{"schema_version": 1, "id": "wenatchee-wa-msa/finance/2026-10", "product": "Labor Market Pulse", "metro": {"geography_id": 534, "label": "Wenatchee, WA MSA", "slug": "wenatchee-wa-msa"}, "focus_area": {"key": "finance", "slug": "finance", "label": "Finance"}, "period": "2026-10", "public_after": "2026-10-01", "frozen_at": "2026-11-03T06:01:38.899161+00:00", "headline": "Wenatchee finance pay climbs despite seasonal labor swings.", "headline_summary": "Controller pay rose to a $105,606 metro median and FP&A Manager pay to $132,728, even as Chelan County unemployment swung from 4.9% in May to 3.0% in July.", "key_indicators": [{"label": "Chelan County unemployment", "value": "3.0%", "context": "Down from 3.6% in June; 4.9% metro peak in May"}, {"label": "Controller advertised pay (metro)", "value": "$105,606", "context": "Up significantly; vs $115,420 national median"}, {"label": "CFO turnover (national)", "value": "18.3%", "context": "Highest since pandemic; 85% report talent shortages"}, {"label": "Washington statewide job change", "value": "-15,400", "context": "September 2026, seasonally adjusted"}], "takeaways": [{"headline": "Chelan County's jobless rate swings mask the real story.", "body": "A drop to 3.0% in July from 3.6% in June followed a May reading of 4.9% \u2014 the highest among small U.S. metros. Finance leaders budgeting headcount costs should weight seasonal agriculture and tourism cycles heavily and treat any single month with caution before calling it a trend."}, {"headline": "Controller pay is rising faster locally than nationally.", "body": "Metro Controller advertised pay sits at $105,606, trending up and significant, while the national median of $115,420 moves up more moderately. Convergence toward national levels may reflect tightening competition for senior accounting talent in a metro with limited local supply."}, {"headline": "FP&A and Tax Specialist pay climbs point to scarce skills.", "body": "FP&A Manager advertised pay rose to $132,728 locally, above the $130,000 national median, while Tax Specialist pay jumped to $78,581, up moderately and outpacing a significant national increase to $69,556. Both moves suggest employers are competing harder for technical finance skills regardless of overall metro hiring softness."}, {"headline": "National CFO turnover risk reaches the local bench.", "body": "CFO turnover is projected at 18.3% nationally for 2026, the highest since the pandemic, with 85% of CFOs reporting finance talent shortages. Smaller Wenatchee-area finance teams relying on thin succession benches face outsized disruption risk during close and audit periods if a senior departure coincides with a tight local labor pool."}], "local_conditions": "Chelan County's unemployment rate dropped to 3.0% in July, a sharp seasonal tightening from 3.6% in June, while the broader Wenatchee metro posted the highest unemployment rate among small metros nationally just two months earlier in May at 4.9% \u2014 a volatility pattern tied to agriculture and tourism cycles that complicates any clean read on labor market direction. Finance-specific hiring activity stays muted even as healthcare (Confluence Health) and manufacturing roles advertise aggressively, consistent with statewide softness in white-collar hiring and Washington's 15,400-job seasonally adjusted contraction in September.", "implications": "Seasonal volatility in Chelan County's unemployment rate makes single-month readings unreliable for headcount or close-cycle staffing decisions \u2014 the swing from 3.6% to 3.0% in one month, against a 4.9% metro peak in May, reflects agriculture and tourism cycles more than underlying Finance labor demand. Controller pay climbing to a $105,606 metro median against a national CFO turnover rate of 18.3% suggests upward pressure on mid-to-senior Finance roles even in a metro where overall hiring looks soft. Consider reviewing Controller and FP&A Manager compensation bands against current advertised rates before year-end budget cycles lock in 2027 headcount costs.", "looking_ahead": [{"category": "Seasonal distortion risk", "body": "Chelan County unemployment has swung from 4.9% in May to 3.0% in July within the same year. Finance leaders should expect continued volatility into Q1 2027 as agriculture employment cycles down and should weigh each monthly print against this broader seasonal pattern."