How to hire a lead finance analyst

How to hire a lead finance analyst, step by step

Here's a step-by-step lead finance analyst hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a lead finance analyst job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new lead finance analyst
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a lead finance analyst do?

Post a lead finance analyst job for free, promote it for a fee

Post free

1. Identify your hiring needs

   The lead finance analyst hiring process starts by determining what type of worker you actually need. Certain roles might require a full-time employee, whereas part-time workers or contractors can do others.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them a lead finance analyst to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire a lead finance analyst that fits the bill.

   This list shows salaries for various types of lead finance analysts.

   Type of Lead Finance Analyst	Description	Hourly rate
   Lead Finance Analyst	Financial analysts provide guidance to businesses and individuals making investment decisions. They assess the performance of stocks, bonds, and other types of investments.	$30-54
   Finance Planning Manager	A finance planning manager oversees the budget and finance development processes within a company. Their responsibilities revolve around analyzing financial records, participating in auditing processes, producing reports and forecasts, and coordinating with different company personnel to obtain accurate data... Show more	$37-73
   Cost Analyst	Cost Analysts are employees with a strong background in finance or accounting. They are in charge of collecting financial data and analyzing the entries... Show more	$18-35

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Financial Analysis
   • Hyperion
   • Financial Planning Analysis
   • Ad-Hoc Analysis
   • Balance Sheet
   • Financial Data
   • Financial Performance
   • SQL
   • Data Analysis
   • Financial Reports
   • GAAP
   • Essbase
   • Financial Models
   • Financial Statements

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage and train a team of twelve employees to create SQL audits to identify errors in electronic billing.
   • Develop, maintain financial models/applications (VBA Excel/Access) to automate and streamline business processes and perform financial analysis.
   • Point of contact for external audit engagements relate to preparation of GAAP audit financial statements.
   • Complete bank reconciliations on a monthly basis.
   • Post cash receipts daily, and ensure accurate reconciliation to banks and ERP system.
   • Standardize processes in preparation of ERP implementation.

   More lead finance analyst duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your lead finance analyst job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. A lead finance analyst can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, lead finance analysts' average salary in kansas is 37% less than in california.
   • Seniority. Entry-level lead finance analysts 44% less than senior-level lead finance analysts.
   • Certifications. A lead finance analyst with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in a lead finance analyst's salary.

   Average lead finance analyst salary

   $85,672yearly

   $41.19 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level lead finance analyst salary

   $64,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 20, 2026

   Average lead finance analyst salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$114,365	$55
   2	New York	$93,303	$45
   3	Texas	$91,093	$44
   4	Minnesota	$90,613	$44
   5	Washington	$87,278	$42
   6	Arizona	$87,046	$42
   7	Massachusetts	$86,983	$42
   8	District of Columbia	$85,921	$41
   9	Michigan	$82,901	$40
   10	Illinois	$82,823	$40
   11	Florida	$82,231	$40
   12	Utah	$81,836	$39
   13	Virginia	$81,712	$39
   14	Pennsylvania	$81,298	$39
   15	Connecticut	$79,636	$38
   16	South Carolina	$79,574	$38
   17	North Carolina	$79,147	$38
   18	Ohio	$79,127	$38
   19	Iowa	$78,815	$38
   20	Wisconsin	$78,324	$38

   Average lead finance analyst salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Pacific Investment Management Company LLC	$132,608	$63.75	5
   2	Citi	$119,463	$57.43	51
   3	BNY Mellon	$118,949	$57.19	18
   4	Subaru	$117,588	$56.53	3
   5	Intuit	$115,371	$55.47	30
   6	Adobe	$113,914	$54.77	20
   7	Marcus & Millichap	$112,163	$53.92	14
   8	Tucson Electric Power	$110,727	$53.23
   9	AIG	$109,630	$52.71	15
   10	Nomura Securities	$108,332	$52.08	15
   11	AT&T	$108,072	$51.96	10
   12	Stryker	$106,252	$51.08	20
   13	Moody's	$106,055	$50.99	7
   14	Cheniere Energy	$105,878	$50.90
   15	E*TRADE	$105,791	$50.86
   16	Stepan	$105,135	$50.55
   17	CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield	$104,446	$50.21	1
   18	Visa	$103,939	$49.97	18
   19	General Electric	$102,769	$49.41	121
   20	Kronos Incorporated	$102,364	$49.21

4. Writing a lead finance analyst job description

   A job description for a lead finance analyst role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's a lead finance analyst job description:

   Lead finance analyst job description example

   Coordinates and supports the system financial team in providing actionable information (including analysis, reporting, pro formas) to support operational and strategic decision making. Provides analytical and consultative support to departmental and service line management and key stakeholders. Supports operational leaders by providing labor productivity and benchmarking analyses to achieve system goals. Analyzes diverse sets of data including financial, operational, clinical and economic, to support strategic and operational decisions. Interprets labor productivity, financial or other information on costs, expenses, revenues and various clinical and operational measures to make recommendations to senior management. Conducts and documents complex analysis projects. Provides technical support on complex analysis projects. Develops trainings and delivers presentations for operational leadership for labor productivity and benchmarking processes.
   Infrequent travel to IU Health facilities throughout the state is required.
   
   Bachelor's degree required
   
   * Requires 3+ years of relevant financial or operational analysis experience; at least 2 years of experience in healthcare industry preferred.
   * Requires analytical experience working with complex data sets.
   * Requires proficiency in the use of Microsoft Office products/applications; strong Microsoft Excel experience required; relational database and financial or operational modeling experience a plus.
   
   Safeguarding our patients and each other is an important part of how we deliver the best care possible to the communities we serve. As a condition of employment, IU Health requires all new hires to receive various vaccinations, including the influenza and COVID-19 vaccines, barring an approved exemption. New hires will also be provided the option to submit proof of previous vaccination.
   
   We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity and inclusion at IU Health. IU Health does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, national origin, gender identity and/or expression, marital status or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local law. We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request accommodation.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find lead finance analysts for your business:

   • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your lead finance analyst job on Zippia to find and recruit lead finance analyst candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites such as efinancialcareers, financialjobsweb.com, careerbank, financial job bank.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit lead finance analysts, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up interviews.

   You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new lead finance analyst

   Once you've found the lead finance analyst candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

   It's also good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new lead finance analyst. Human Resources and the hiring manager should complete Employee Action Forms. Human Resources should also ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc., and that new employee files are created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

   Sign up to download full list

   Sign up

How much does it cost to hire a lead finance analyst?