Financial Technology USA Hiring Outlook 2026

Financial technology teams enter 2026 after a year in which AI moved from experimentation to daily use. In 2025, firms began rethinking how systems are built, operated and scaled, with greater focus on AI-led decision-making, high-performance computing, and more advanced cloud environments. These changes are now influencing how fintech firms hire, structure teams and compete for specialist talent.

In this article, Suraj Sharma, Director – Head of Cloud, Infrastructure & Business Technology at Selby Jennings, explains how these developments will affect hiring priorities, skills demand and retention across fintech teams in 2026.

What changed in financial technology in 2025, and how will it shape 2026?

"One of the biggest changes across fintech in 2025 was how firms began using AI to inform cloud and infrastructure decisions. Companies moved away from traditional hardware-focused thinking and started designing environments around AI workloads and optimization.

"There was also a growing focus on high-performance computing to meet these demands. Infrastructure is increasingly viewed as something that must respond dynamically to usage and performance needs, rather than remaining static, and this way of thinking will continue to influence technology investment and hiring priorities in 2026."

What hiring challenges will the financial technology sector face in 2026?

"One of the biggest hiring challenges will be how candidates are using AI during interview processes. Many firms are seeing candidates rely heavily on AI to complete coding tests, which makes it difficult to understand their actual technical ability. This has become a widespread issue, particularly across cloud and infrastructure roles, and forces firms to rethink how they assess skills.

"Outside of this, competition for top talent continues to increase. As more companies build AI-centric environments, demand for experienced engineers has risen sharply. Big tech and AI-first firms are paying extraordinary salaries and offering significant equity upside. In some cases, fintech firms simply cannot compete with these packages, which creates pressure throughout the hiring process."

What are the hardest-to-fill financial technology roles in 2026?

"AI engineering roles will remain the most difficult to fill, largely due to competition from outside financial services. These candidates often have multiple offers and can move between finance, big tech and AI startups with ease.

"On the cloud and infrastructure side, cloud operations specialists will continue to be hard to secure. Firms need people who can integrate AI into live environments and manage how systems are actually used in production, not just designed. FPGA engineers are another scarce group. There are very few professionals globally with experience in field-programmable gate arrays, and demand increases further when AI capability is layered on top of that skill set."

How should firms update their financial technology hiring strategy for 2026?

"Firms need to acknowledge that AI is now part of day-to-day technical work and adjust hiring processes accordingly. Many companies are moving away from blanket restrictions on AI use during interviews and instead asking candidates to be transparent about how they use it. 

"This change makes it easier to understand how candidates think, how they solve problems, and how they apply tools in real situations. Rather than relying on traditional coding tests alone, you can evaluate decision-making and practical judgement, which gives a clearer picture of how someone will perform once they join the business."

How are candidate expectations changing in financial technology in 2026?

"Within finance, most engineers now understand that if they want to work in financial services, they have to go into the office. There has been resistance in previous years, especially coming out of the pandemic, but most candidates now accept that fully remote is not realistic in a lot of finance environments.

"Some firms still offer flexibility as part of their perks, but in general candidates now approach fintech roles expecting office presence, and evaluate opportunities based on the work, compensation and long-term opportunity rather than assuming fully remote as standard."

How will AI change financial technology teams in 2026?

"AI is already becoming part of everyday workflows across fintech teams. Many firms are now actively encouraging or even mandating its use because it allows teams to work more efficiently and deliver faster results. Tasks that previously took hours, such as data collection, web scraping or summarizing large volumes of information, can now be completed in minutes.

"This is changing how teams operate, as instead of spending time on manual research or repetitive work, technologists can now focus more on execution, problem-solving and building systems. While some tasks will require fewer people, the overall goal is to improve productivity and allow teams to work at a higher level."

Which financial technology tasks and processes are being automated?

"Anything repetitive is increasingly automated. Code generation in particular is changing, with engineers using AI tools or internal bots to draft, test, and refine code quickly. In many cases, firms are building their own AI tools tailored to their internal systems rather than relying entirely on external platforms.

