{"schema_version": 1, "id": "elkhart-goshen-in-msa/finance/2026-10", "product": "Labor Market Pulse", "metro": {"geography_id": 156, "label": "Elkhart-Goshen, IN MSA", "slug": "elkhart-goshen-in-msa"}, "focus_area": {"key": "finance", "slug": "finance", "label": "Finance"}, "period": "2026-10", "public_after": "2026-10-01", "frozen_at": "2026-11-03T05:17:56.796544+00:00", "headline": "Elkhart finance pay splits sharply by role this month.", "headline_summary": "Financial Analyst pay rose significantly to $76,786 locally while FP&A Manager pay fell moderately to $112,269, even as metro unemployment eased to 3.8%.", "key_indicators": [{"label": "Elkhart-Goshen unemployment", "value": "3.8%", "context": "Down from 4.1% in July 2026"}, {"label": "Manufacturing employment gap", "value": "-1.8%", "context": "Vs. August 2025, despite +500 jobs in August"}, {"label": "CFO turnover rate", "value": "18.3%", "context": "Highest since pandemic, Crist|Kolder 2026"}, {"label": "Finance talent shortage reports", "value": "85%", "context": "Of CFOs surveyed, MAVI Oct. 2026"}], "takeaways": [{"headline": "Financial Analyst pay is repricing faster locally than nationally.", "body": "Metro advertised pay for Financial Analyst rose significantly month-over-month while the national figure held stable, even though the metro median ($76,786) still trails the national median by roughly $18,000. Closing that gap further would suggest Elkhart employers are competing harder for analytical talent than the national market implies."}, {"headline": "FP&A Manager pay softening locally cuts against national direction.", "body": "Metro FP&A Manager pay moved down moderately while national pay for the same role rose moderately, a divergence worth flagging before using national surveys to set local offers. Organizations recruiting for this role should treat local advertised figures as the more relevant reference point."}, {"headline": "Manufacturing's incomplete recovery complicates finance headcount cost models.", "body": "Manufacturing employment remains 1.8% below August 2025 levels despite adding 500 jobs in August, meaning Finance teams supporting RV and component manufacturers face uneven revenue visibility heading into 2027 budget cycles. Headcount cost planning should account for continued volatility."}, {"headline": "Tax Specialist pay gap signals a local benchmarking distortion.", "body": "Metro Tax Specialist advertised pay fell significantly to $40,342 even as the national median rose significantly to $69,556 \u2014 a nearly $29,000 spread that likely reflects a thin local posting sample. Treat this figure cautiously and validate against direct market intelligence before setting offers."}], "local_conditions": "Elkhart-Goshen's unemployment rate eased to 3.8% in August from 4.1% in July even as manufacturing employment stayed 1.8% below year-ago levels, a pattern consistent with an RV-dependent economy adding jobs cyclically while still working through prior-year contraction. Finance-specific pay signals are diverging sharply across roles \u2014 Financial Analyst advertised pay rose significantly while FP&A Manager pay moved down moderately \u2014 suggesting employers are repricing finance talent selectively by role.", "implications": "Divergent local pay trends \u2014 Financial Analyst up significantly, FP&A Manager down, Controller flat \u2014 indicate Elkhart Finance employers are recalibrating role value individually, which complicates standard cost-of-labor assumptions for 2027 budget planning. National CFO turnover at 18.3% and 85% of CFOs reporting finance talent shortages raise retention stakes during close and audit cycles even in a metro where unemployment remains structurally low. Consider reviewing contingency staffing plans for close-cycle coverage given that national data shows 70% of finance leaders expanding contract talent use, a trend that may apply pressure on Elkhart's thinner finance labor pool.", "looking_ahead": [{"category": "Early indicator", "body": "Watch whether Elkhart's manufacturing employment closes the 1.8% year-over-year gap over the next two reporting cycles; a sustained close would support more confident 2027 revenue and headcount assumptions for finance teams supporting RV producers."