Executive pay tracks company size far more than title, so these figures are not comparable across C-suite pages; mid-size private companies shown. Base salary for private mid-size companies (roughly $25M-$500M revenue). Bonuses of 50%+ of base and equity are typical on top. Public-company and large-cap CFO pay (multi-million, equity-heavy) is a different scale. Payscale's low figures reflect many very small companies; BLS 11-3031 covers all financial managers, not just CFOs.
Experience to get here
Entry level10+ years (first CFO role, small company)
Typical title15-20 years
Bachelor's in accounting or finance; MBA and/or CPA strongly preferred. Public-accounting background and SEC-reporting experience are valued, the latter required at public companies.
Typical prior roles
VP Finance / Director of FinanceCorporate ControllerHead of FP&APublic accounting senior manager or partner
Must have
10+ years finance/accounting with 5+ in management
Owned financial reporting, budgeting and audit relationships
Treasury, debt and investor or lender relations
Board and executive-team communication
Systems judgment (ERP, planning tools) and team building
Milestones people hit first
Ran a controllership or FP&A org and closed clean audits
Led a financing, M&A transaction or lender renegotiation
Presented to a board or audit committee
Scaled a finance team through a growth or restructuring phase
$1,200-1,500 in exam/application fees before a review course (Virginia fees; vary by state)
Time: 12-18 months for four sections (common; not published by the vendor) Prerequisites: State-specific education and experience rules
Robert Half: many companies prefer 'advanced credentials such as an MBA, CPA, CGMA or CMA'; a nonprofit CFO posting says 'CPA certification is preferred'.
self-study or review course; review prices not published by the vendor
Renewal
30 CPE hours/yr incl. 2 ethics; IMA membership $295/yr
Typical total
$1,400-1,700 incl. $300 entrance fee and membership
Time: two parts; study time not stated by IMA Prerequisites: Bachelor's degree (or related professional cert) plus 2 continuous years of management accounting/financial management experience
Named alongside CPA in Robert Half's CFO profile and in a CFO posting ('CPA/CMA designation considered').
Training & learning
Introduction to Corporate FinanceFREEWharton / University of Pennsylvania (Coursera) · course · free to enroll; certificate paid · 9 hoursCapital allocation and valuation vocabulary boards and investors expect a CFO to speak fluently.
FP&A Trends think tank and FP&A BoardFREEFP&A Trends · community · free account; some events may be paid · ongoingWhere finance leaders compare planning practices, AI in finance and operating-model changes.
C-suite: figures are base pay at private mid-size companies; total cash with bonus is typically 1.5x base per JM Search, and public-company comp is not comparable. No CFO posting from a mid-size for-profit with an explicit CPA requirement is cited; CPA evidence is Robert Half's profile plus a nonprofit posting. No executive-education program (e.g., Wharton/HBS CFO programs) is listed.
Figures are US, from the sources listed, and change often; verify before deciding.