{"schema_version": 1, "id": "clarksville-tn-ky-msa/finance/2026-08", "product": "Labor Market Pulse", "metro": {"geography_id": 151, "label": "Clarksville, TN-KY MSA", "slug": "clarksville-tn-ky-msa"}, "focus_area": {"key": "finance", "slug": "finance", "label": "Finance"}, "period": "2026-08", "public_after": "2026-08-01", "frozen_at": "2026-10-09T16:24:49.409530+00:00", "headline": "Clarksville finance talent tightens as local job growth stalls.", "headline_summary": "Montgomery County unemployment climbed to 4.0% while Clarksville shed jobs at its worst pace since 2008, even as metro Controller pay rose sharply to a $102,089 median.", "key_indicators": [{"label": "Montgomery County unemployment", "value": "4.0%", "context": "Up from 3.9% in July; vs 3.4% statewide"}, {"label": "Clarksville metro job growth (2026 avg)", "value": "-75 jobs/month", "context": "Worst pace since 2008; vs +17/month in 2025"}, {"label": "TN financial activities employment", "value": "-700 jobs (Aug)", "context": "Part of broader professional services decline statewide"}, {"label": "Controller advertised pay, metro", "value": "$102,089", "context": "Up significantly; vs $112,500 national median"}], "takeaways": [{"headline": "Clarksville's job base is shrinking while pay for scarce roles climbs.", "body": "An average monthly loss of 75 jobs in 2026 \u2014 the metro's worst pace since 2008 \u2014 is occurring alongside a significant advertised pay increase for Controllers. Thin local supply, not just national talent competition, appears to be driving the premium."}, {"headline": "FP&A Manager pay is softening even as demand nationally intensifies.", "body": "Metro FP&A Manager advertised pay fell significantly to $105,863 against a stable national median of $127,341, a gap wide enough to suggest local postings are being filled at a discount or going unfilled longer. Worth testing whether job descriptions or leveling are underselling the role relative to what candidates see in national listings."}, {"headline": "Tax Specialist pay swings reveal a small, volatile local market.", "body": "Metro Tax Specialist median pay rose significantly to $37,016 but remains less than half the $66,725 national figure, a spread that likely reflects a thin sample of local postings rather than a durable wage trend. Treat this figure as directional, not a stable benchmark, until more postings accumulate."}, {"headline": "State-level professional services losses may deepen the local hiring squeeze.", "body": "Tennessee shed 2,100 professional and business services jobs in August, with 1,500 in professional, scientific and technical services \u2014 a pipeline finance departments often draw on for analyst and audit-support talent. If this persists, Clarksville employers may face longer time-to-fill for mid-level finance roles even as local unemployment stays near 4%."}], "local_conditions": "Montgomery County's unemployment rate ticked up to 4.0% in August from 3.9% in July, running above Tennessee's statewide 3.4% rate as the metro posts an average monthly job loss of 75 in 2026 \u2014 the weakest employment trend since 2008. Statewide, financial activities shed 700 jobs and professional/business services declined 2,100 in August, a contraction that compounds an already-thin finance and accounting talent pool in a metro dominated by administrative support, food service, and production occupations.", "implications": "Contracting professional and business services employment statewide, paired with Clarksville's negative job growth trend, points to a shallower local bench for Controller, FP&A, and senior accounting talent than headcount plans may assume \u2014 a mismatch that shows up first in extended close timelines and reliance on interim or remote support. Metro Controller pay is rising sharply (median $102,089, up significantly) even as FP&A Manager advertised pay is falling ($105,863, down significantly), suggesting employers are consolidating leadership demand into fewer, more senior roles rather than broadening the funnel. Consider reviewing FY2027 headcount models to separate genuine role scarcity from pay-band misalignment before assuming vacancies reflect a supply problem alone.", "looking_ahead": [{"category": "Potential inflection point", "body": "Montgomery County's unemployment rate has risen two consecutive months while the metro posts negative average job growth for 2026. Watch whether September data confirms a trend or reflects normal seasonal noise before adjusting headcount assumptions."