external hiring rate at 37.5%
- MAVI — 85% of CFOs report finance talent shortages affecting operations
- Bureau of Labor Statistics — Employment cost index rose 3.4% year-over-year; real compensation declined 0.4%
- Bureau of Labor Statistics — Wisconsin unemployment rate held at 3.2% in September, vs 4.1% national
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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