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CFO salaries
CFO salary estimate
$74,636yearly
CFO Salary Insights
As of 2025, the average salary for a Chief Financial Officer (CFO) is $74,636 annually. However, this average masks a wide range of salaries influenced by various factors including geographic location and departmental responsibilities. For instance, CFOs in metropolitan areas typically earn higher salaries than those in smaller markets. Additionally, CFOs overseeing larger departments, such as accounting or finance, can expect increased compensation due to the complexity of their roles.
Top Paying CFO Roles
Positions that require specialized skills or extensive experience often come with higher pay. For example, CFOs in industries like technology or healthcare may see salaries exceed the average significantly. Understanding these trends can help professionals negotiate better compensation packages and assist organizations in setting competitive salary benchmarks to attract top financial talent.
Highest paying jobs at CFO
The highest paying jobs at CFO are owner/operator, director of product development, investment advisor, and president/owner. Owner/operator jobs at CFO earn an average yearly salary of $142,576, CFO director of product development jobs average $125,089, and CFO investment advisor jobs average $113,604.
The lowest paying CFO roles include receptionist and data entry associate. CFO receptionist average salary is $29,582 per year. So while the average CFO salary is $74,636 there is a big variation in pay depending on the role.
Highest paying jobs at CFO
| Rank | Job title | Average CFO salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Owner/Operator | $142,576 | $68.55 |
| 2 | Director Of Product Development | $125,089 | $60.14 |
| 3 | Investment Advisor | $113,604 | $54.62 |
| 4 | President/Owner | $112,370 | $54.02 |
| 5 | Finance Director | $109,076 | $52.44 |
| 6 | Founder | $94,199 | $45.29 |
| 7 | Principal | $88,559 | $42.58 |
| 8 | Controller | $83,854 | $40.31 |
| 9 | Accounting Manager | $80,029 | $38.48 |
| 10 | Leader | $77,936 | $37.47 |
| 11 | Business Analyst | $76,590 | $36.82 |
| 12 | Project Manager | $75,498 | $36.30 |
| 13 | Senior Editor | $69,823 | $33.57 |
| 14 | Consultant | $64,154 | $30.84 |
| 15 | Senior Accountant | $63,525 | $30.54 |
| 16 | Sales/Account Representative | $60,784 | $29.22 |
| 17 | Tax Specialist | $55,262 | $26.57 |
| 18 | Staff Accountant | $53,060 | $25.51 |
| 19 | Tax Preparer | $52,640 | $25.31 |
| 20 | Partner | $50,362 | $24.21 |
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How much does CFO pay by location?
Highest paying CFO locations
| Rank | Location | Average CFO salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York, NY | $95,647 | $45.98 |
| 2 | Princeton, NJ | $93,809 | $45.10 |
| 3 | Ione, CA | $85,244 | $40.98 |
| 4 | Ardmore, PA | $81,940 | $39.39 |
| 5 | Scottsdale, AZ | $69,170 | $33.25 |
| 6 | Orlando, FL | $67,989 | $32.69 |
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CFO salaries by department
Salaries at CFO vary depending on the department you work in. CFO salaries in the corporate management department are the highest with an average salary of $129,166. Employees in the plant/manufacturing department at CFO receive relatively high salaries as well, with an average salary of $122,982 per year. Departments that don't pay as well at CFO include the administrative and the art/design organizational functions, with employees earning average salaries of $37,892 and $53,494, respectively.
Average CFO salary by department
| Rank | Department | Average CFO salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Corporate Management | $129,166 | $62.10 |
| 2 | Plant/Manufacturing | $122,982 | $59.13 |
| 3 | Finance | $99,198 | $47.69 |
| 4 | Business Development | $91,345 | $43.92 |
| 5 | IT | $82,394 | $39.61 |
| 6 | Marketing | $80,700 | $38.80 |
| 7 | Sales | $61,973 | $29.79 |
| 8 | Accounting | $57,430 | $27.61 |
| 9 | Art/Design | $53,494 | $25.72 |
| 10 | Administrative | $37,892 | $18.22 |
How much does CFO pay by department?