"This approach is enabling teams to automate processes in a way that fits their specific needs, whether that is infrastructure management, monitoring, or development workflows. Over time, this will reduce the amount of manual effort required across technical roles." 

Which regulations will impact financial technology teams in 2026?

"There are no specific AI regulations confirmed for 2026, and it remains difficult to predict how quickly regulation will move given how fast AI adoption is happening.

"Because of that uncertainty, many firms are putting their own internal AI policies in place, allowing them to manage risk and guide usage while remaining flexible if formal regulation is introduced."

What will be the biggest growth areas in financial technology in 2026? 

"AI-driven fintech firms are expected to continue emerging, particularly those applying AI directly to financial processes. Hedge funds will remain active users of advanced technology, but more new businesses are forming around AI-enabled financial services.

"Insurtech is also becoming more active. Insurance has traditionally been slower to adopt new technology, but more firms are now starting to integrate AI into their operations, and this is beginning to show up in hiring requirements."

Where are firms increasing their financial technology headcount in 2026?

"There is growing demand for high-performance computing specialists as AI workloads expand. Firms are also increasing hiring for product managers, program managers and project managers to oversee complex technology initiatives.

"Another area seeing growth is AI operations. These roles focus on maintaining and supporting AI systems and tend to sit outside traditional software engineering teams, becoming more important as firms build internal platforms."

What financial technology compensation trends will impact hiring in 2026?

"Compensation pressure continues to increase, particularly for AI-focused roles. At Selby Jennings we’ve seen firms offer packages well above traditional fintech levels, including total compensation exceeding $1 million in some cases. Candidates with strong AI or infrastructure expertise often have many offers at the same time.

"This creates a difficult environment for fintech firms competing against big tech and AI-native companies. As a result, compensation expectations are rising across the market, and firms need to think carefully about how competitive their overall packages really are."

For the latest base salary and bonus benchmarks, download our Global Financial Technology Compensation Guide or USA Fintech/Blockchain Sales, Product & Marketing Compensation Guide.

How should firms adjust financial technology pay and incentives to stay competitive?

"For firms that cannot compete with big tech or AI-native companies on salary alone, flexibility is not enough to close the gap, as many technology firms already offer hybrid or remote working.

"Instead, firms need to clearly show what someone can build and achieve over the next few years. Candidates want to understand progression, exposure to modern technology, and whether they will be working on forward-looking systems rather than legacy platforms."

What’s causing financial technology retention challenges in 2026?

"One of the biggest retention challenges is the pull of AI-first companies. Many technologists want to work at firms that are building AI platforms from the ground up, rather than applying them within existing financial systems. This makes fintech firms vulnerable to losing talent, even when teams are stable.

"There is also ongoing movement between financial services firms themselves. Larger organizations with deeper budgets continue to target strong performers at smaller firms. This dynamic is similar to what happened after the pandemic, when tech firms aggressively hired from financial services using large compensation packages."

How can leaders reduce attrition risk and strengthen retention in financial technology?

"Retention improves when people understand the future direction of an organization and their place within it. Clear communication around where the technology function is going and how teams will work with new tools is critical.

"Providing access to modern technology, allowing people to experiment, and supporting ongoing development helps keep technologists engaged and building relevant skills, so they are less likely to leave."

How can leaders build stronger financial technology teams in 2026?

"Leaders need to move quickly when it comes to adopting new technology and supporting innovation. Technologists want the opportunity to work on challenging, creative projects and to build systems that matter. They are motivated by the chance to work with new tools and solve complex problems.

"Giving teams autonomy, ownership, and the freedom to build helps create stronger engagement. When people feel they can do meaningful work and grow their skills, they are less likely to look elsewhere for more interesting opportunities."

Speak with Suraj Sharma and the Selby Jennings financial technology team

If your firm is hiring across any area of financial or business technology in 2026, request a call back from Suraj Sharma and the Selby Jennings financial technology talent team for support with specialist searches, talent strategy, and compensation benchmarking. Learn more about our financial technology talent solutions.

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