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Labor Market Pulse
Colorado Springs, CO Metro Edition
Focus: FINANCE
Colorado Springs finance pay splits: scarcity premiums up, FP&A pay down.
$73,148
Tax Specialist advertised pay (metro)
vs $65,842 national; significant upward trend
$127,918
FP&A Manager advertised pay (metro)
vs $128,139 national; metro trending down
~5,300 jobs
Colorado financial activities job losses
Since July 2025, statewide
5.0% YoY
El Paso County wage growth
Q1 2026, vs 3.9% national county average
This Month's Takeaways
Tax Specialist pay is rising sharply while headcount budgets tighten elsewhere.
Metro advertised pay for Tax Specialist roles climbed to $73,148, above the national median of $65,842 and marked 'significant' upward movement. This outpaces the sector's broader contraction, consistent with national data showing CPA and tax talent shortages driving a 2026 Talent Shortage Index of 77%, up from a 2025 surplus.
FP&A Manager pay softened locally even as national rates held flat.
Metro advertised pay for FP&A Manager fell to $127,918, moving below the national median of $128,139 despite a 'stable' national trend. Divergence from the national pattern suggests metro-specific demand softening rather than a broad occupational trend, and merits confirmation before budget cycles lock in lower offer ranges.
Financial activities job losses mask selective, aggressive hiring intent.
Colorado financial activities payrolls shed roughly 5,300 jobs since July 2025, yet national F&A leader surveys show 74% planning to increase permanent headcount in H2 2026. Headcount reductions appear concentrated in commoditized functions, while automation absorbs routine work and employers compete harder for scarce technical and senior talent.
Colorado Springs wage growth is outrunning a softening state labor market.
El Paso County wages rose 5.0% year-over-year in Q1 2026 even as statewide unemployment climbed to 4.0% and employed population fell by 9,800 in August. Divergence suggests local finance and accounting talent remains scarce despite broader cooling, a dynamic Finance leaders should factor into retention budgeting rather than assuming market-wide softening applies equally to their roles.
Local Labor Conditions
Colorado Springs finance hiring sits at an inflection point: the metro's financial activities sector is contracting in step with statewide losses of roughly 5,300 positions since mid-2025, even as El Paso County wages grew 5.0% year-over-year in Q1 2026 on a shrinking labor pool. Statewide unemployment climbing to 4.0% and a declining employed base point to softening demand, but Colorado Springs-specific advertised pay for Tax Specialist and Controller roles still rising suggests finance talent scarcity is holding even as broader hiring cools.
Leadership & Talent Implications
Rising Controller and Tax Specialist advertised pay against a backdrop of sector-wide financial activities job losses signals a bifurcated market — Finance leaders are cutting headcount in some functions while bidding up pay for scarce senior and specialized talent in others. Falling FP&A Manager pay locally, against a national flat trend, may reflect either a genuine softening in demand for that role in this metro or a correction after prior overhiring, and warrants scrutiny before assuming it reflects budget relief. Consider reviewing whether current FP&A Manager compensation positioning still clears the bar for attracting candidates, given the metro figure has moved against the national trend.
