Remuneration Survey shows members seeking balance

4 February 2026

• Working in more than 660 different roles – if you thought accountants were only crunching numbers – then think again.

• The 2025 CA ANZ Remuneration Survey reveals that balancing work and life is top of mind for members.

• Here’s what employers can do to attract and retain talent – and what employees can do to secure the move from ‘role reality’ to ‘perfect position’.

Chartered Accountants have long been seen as the stewards of financial integrity, but the 2025 Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand (CA ANZ) Remuneration Survey paints a far more diverse and dynamic picture.

This year’s survey, capturing responses from more than 4,100 members across Australia, New Zealand, and overseas, reveals that Chartered Accountants are not only chief executives, CFOs, and directors, but also caregivers, tribe performance leads, cybersecurity directors and sustainability leaders.

In fact, more than 660 distinct roles are represented among CA ANZ members, confirming that the CA designation can truly take you anywhere.

And while remuneration is important, when it comes to the perfect position, it’s just one part of the overall equation.

The survey shows that flexibility, meaningful work, and a supportive workplace culture are central to attracting and retaining top talent.

“At CA ANZ, we are proud of the work we do to unearth the data required to have those important conversations, to make accounting one of the most attractive professions on the planet,” says CA ANZ Chief Executive Officer Ainslie van Onselen.

“Through this survey our members gain an understanding of remuneration across a number of geographic locations and sectors, as well as uncovering the non-financial benefits of employment that our members value most.” 

The Bottom Line: Modest, Uneven growth

This year’s remuneration trends are a study in contrasts. 

Australia’s not-for profit sector reported the largest growth in median remuneration at 8%, compared to 3% across that sector in New Zealand. The corporate sector had New Zealand’s largest increase at 6% but experienced a slight decline in median remuneration in Australia.

The survey also highlights significant regional differences. Queensland, Nelson/Marlborough, and Otago all saw double-digit increases in median remuneration, reflecting pockets of economic strength. 

Of the 76% of respondents who received a pay rise, nearly half of these increases were 2.5% or less. A small group saw increases above 10%, with younger members (aged 20–29) most likely to benefit; 21% of this group reported a pay rise greater than 10%.

However, as Ms van Onselen points out, “As this year’s results show, pay is not the only thing that matters to respondents.”

What are employees looking for beyond pay?

Interestingly, while a fair salary remains the most popular work benefit, it was only in the top three for 55% of women and 60% of men. Furthermore, nearly a third of respondents reported favouring improved work-life balance over salary.

The survey reveals that non-remuneration benefits such as flexibility, manageable workload, working from home, career progression, meaningful work, and good culture are essential for attracting and retaining top talent. 

And it’s important for employers to address these, as one third of respondents indicated that they are considering leaving their current employer in the next 12 months.

“Although the survey didn’t ask respondents about the factors that are prompting them to seek work elsewhere, the top drivers for employee retention among respondents were fair compensation, strong leadership, and organisational pride,” said Ms van Onselen.

A fair salary is seen as table stakes – the bottom line needed to retain talent.

“When remuneration is perceived as fair, there is no gender difference in respondents’ likelihood of leaving their current employer in the next twelve months,” continued Ms van Onselen.

The Gender Pay Gap: Progress and Persistence

The gender pay gap remains a stubborn challenge, with New Zealand’s gap at 24% and Australia’s improving to 14%. 

Encouragingly, understanding of the gender pay gap has improved, with the number of members able to accurately describe it increasing by 13 percentage points compared to last year. 

This underscores the impact of CA ANZ’s efforts to deliver education, tools and resources that support members with their pursuit of gender equity - but clearly more work remains to improve understanding and reduction of the gender pay gap. 

Flexibility, Balance, and the New Workplace

The data shows that women are still prioritising flexible work options and value working from home, flexible start and finish times, and manageable workloads. 

Men also value working from home and flexible hours, but are more likely to prioritise meaningful work and career progression as important. 

However, 23% of respondents report that workplaces now allow less working from home, highlighting a potential disconnect between employer policies and employee preferences.

“While women prioritise flexible work options more than men, the data suggests that increasing access to flexible work arrangements for men could have broader societal benefit, enabling more equitable sharing of caregiving responsibilities and reducing the flexibility burden often shouldered by women,” said Ms van Onselen.

“For employers, this new data reaffirms the finding from previous years, that workplace benefits and culture can be just as important as pay.”

Negotiation, Navigation, and New Horizons

The survey reveals that more than one third of respondents are seriously considering leaving their role in the next 12 months. 

A fair salary is the top retention driver – however there are significant variances across age and gender demographics in terms of confidence and ability to negotiate remuneration.

Respondents' comfort with negotiation overall increases with age and is greater among men.

Fewer than half of women respondents feel their salary fairly reflects their skills, experience, and contributions, and 38% reported they would not feel comfortable discussing pay with their employer, compared to just 24% of men.

For employers, the call out is to consider these factors when recruiting and retaining staff and pre-empting conversations about negotiation where there’s a strong desire to retain talent. Equally, employees should recognise negotiation as a valuable tool to achieve their workplace goals.

To access the full report, click here.

About Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand

Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand represents more than 140,000 financial professionals, supporting them to make a difference to the businesses, organisations and communities in which they work and live. Chartered Accountants are known as Difference Makers. The depth and breadth of their expertise helps them to see the big picture and chart the best course of action.

www.charteredaccountantsanz.com

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