}, {"category": "Emerging pressure point", "body": "Tennessee's financial activities and professional services sectors both contracted in August, a combination that historically tightens supply for controller, FP&A and analyst hires. Track whether Nashville-area layoffs or closures \u2014 including recent WARN filings \u2014 feed candidates into the Clarksville commuter pool."}, {"category": "Worth watching", "body": "FP&A Manager advertised pay locally sits nearly $22,000 below the national median and is trending down, an unusually wide gap for a metro with rising Controller pay. Confirm whether this reflects genuine market softness or a data lag before benchmarking new offers against it."}, {"category": "Early indicator", "body": "Tennessee's labor force participation rate has fallen 1.4 points over the past year and ranks 38th nationally. A shrinking labor pool statewide, combined with Clarksville's own workforce contraction, suggests recruiting timelines for finance roles may lengthen through year-end regardless of local unemployment optics."}], "roles": [{"role": "Controller", "data_scope": "metro", "metro_p25": 43056.0, "metro_p50": 102088.8, "metro_p75": 112500.0, "metro_trend_direction": "up", "metro_trend_magnitude": "significant", "national_p50": 112500.0, "national_trend_direction": "stable", "national_trend_magnitude": "stable"}, {"role": "Senior Accountant", "data_scope": "state_rollup", "metro_p25": 73992.25, "metro_p50": 82379.0, "metro_p75": 85139.25, "metro_trend_direction": "stable", "metro_trend_magnitude": "stable", "national_p50": 87731.0, "national_trend_direction": "stable", "national_trend_magnitude": "stable"}, {"role": "Financial Analyst", "data_scope": "state_rollup", "metro_p25": 65648.0, "metro_p50": 74438.0, "metro_p75": 83989.5, "metro_trend_direction": "stable", "metro_trend_magnitude": "stable", "national_p50": 82905.0, "national_trend_direction": "stable", "national_trend_magnitude": "stable"}, {"role": "Billing Specialist", "data_scope": "state_rollup", "metro_p25": 35653.0, "metro_p50": 43118.0, "metro_p75": 50583.5, "metro_trend_direction": "down", "metro_trend_magnitude": "moderate", "national_p50": 49700.0, "national_trend_direction": "up", "national_trend_magnitude": "moderate"}, {"role": "Tax Specialist", "data_scope": "metro", "metro_p25": 27566.0, "metro_p50": 37015.6, "metro_p75": 39183.0, "metro_trend_direction": "up", "metro_trend_magnitude": "significant", "national_p50": 66725.0, "national_trend_direction": "up", "national_trend_magnitude": "significant"}, {"role": "Credit Analyst", "data_scope": "state_rollup", "metro_p25": 54744.75, "metro_p50": 65108.0, "metro_p75": 69289.5, "metro_trend_direction": "up", "metro_trend_magnitude": "significant", "national_p50": 72000.0, "national_trend_direction": "up", "national_trend_magnitude": "moderate"}, {"role": "FP&A Manager", "data_scope": "state_rollup", "metro_p25": 83283.0, "metro_p50": 105863.0, "metro_p75": 128819.0, "metro_trend_direction": "down", "metro_trend_magnitude": "significant", "national_p50": 127341.0, "national_trend_direction": "stable", "national_trend_magnitude": "stable"}], "industry_snapshot": [], "citations": [], "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.", "edition_label": "September 2026", "files": {"html": "clarksville-tn-ky-msa/finance/2026-08.html", "pdf": "clarksville-tn-ky-msa/finance/2026-08.pdf"}, "published_at": "2026-10-09T16:33:34.862183+00:00", "report_html_url": "https://reports.wagescape.com/archive/v1/editions/clarksville-tn-ky-msa/finance/2026-08.html", "report_pdf_url": "https://reports.wagescape.com/archive/v1/editions/clarksville-tn-ky-msa/finance/2026-08.pdf"}