Balancing professional and personal commitments is a leading concern for chartered accountants (CAs), according to the Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand (CA ANZ) 2025/26 Remuneration Survey.

The latest survey gathered responses from more than 4,100 members across Australia, New Zealand and overseas.

Members reported working in a wide range of positions, extending beyond traditional roles such as CEO, chief financial officer and director. Job titles include caregiver, tribe performance lead, cybersecurity director and sustainability leader.

In total, more than 660 distinct roles were represented among respondents, reflecting the diversity of careers pursued by those with the CA designation.

The survey indicates that flexibility, meaningful work and a supportive workplace culture are central to attracting and retaining skilled professionals.

CA ANZ CEO Ainslie van Onselen said: “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.”

CA ANZ described this year’s remuneration patterns as a study in contrasts.

In Australia, the not-for-profit sector reported the strongest rise in median remuneration at 8%. The same sector in New Zealand recorded a 3% increase.

In New Zealand, the corporate sector saw the largest increase at 6%, while corporate median remuneration in Australia recorded a slight decline.

A smaller proportion of respondents reported pay rises of more than 10%.

Younger members aged 20–29 were most likely to be in this group, with 21% of that cohort receiving increases above 10%.

The survey suggests that employers looking to recruit and retain high-performing staff need to focus beyond pay, highlighting flexible working, reasonable workloads, work from home options, clear development pathways and a supportive workplace culture as key draws.

The survey also found that around one third of respondents said they are considering leaving their current employer within 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,” added Onselen.

The findings also pointed to a persistent gender pay gap, estimated at 24% in New Zealand, while in Australia the gap has tightened to 14%.

The results suggest women continue to place a high priority on flexible arrangements and working from home.

Men also value flexible hours and remote work but are more likely to rank meaningful work and career progression as particularly important.