Industry report · October 2026
State of finance recruitment in London
London employers and agencies advertised 2,140 finance jobs across the roles we track in the 30 days to 6 October 2026. Finance Manager leads with 528 live adverts, and 58% came direct from the employer.
Updated 6 October 2026 · Live adverts, last 30 days · Next update 1 November 2026 · Baseline edition: month-on-month changes start next month
The 10 most in-demand finance roles in London
Ranked by live adverts in the 30 days to 6 October 2026. Direct adverts were posted by the employer itself rather than an agency.
| # | Role | Live adverts | Direct | Last 7 days | Leads |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Finance Manager | 528 | 305 | 127 | Get leads |
| 2 | Financial Analyst | 324 | 232 | 72 | Get leads |
| 3 | Finance Director | 230 | 105 | 54 | Get leads |
| 4 | Finance Business Partner | 227 | 128 | 59 | Get leads |
| 5 | Management Accountant | 213 | 133 | 44 | Get leads |
| 6 | Financial Controller | 204 | 77 | 47 | Get leads |
| 7 | Financial Accountant | 179 | 98 | 40 | Get leads |
| 8 | Payroll Administrator | 111 | 75 | 31 | Get leads |
| 9 | Credit Controller | 72 | 51 | 21 | Get leads |
| 10 | Purchase Ledger Clerk | 58 | 34 | 11 | Get leads |
Titles counted for each role
- Finance Manager
- Senior Finance Manager · 60Accounting Manager · 40Finance Lead · 30Assistant Finance Manager · 4
- Financial Analyst
- Finance Analyst · 162FP&A Analyst · 50Senior Financial Analyst · 49Financial Planning and Analysis Analyst · 1Junior Financial Analyst · 0
- Finance Director
- Head of Finance · 124Director of Finance · 15Group Finance Director · 11VP Finance · 2
- Finance Business Partner
- FP&A Manager · 61Senior Finance Business Partner · 29Financial Planning and Analysis Manager · 22
- Management Accountant
- Assistant Management Accountant · 30Senior Management Accountant · 15Cost Accountant · 1
- Financial Controller
- Group Financial Controller · 33Senior Financial Controller · 13Assistant Financial Controller · 4
- Financial Accountant
- Senior Financial Accountant · 38Group Accountant · 25Assistant Financial Accountant · 3Staff Accountant · 2
- Payroll Administrator
- Payroll Specialist · 50Payroll Assistant · 17Payroll Officer · 13Payroll Analyst · 8Payroll Coordinator · 5Senior Payroll Administrator · 3Payroll Supervisor · 0
- Credit Controller
- Senior Credit Controller · 11Collections Specialist · 6Accounts Receivable Specialist · 3Accounts Receivable Clerk · 1Accounts Receivable Coordinator · 1
- Purchase Ledger Clerk
- Accounts Payable Assistant · 29Accounts Payable Clerk · 10Accounts Payable Specialist · 10Accounts Payable Officer · 6Accounts Payable Coordinator · 2Accounts Payable Administrator · 1Senior Accounts Payable Clerk · 0
Each role counts its own title and the related titles employers use for it, and an advert matching several of them counts once. Per-title counts overlap ("Senior Data Engineer" adverts also match "Data Engineer"), so they add up to more than the role total.
1,234 London finance adverts came straight from the employer.
Behind each one is a hiring manager. OutputX turns adverts like these into named decision makers you can contact, with outreach written in your voice, in about ten minutes.
What the numbers say
- Finance Manager leads with 528 adverts, a quarter of London's finance market (25%).
- Head of Finance is the title behind much of Finance Director hiring: 124 of the role's 230 adverts.
- Financial Controller is the most agency-led role: only 38% of its 204 adverts come direct.
What it means for recruiters
58% of London's finance adverts come direct, but senior roles lean on agencies: Financial Controller (38% direct) and Finance Director (46%) are where search firms are most active. Analyst and credit control roles are the most open, at 72% and 71% direct.
Questions recruiters ask
How many finance jobs are advertised in London?
2,140 live finance job adverts were posted in London and nearby towns in the 30 days to 6 October 2026, across the roles in this report and counted once each. 58% came direct from employers.
Which finance role is most in demand in London?
Finance Manager, with 528 live adverts. Next came Financial Analyst (324) and Finance Director (230).
How does London compare with other UK cities for finance jobs?
London has the most finance adverts of the 5 cities we cover, 6.5× Manchester's 327. London: 2,140, Manchester: 327, Leeds: 221, Birmingham: 213, Bristol: 150.
How many finance adverts in London come direct from employers?
1,234 of the 2,140 (58%) were posted by the employer itself; the rest came through recruitment agencies and other intermediaries.
Is finance hiring in London speeding up or slowing down?
24% of the month's adverts were posted in the last 7 days, against about 23% in an even month, so finance hiring in London looks steady.
Finance across the cities we cover
| # | City | Live adverts |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | London | 2,140 |
| 2 | Manchester | 327 |
| 3 | Leeds | 221 |
| 4 | Birmingham | 213 |
| 5 | Bristol | 150 |
More reports for London
- Tech recruitment in London · 7,278 adverts
- Legal recruitment in London · 742 adverts
How we measure
Live job adverts posted in the 30 days to 6 October 2026 in London, Croydon, Wembley, Watford, Kingston upon Thames, Harrow, Bromley, from licensed job-advert data, each counted once per role. These are adverts, not vacancies: one vacancy can be advertised by several agencies. Full method →
Want a report for your sector or city?
Tell us the industry, city and roles you recruit for. The most requested ones join the monthly run.