}, {"category": "Expected", "body": "Washington's minimum wage rises to $17.73 per hour on January 1, 2027, a 3.5% increase. Finance teams should confirm payroll cost models and budget assumptions reflect the new floor before Q1 close."}, {"category": "Emerging pressure point", "body": "Controller and FP&A Manager advertised pay are both trending up locally and nationally, while Senior Accountant and Credit Analyst pay remain stable. Watch whether this signals a bifurcation where senior finance talent commands premiums while entry-to-mid roles stay flat heading into 2027 budget cycles."}, {"category": "Worth watching", "body": "Statewide, 70% of finance and accounting leaders report increased use of contract talent in H2 2026. Monitor whether Wenatchee-area employers follow this shift, which would affect audit documentation and internal control continuity during close cycles."}], "roles": [{"role": "Controller", "data_scope": "metro", "metro_p25": 51340.0, "metro_p50": 105606.4, "metro_p75": 120135.25, "metro_trend_direction": "up", "metro_trend_magnitude": "significant", "national_p50": 115420.0, "national_trend_direction": "up", "national_trend_magnitude": "moderate"}, {"role": "Senior Accountant", "data_scope": "metro", "metro_p25": 78912.5, "metro_p50": 87731.0, "metro_p75": 94305.5, "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": "metro", "metro_p25": 78194.0, "metro_p50": 99992.0, "metro_p75": 108520.25, "metro_trend_direction": "stable", "metro_trend_magnitude": "stable", "national_p50": 94646.0, "national_trend_direction": "stable", "national_trend_magnitude": "stable"}, {"role": "Billing Specialist", "data_scope": "metro", "metro_p25": 40463.0, "metro_p50": 52671.0, "metro_p75": 65000.0, "metro_trend_direction": "down", "metro_trend_magnitude": "moderate", "national_p50": 49000.0, "national_trend_direction": "stable", "national_trend_magnitude": "stable"}, {"role": "Tax Specialist", "data_scope": "metro", "metro_p25": 55560.0, "metro_p50": 78581.2, "metro_p75": 93600.0, "metro_trend_direction": "up", "metro_trend_magnitude": "moderate", "national_p50": 69556.0, "national_trend_direction": "up", "national_trend_magnitude": "significant"}, {"role": "Credit Analyst", "data_scope": "metro", "metro_p25": 57897.0, "metro_p50": 71396.0, "metro_p75": 74815.0, "metro_trend_direction": "stable", "metro_trend_magnitude": "stable", "national_p50": 71397.0, "national_trend_direction": "stable", "national_trend_magnitude": "stable"}, {"role": "FP&A Manager", "data_scope": "metro", "metro_p25": 110110.5, "metro_p50": 132728.0, "metro_p75": 138182.0, "metro_trend_direction": "up", "metro_trend_magnitude": "moderate", "national_p50": 130000.0, "national_trend_direction": "up", "national_trend_magnitude": "moderate"}], "industry_snapshot": [], "citations": [{"source_name": "Washington Employment Security Department", "source_url": null, "statement": "Chelan County unemployment rate fell to 3.0% in July 2026 from 3.6% in June"}, {"source_name": "Bureau of Labor Statistics", "source_url": null, "statement": "Wenatchee metro had highest unemployment rate among small metros in May 2026 at 4.9%"}, {"source_name": "Washington Employment Security Department", "source_url": null, "statement": "Washington's labor market contracted by 15,400 jobs in September 2026"}, {"source_name": "Crist|Kolder Associates", "source_url": null, "statement": "CFO turnover projected at 18.3% in 2026, highest since the pandemic"}, {"source_name": "MAVI", "source_url": null, "statement": "85% of CFOs report finance talent shortages affecting operations"}, {"source_name": "Washington State Department of Labor & Industries", "source_url": null, "statement": "Washington minimum wage rises to $17.73/hour effective January 1, 2027"}], "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": "wenatchee-wa-msa/finance/2026-10.html", "pdf": "wenatchee-wa-msa/finance/2026-10.pdf"}, "published_at": "2026-11-03T08:32:16.308747+00:00", "report_html_url": "https://reports.wagescape.com/archive/v1/editions/wenatchee-wa-msa/finance/2026-10.html", "report_pdf_url": "https://reports.wagescape.com/archive/v1/editions/wenatchee-wa-msa/finance/2026-10.pdf"}