}, {"category": "Emerging pressure point", "body": "National finance talent shortages (85% of CFOs affected) combined with Indiana's accountant/auditor unemployment rate near 1.0% suggest close-cycle staffing risk will intensify; monitor local contract and interim controller/accountant availability."}, {"category": "Worth watching", "body": "Indiana's labor force contraction (down roughly 18,900 over the past year) could tighten Elkhart's finance candidate pool further if the pattern persists locally, raising retention stakes for incumbent Controllers and Senior Accountants."}, {"category": "Potential inflection point", "body": "FP&A Manager pay is moving opposite the national trend; a reversal toward national direction in Q4 postings would signal the metro finance labor market is realigning with broader demand."}], "roles": [{"role": "Controller", "data_scope": "metro", "metro_p25": 100000.0, "metro_p50": 115338.0, "metro_p75": 121602.5, "metro_trend_direction": "stable", "metro_trend_magnitude": "stable", "national_p50": 115420.0, "national_trend_direction": "up", "national_trend_magnitude": "moderate"}, {"role": "Senior Accountant", "data_scope": "metro", "metro_p25": 75560.0, "metro_p50": 79500.0, "metro_p75": 79964.5, "metro_trend_direction": "up", "metro_trend_magnitude": "moderate", "national_p50": 87731.0, "national_trend_direction": "stable", "national_trend_magnitude": "stable"}, {"role": "Financial Analyst", "data_scope": "metro", "metro_p25": 65000.0, "metro_p50": 76786.4, "metro_p75": 97500.0, "metro_trend_direction": "up", "metro_trend_magnitude": "significant", "national_p50": 94646.0, "national_trend_direction": "stable", "national_trend_magnitude": "stable"}, {"role": "Billing Specialist", "data_scope": "metro", "metro_p25": 34612.0, "metro_p50": 40560.0, "metro_p75": 41080.0, "metro_trend_direction": "up", "metro_trend_magnitude": "moderate", "national_p50": 49000.0, "national_trend_direction": "stable", "national_trend_magnitude": "stable"}, {"role": "Tax Specialist", "data_scope": "metro", "metro_p25": 34320.0, "metro_p50": 40342.0, "metro_p75": 65367.5, "metro_trend_direction": "down", "metro_trend_magnitude": "significant", "national_p50": 69556.0, "national_trend_direction": "up", "national_trend_magnitude": "significant"}, {"role": "Credit Analyst", "data_scope": "state_rollup", "metro_p25": 49767.0, "metro_p50": 62267.2, "metro_p75": 68275.75, "metro_trend_direction": "up", "metro_trend_magnitude": "moderate", "national_p50": 71397.0, "national_trend_direction": "stable", "national_trend_magnitude": "stable"}, {"role": "FP&A Manager", "data_scope": "state_rollup", "metro_p25": 91024.0, "metro_p50": 112268.8, "metro_p75": 124994.0, "metro_trend_direction": "down", "metro_trend_magnitude": "moderate", "national_p50": 130000.0, "national_trend_direction": "up", "national_trend_magnitude": "moderate"}], "industry_snapshot": [], "citations": [{"source_name": "Indiana Department of Workforce Development", "source_url": null, "statement": "Elkhart-Goshen unemployment rate at 3.8% in August, down from 4.1% in July"}, {"source_name": "Specialized Staffing Labor Market Review", "source_url": null, "statement": "Manufacturing employment 1.8% below August 2025 levels"}, {"source_name": "Crist|Kolder Associates", "source_url": null, "statement": "CFO turnover projected at 18.3% in 2026, highest since pandemic"}, {"source_name": "MAVI", "source_url": null, "statement": "85% of CFOs report finance talent shortages affecting operations"}, {"source_name": "Robert Half / AFP FP&A Forum", "source_url": null, "statement": "70% of finance leaders increasing contract talent use in H2 2026"}, {"source_name": "Bureau of Labor Statistics", "source_url": null, "statement": "Indiana accountant/auditor unemployment near 1.0% in May 2026"}], "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": "November 2026", "files": {"html": "elkhart-goshen-in-msa/finance/2026-10.html", "pdf": "elkhart-goshen-in-msa/finance/2026-10.pdf"}, "published_at": "2026-11-03T08:21:27.210598+00:00", "report_html_url": "https://reports.wagescape.com/archive/v1/editions/elkhart-goshen-in-msa/finance/2026-10.html", "report_pdf_url": "https://reports.wagescape.com/archive/v1/editions/elkhart-goshen-in-msa/finance/2026-10.pdf"}