Best paying CFO accounting salaries
| Rank | Position | Average CFO salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Controller | $83,854 | $40.31 |
| 2 | Auditor/Consultant | $80,558 | $38.73 |
| 3 | Accounting Manager | $80,029 | $38.48 |
| 4 | Payroll Manager | $76,850 | $36.95 |
| 5 | Senior Accountant | $63,525 | $30.54 |
| 6 | Tax Specialist | $55,262 | $26.57 |
| 7 | Staff Accountant | $53,060 | $25.51 |
| 8 | Tax Preparer | $52,640 | $25.31 |
| 9 | Accounting Clerk | $39,466 | $18.97 |
| 10 | Accounts Payable Clerk | $39,261 | $18.88 |
| 11 | Collections/Accounts Receivable | $38,652 | $18.58 |
Best paying CFO finance salaries
| Rank | Position | Average CFO salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Investment Advisor | $113,604 | $54.62 |
| 2 | Finance Director | $109,076 | $52.44 |
| 3 | Contracts Manager | $74,146 | $35.65 |
| 4 | Consultant | $64,154 | $30.84 |
| 5 | Analyst | $57,525 | $27.66 |
| 6 | Finance Internship | $40,048 | $19.25 |
Best paying CFO corporate management salaries
| Rank | Position | Average CFO salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Managing Director | $148,043 | $71.17 |
| 2 | Chief Finance And Operating Officer | $146,090 | $70.24 |
| 3 | Managing Partner | $118,685 | $57.06 |
| 4 | President/Owner | $112,370 | $54.02 |
| 5 | Founder | $94,199 | $45.29 |
| 6 | Owner/Manager | $68,874 | $33.11 |
CFO competitors’ average salaries
Average salaries at CFO competitors, like MarketWatch, Reuters, and Dow Jones, vary. MarketWatch employees earn the highest salaries, with an average yearly salary of $91,428. The average salary at Reuters is $80,807 per year, and the average salary at Dow Jones is $79,411 per year.
Highest paying CFO competitors
| Rank | Company name | Zippia score | Average salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | MarketWatch | 3.7 | $91,428 |
| 2 | Reuters | 4.4 | $80,807 |
| 3 | Dow Jones | 4.0 | $79,411 |
| 4 | Hollinger Services Inc | 3.9 | $62,789 |
| 5 | CNN | 4.8 | $56,236 |
| 6 | Posterscope | 3.8 | $55,622 |
| 7 | K-tel | 3.5 | $55,166 |
| 8 | Huntsworth | 4.3 | $55,080 |
| 9 | SkyWire | 4.0 | $54,607 |
| 10 | Faith Popcorn's BrainReserve | 3.6 | $54,031 |
| 11 | Kiplinger | 4.0 | $52,057 |
Recently added CFO salaries
| Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fractional Controller-Manufacturing | Los Angeles, CA | 06/27/2025 | $125,220 |
| Fractional CFO | Education | Los Angeles, CA | 06/25/2025 | $146,090 |
| Fractional CFO | Construction & Real Estate | Dallas, TX | 06/25/2025 | $146,090 |
| Fractional Senior Accountant | San Diego, CA | 06/19/2025 | $75,132 |
| Senior Accountant | Government Contracting | Washington, DC | 06/19/2025 | $75,132 |
Frequently asked questions about CFO salaries
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Zippia gives an in-depth look into the details of CFO, including salaries, political affiliations, employee data, and more, in order to inform job seekers about CFO. The employee data is based on information from people who have self-reported their past or current employments at CFO. The data on this page is also based on data sources collected from public and open data sources on the Internet and other locations, as well as proprietary data we licensed from other companies. Sources of data may include, but are not limited to, the BLS, company filings, estimates based on those filings, H1B filings, and other public and private datasets. While we have made attempts to ensure that the information displayed are correct, Zippia is not responsible for any errors or omissions or for the results obtained from the use of this information. None of the information on this page has been provided or approved by CFO. The data presented on this page does not represent the view of CFO and its employees or that of Zippia.
CFO may also be known as or be related to CFO and Cfo.