2025 Financial Services Salary Guide

We know that Australia’s financial services industry is grappling with a complex web of challenges and changes. Skills shortages persist in tax and compliance functions while senior financial services lawyers are hard to come by. Cost optimisation remains a top priority with firms seeking to streamline processes and reduce reliance on external vendors. Plus, rapid technological advancements are forcing firms to adapt quickly, while also navigating increased regulatory scrutiny, particularly around CPS 230 requirements.

That’s why we have curated the 2025 Robert Half Financial Services Salary Guide to provide you with the expertise and clarity to make the best employment decisions. Whether you're a hiring manager looking to attract top finance talent or a risk and compliance jobseeker hoping to find your next role, this guide provides valuable insights and Australian salary benchmarks based on Robert Half’s placement data to help the decision-making process.

View salaries by category

Enter your city to localise national average salaries. Starting salaries can vary greatly depending on a professional’s skills and experience, company size and demand for the role.

Compliance

Credit Risk

Financial Control

Internal Audit

Legal

Operational Risk

Privacy

Operations

Tax

Technology Risk

Treasury

Position title

25th percentile

50th percentile

75th percentile

Compliance Officer

83000

107000

127000

Compliance Manager

136000

146500

161000

Senior Compliance Manager

155500

171000

195000

Head of Compliance

184000

224500

273000

25th percentile

The candidate has little or no prior experience in the position and is still developing relevant skills.

50th percentile

The candidate has an average level of experience and has most of the necessary skills.

75th percentile

The candidate has above-average experience, has most or all the necessary skills and may have specialised qualifications.

Salary range based on three percentiles The starting salaries represent gross yearly salaries. They do not include bonuses, benefits or superannuation.

Financial services industry: Market update

The impending deadline for CPS 230 requirements (July 1, 2025) is driving a late surge in demand for professionals with expertise in this area as firms scramble to ensure they meet the necessary requirements in time. Simultaneously, a notable uptick in technology risk transformation projects is underway particularly among larger firms in Australia. This focus on tech risk and controls reflects the need to improve documentation and streamline processes to mitigate potential risks.

Firms opt for in-house lawyers to save cost

A cost-conscious approach is evident in the legal sphere with firms hiring in-house financial services lawyers with private practice experience to reduce the reliance on external legal fees. In contrast to the cautious hiring practices in the last 18 months, the non-bank lending industry is experiencing a resurgence in hiring, signaling renewed growth and confidence in this sector.

Demand for private credit expertise

Asset management firms are increasingly focusing on private credit funds, seeking to capitalise on opportunities in this growing area. This trend is mirrored by private equity and venture capital firms actively pursuing investment from the superannuation industry as traditional funding avenues have reduced. Consequently, there is a growing demand for professionals with expertise in private credit, including credit analysts and lawyers.

Companies seek to hire value-adding talent for long-term success

While salary trends remain relatively flat, the demand for specialised financial services talent stands firm in Australia. Companies are recognising the value of skilled professionals who can contribute to long-term cost savings and efficiency, rather than viewing them as mere cost centres, highlighting the ongoing need for highly skilled individuals who can navigate the complexities of the financial services landscape.

Salaries for hard-to-staff positions, such as senior financial services lawyers and operational risk managers are on the rise. Professionals in these roles may be tempted to accept a new role to secure better compensation, leaving businesses that can’t compete at a disadvantage. Offering flexible work options can help organisations sway candidates as they consider the entire package, not just salary.

of finance workers say they want more pay in 2025 of finance workers say they want more pay in 2025

of finance workers say they want to get flexible work hours from their job of finance workers say they want to get flexible work hours from their job

In a skills-short market in key functional areas of the financial services industry, more employers are considering hiring skilled applicants from other countries, with 48% already having done so (with the intention of doing it again) in the last two years. Specialised expertise and the ability to add value quickly are cited as the main reasons why they (would) turn to recruiting expat talent.

of finance hiring managers are considering hiring a skilled applicant from another country for the first time of finance hiring managers are considering hiring a skilled applicant from another country for the first time

of finance hiring managers think the Australian market is more reliant on skilled migration compared to five years ago of finance hiring managers think the Australian market is more reliant on skilled migration compared to five years ago

In-demand permanent jobs in financial services

Operational Risk Manager

Tax Manager

Compliance Officer/Manager

Senior Legal Counsel

Treasury Manager/Head of Treasury/Treasurer

Technology Risk Manager

Senior Credit Risk Manager/Head of Credit Risk

In-demand areas for contracting jobs in financial services

Technology risk and controls

Operational risk and controls

CPS 230 and third-party risk management

FAR

AML frameworks

Technology risk in change

Risk in change

Hard-to-fill roles in financial services

Tax Manager

Senior Financial Services Lawyer

Compliance Manager

Credit Risk Analyst

Operational Risk Analyst

Commercial and Corporate Credit Analyst

In-demand technical skills in financial services

Incident and breach management

CPS 230

Technology and IT risk

Third-party risk

FAR

Risk transformation

Trust management

Financial services law

In-demand soft skills in financial services

Stakeholder management skills

Communication skills

Leadership skills

Project management skills

Negotiation skills

Interpersonal skills

Time management skills

How much should I earn or pay?

In-demand certifications and degrees in financial services

Bachelor of Law (plus Juris Doctor), Economics/Accounting/Commerce

CA, CPA

RG146

ACAMS

Top sectors recruiting for financial services talent

Insurance

Banking

Asset/investment management

Non-bank lending

Superannuation

We know talent, and we're here to help

Robert Half's recruitment consultants help jobseekers advance their careers and help hiring managers find skilled candidates. Find a job Hire talent

Hiring managers: Need more insights? Schedule a Salary Guide walk-through

The salaries listed in the Salary Guide from Robert Half are the result of a rigorous, multistep process to ensure our projections accurately reflect the marketplace. They are based on actual compensation for professionals Robert Half has matched with employers across Australia as well as third-party job posting data that we use to independently validate the salary ranges.

The salaries listed in the salary tables represent gross yearly salaries. They do not include bonuses, benefits or superannuation. We report salaries in three percentiles, recognising that professionals join companies at varied experience levels.

The non-salary data presented in this Salary Guide is derived from an online survey conducted by an independent research firm commissioned by Robert Half in November 2024. The survey gathered responses from 500 hiring managers and 1,000 full-time office workers in finance, accounting, business support, and IT and technology. Respondents are drawn from a sample of SMEs to large private, publicly-listed and public sector organisations across Australia.