The AFP survey revealed that a wide range of factors impact the type and size of performance bonuses in the finance function. Fifty-nine percent of companies base finance professionals' bonuses on achievement of operating income or EBITDA goals. Other key financial metrics that affect bonuses include hitting profit targets (50 percent), sales or revenue targets (32 percent), cost control or cost reduction targets (32 percent), and cash flow targets (26 percent). Fewer organizations hang bonuses for the finance team on softer performance measures, such as completion of specific projects (52 percent) or customer satisfaction (18 percent).

When asked to identify influences on career advancement in their organization's finance department, 29 percent of respondents said that an MBA or other advanced degree helps finance professionals get ahead. The survey found that a finance pro with an advanced degree such as an MBA earns an average of $10,000 more than a finance pro with only a bachelor's degree. In staff-level positions, the financial bump for a graduate degree is 19.2 percent.

Geographic region is another influencer of compensation. Across all job titles, respondents in the West make the most, followed by those in the Northeast, in the South, and in the Midwest. Among treasurers, however, jobs in the Northeast pay more than 10 percent better, on average, than jobs in any other region.

Not surprisingly, the survey found that the largest determinant of salary differences among individuals with the same job title is the size of the organization. CFOs in companies with annual revenues over $1 billion make more than twice as much as those in companies with less than $100 million in revenue, and assistant treasurers in the largest companies make more than treasurers in the smallest companies.