Explore the Demand for Skilled Talent report
Only 6% of finance and accounting leaders say they have the talent they need on their team to complete their priority projects this year, according to Robert Half’s latest Demand for Skilled Talent report.
That’s a sobering number for any industry, but it hits particularly hard in finance and accounting, where finance automation is changing how teams operate—and fast. You won't get the full value from automation without the right people behind it. And right now, most teams don't have them.
So, what does it take to close that gap? As AI in finance and accounting moves from pilot programs to full-scale adoption, it starts with understanding the capabilities needed for an AI-ready workforce.
AI in finance and accounting: How to build the team you need
How AI in finance and accounting is changing the skills you need
The skills profile for finance professionals looks different from what it did even 2 years ago. Data literacy used to be a nice-to-have for most accounting roles. Now it's essential. Your team needs people who can use and query finance automation tools and interpret their outputs.
The skills drawing the highest salary premiums reflect this shift: financial reporting, data analytics, financial modeling and proficiency in ERP software are all commanding extra pay. These aren't pure tech skills, but rather traditional finance competencies with a data-fluent edge.
Critical thinking deserves its own mention here. AI can process thousands of transactions and flag anomalies in seconds. What it can't do is decide whether those anomalies actually matter, or explain to a CFO why the forecast needs rethinking. That judgment—the ability to question what AI produces rather than just accept it—is what separates a good finance hire from a great one. And it's a skill that becomes more valuable as automation takes over routine work.
Emerging roles to know about
The rise of AI in finance and accounting is creating new positions. The 2026 Salary Guide From Robert Half identifies three that are gaining real traction:
The cognitive accountant uses AI to automate expense categorization, spot anomalies and pull real-time financial data through natural language queries instead of manually digging through spreadsheets.
The AI governance and risk officer handles the ethical, legal and compliance side of AI across finance operations. As finance automation takes on more of the decision-making process, someone needs to make sure those decisions hold up under regulatory scrutiny.
The real-time financial data engineer builds the infrastructure that lets finance teams process live data streams and run agile forecasts.
Why the salary premium for AI skills keeps climbing
If you're hiring for these capabilities, expect to pay more. The market has already priced it in: 87% of finance and accounting leaders offer higher pay to candidates with specialized skills, including with AI and data.
This isn't just about base salary, either. Professionals with finance automation experience will likely also consider whether your company is genuinely committed to AI adoption or just talking about it, and whether the role gives them room to grow their technical skills. If your posting promises AI work but the reality is manual spreadsheet cleanup, these candidates aren’t likely to take interest in your open position.
3 ways to close the gap
These moves can help you build an AI-ready workforce, starting this quarter:
Blend permanent and contract hiring
A flexible staffing model—mixing permanent hires with contract talent—gives you long-term stability and short-term speed. Robert Half's research shows that the majority of finance and accounting leaders plan to increase both permanent staff and contract or temporary hiring in the first half of 2026.
The split makes practical sense. Permanent hires step into ongoing roles: controllers, senior analysts or finance managers who'll grow with the team. Contract professionals bring targeted expertise for specific projects, such as rolling out a new finance automation platform or cleaning up data infrastructure before a system migration. Matching the hire type to the need helps keep costs manageable while quickly closing gaps.
Review your job descriptions
If your finance job postings still read as they did in 2023, you're likely attracting candidates with skills reflecting 2023 needs. The skill combinations hiring managers need have changed, and your job descriptions should reflect that across every open role.
Be specific. "Experience with AI-powered forecasting tools such as [name your tools]" tells a candidate exactly what you need. "Comfortable with technology" tells them nothing. This applies to mid-level and senior roles too. A controller who understands how AI fits into the close process is far more valuable than one who's never touched an automation tool.
Look beyond the traditional talent pool
The skills leaders need most—FP&A, AI literacy, automation and data analytics, per Robert Half research—aren't exclusive to finance and accounting. Professionals in fields like data science, business intelligence and tech already have many of these capabilities. Someone with strong Python and Power BI experience may adapt to a finance role faster than you'd expect, especially if the core accounting knowledge can be supported by others on the team. Thinking in terms of adjacent skills opens up candidate pools your competitors aren't tapping.
Upskill the team you already have
Not every skills gap requires a new hire. Your senior accountant who already understands the business inside and out? Teaching them to use an AI forecasting tool may be more efficient than onboarding someone new and getting them up to speed on your operations.
This kind of investment can pay for itself quickly. Think about the hours your team currently spends on manual data gathering and routine reporting. Those are exactly the tasks finance automation tools handle well—and every hour you free up is an hour your people can redirect to analysis and strategic planning.
What comes next for finance and accounting leaders
95% of finance and accounting teams expect to be part of a major finance digital transformation within the next 2 years. That creates a potential virtuous circle worth investing in: The more AI-enabled your workflows and processes become, the more attractive your organization is to the AI-skilled professionals who will help keep the momentum going. Start building that environment today.
