Finance Manager

💰 $115K–$157K salary range

Median: $140K  ·  Based on 655 public job postings  ·  Updated September 3, 2026

What  does a Finance Manager do?    

A Finance Manager is responsible for overseeing the financial health of an  organization. They manage the financial reporting, budgeting, and forecasting  processes to ensure that the organization is financially stable and  profitable. They also advise senior management on financial strategy and help  to identify and mitigate financial risks.    

What is the typical background of a Finance Manager?    

A Finance Manager typically has a bachelor's or master's degree in  finance, accounting, or another related field. They may also have a  professional certification, such as a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) or a  Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA). Additionally, they typically have several  years of experience in finance or accounting roles, including experience in  financial analysis and management.  

What are some of the typical responsibilities of a Finance Manager?    

The responsibilities of a Finance Manager vary depending on the  organization, but typically include:    

• Overseeing financial reporting and analysis: This includes preparing  financial statements, analyzing financial data, and communicating financial  results to senior management.
• Managing the budgeting and forecasting processes: This includes  developing budgets, monitoring actual results against budget, and forecasting  future financial performance.
• Advising senior management on financial strategy: This includes providing  guidance on financial decisions, identifying financial risks, and developing  strategies to mitigate those risks.
• Managing financial operations: This includes overseeing accounts payable  and accounts receivable processes, managing cash flow, and ensuring  compliance with financial regulations.
• Developing financial policies and procedures: This includes developing  and implementing financial policies and procedures to ensure that financial  operations are efficient and effective.    

What are some of the skills a successful Finance Manager should have?    

A successful Finance Manager should have the following skills:  

• Strong understanding of finance and accounting principles.
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills, as well as strong  communication skills to effectively communicate financial information to  senior management and other stakeholders.
• Strong leadership and management skills to effectively manage their team  and drive financial performance.
• Ability to adapt to changing situations and work well under pressure.

📊 Salary breakdown

Finance Manager salary by location

• All locations: $140K median ($115K–$157K typical range)
• New York: $143K median, $128K–$159K range (+2% vs. national)
• San Francisco: $165K median, $149K–$175K range (+18% vs. national)
• Seattle: $95K median, $95K–$124K range (-32% vs. national)
• Denver: $126K median, $116K–$131K range (-10% vs. national)
• Chicago: $145K median, $117K–$149K range (+4% vs. national)
• Boston: $150K median, $134K–$157K range (+7% vs. national)
• Los Angeles: $136K median, $124K–$148K range (-3% vs. national)
• Austin: $138K median, $123K–$147K range (-2% vs. national)

Highest paying companies

San Francisco

• Anthropic: $205K median
• OpenAI: $171K median

New York

• Curriculum and Implementation Specialist, Science: $148K median
• Datadog: $143K median
• NBCUniversal: $108K median

Based on companies with 3+ active postings. Median of publicly advertised salary range.

What's typically included

• Health insurance: 74% of postings
• Equity (RSU/options): 68% of postings
• Flexible PTO: 59% of postings
• Parental leave: 35% of postings
• Learning/education budget: 20% of postings
• Visa sponsorship: 3% of postings

Typical experience required: 6–8 years.

Finance salaries by seniority

• Director of Finance: $90K
• Financial Analyst: $115K
• Senior Financial Analyst: $116K
• FP&A Manager: $134K
• Finance Manager: $140K
• Finance Lead: $176K
• VP Finance / CFO: $207K

What does a Finance Manager do?

Finance Managers are finance and accounting professionals who own planning, reporting, and controls. This benchmark reflects Manager-level base compensation at high-growth and AI-native companies.

Government wage data

For corroboration, U.S. Department of Labor certified wage filings (FY2025) show a median of $155K for Finance Manager roles, ranging $130K–$189K, across 225 filings. This is reported separately from — never blended with — the job-posting median above.

Common questions

What is the average Finance Manager salary at an AI startup?
The median pay is $140K, with a typical range of $115K–$157K, based on 655 public job postings collected in 2025–2026.

What is the Finance Manager salary in New York?
New York Finance Managers at AI-native startups earn a median of $143K, with a typical range of $128K–$159K (25th–75th percentile). That's 2% above the $140K US national median. 13% below San Francisco's $165K. Based on 82 qualifying postings, 2025–2026.

What is the Finance Manager salary in San Francisco?
San Francisco Finance Managers at AI-native startups earn a median of $165K, with a typical range of $149K–$175K (25th–75th percentile). That's 18% above the $140K US national median. Based on 59 qualifying postings, 2025–2026.

Where does this salary data come from?
It is aggregated from public job postings on company career pages — no private placement or client data. We require a minimum of 15 postings per role.

Methodology

Figures are the midpoint of each posting's advertised USD salary range, aggregated from 655 public job postings (2025–2026). The range shown is the 25th–75th percentile; the median is the 50th percentile. Equity is separate and not included; where a posting's range reflects on-target earnings (OTE) for commission roles, that is included in the midpoint. Roles require at least 15 postings to be published. Last refreshed September 3, 2026.

Hiring Finance Managers? RFS recruiters specialize in Finance placements at AI-native and high-growth startups. Talk to an RFS recruiter →

Are you a Finance Manager? See open Finance Manager roles →