The Republic of Ireland could be one of the countries most affected by the United Kingdom’s (UK) exit from the EU (Brexit). It shares a border with Northern Ireland, which is part of the UK, and Great Britain is Ireland’s second-biggest trading partner. There is a concern that different trade standards and the restriction of free movement of people and goods across the border will cause disruption and provoke civil disobedience.
However, the pending Brexit vote has actually been a boost to Dublin’s economy. Several major financial institutions based in the UK have moved or expanded their operations to Dublin to maintain their EU foothold, and some job growth is expected as a result. EY’s Financial Services Brexit Tracker reports that Dublin remains the top destination for firms looking to relocate.
Dublin is Ireland’s business and finance capital with an unemployment rate of 4.9%, about the same as the national rate. This is the first time the unemployment rate has fallen below 5% since 2007. Dublin’s employment level is increasing faster than the nation’s as a whole. In fact, the capital and the Mideast region are projected to have above-average job growth through 2040.
Key Industries
Dublin, along with the Mid-East region, accounts for the largest proportion of white-collar employment (managers, professionals, associate professionals, and administrative workers) in the country.
The private sector dominates the local economy, employing nearly two-thirds of the workforce. Key industries include information and communication technologies (ICT), financial and business services and tourism. However, the city’s public sector saw the fastest year-over-year employment growth, driven in large part by the public administration sector, which expanded by nearly 30%. Manufacturing and construction constitute only a small portion of the workforce.
Areas of Job Promise
A recent survey of Irish recruiters found that more than half of the positions they found most difficult to fill were in science, research, engineering, and technology. Business, media and public service occupations accounted for another 12%, and health care positions 9%.
Economic development agency IDA Ireland highlights the following sectors as the most promising for future growth:
- Clean-tech
- Business services
- Financial services
- ICT: cloud computing; software; web technologies
- Internet of things (IoT)
- Engineering
- Medical technology and biopharmaceuticals
Tourism
Growth in Dublin’s tourism sector has been on a steady incline. Passenger arrivals at the Dublin airport hit a new record last year and overseas tourism spending in the city increased by more than 15%. TripAdvisor’s annual Travellers’ Choice Awards listed Dublin as Ireland’s best-rated destination, and last year, National Geographic Traveler magazine listed Ireland’s capital as one of the 21 ‘Places You Need to Visit.’
Where the Jobs Will be this Year
| Sector | Fields/Skills Most In-Demand |
| Financial services/insurance | Risk and compliance within asset management; insurance professionals with compliance experience |
| Engineering | Automation engineers: pharmaceuticals, medical device R&D |
| International | Multilingualism: German, Dutch, French |
| Marketing | Content managers |
| Sales | Business developers and account managers (especially candidates fluent in European and emerging market languages) |
| Technology | Software engineers/developers: Java (React), monolith legacy apps/platforms and data center experience |
Source: CPL
Salaries
Ireland’s highest salaries are found in Dublin. The latest figures show that the average disposable income in Dublin is 24,431 EUR, compared to the national average of 20,638 EUR.
Nationally, all industry sectors experienced salary hikes over the past five years. The greatest increase was seen in the administrative and support services sector, while the arts, entertainment, recreation, and other services sector saw the smallest. The average starting salary for new graduates is 28,554 EUR. EY projects that wages will rise annually by between 3% and 3.3% through 2022.
Dublin Salaries for Selected Occupations
| Sector | Average Annual Salary Range (EUR) |
| Finance | |
| Accountant (part-qualified – 1 to 3 years of exp.) | 35,000 to 42,000 |
| Financial accountant | 52,000 to 65,000 |
| Finance manager | 70,000 to 95,000 |
| Financial analyst | 50,000 to 70,000 |
| Financial controller | 85,000 to 130,000 |
| Internal audit manager | 70,000 to 95,000 |
| Fund accountant | 30,000 to 35,000 |
| Investment analyst | 50,000 to 80,000 |
| Risk manager | 65,000 to 95,000 |
| Reinsurance claims (1 to 10 years of exp.) | 35,000 to 70,000 |
| Biotech | |
| Biomedical engineer | 40,000 to 55,000 |
| Quality assurance manager | 65,000 to 80,000 |
| Quality Engineer (3+ year of exp.) | 50,000 to 65,000 |
| Validation Engineer (1 to 3 years of exp.) | 45,000 to 55,000 |
| R&D manager | 60,000 to 80,000 |
| Chemist (process, 1 to 3 years of exp.) | 35,000 to 45,000 |
| Development chemist (3+ years of exp.) | 40,000 to 60,000 |
| Regulatory affairs officer | 35,000 to 45,000 |
| Laboratory analyst (1 to 3 years of exp.) | 30,000 to 45,000 |
| Clinical data manager | 35,000 to 50,000 |
| Business Management and Marketing | |
| Brand manager (1 to 5 years of exp.) | 30,000 to 60,000 |
| Business development manager (ICT/health) | 60,000 to 95,000 |
| Digital marketing manager | 45,000 to 75,000 |
| E-commerce manager | 50,000 to 80,000 |
| Regional sales manager (B2B) | 65,000 to 80,000 |
| PR/communications executive | 35,000 to 45,000 |
| Customer service manager | 50,000 to 65,000 |
| Executive assistant | 50,000 to 80,000 |
| Human resources director | 95,000 to 155,000 |
| Engineering | |
| Environmental engineer | 45,000 to 70,000 |
| Engineering manager (manufacturing) | 80,000 to 100,000 |
| Mechanical engineer (construction) | 45,000 to 65,000 |
| Civil engineer (construction) | 40,000 to 65,000 |
| Controls/automation engineer | 65,000 to 85,000 |
| Electrical engineer (construction) | 45,000 to 65,000 |
| Information Technology | |
| Android/iOS developer | 50,000 to 70,000 |
| Front end/UI developer | 60,000 to 80,000 |
| Software engineer/development manager | 90,000 to 110,000 |
| Database administrator (Oracle/SQL Server/Sybase) | 50,000 to 75,000 |
| DevOPs/platform engineer | 55,000 to 80,000 |
| Help desk support | 28,000 to 35,000 |
| Network engineer | 45,000 to 70,000 |
| Games designer | 40,000 to 60,000 |
| IT auditor | 55,000 to 80,000 |
| Information security consultant | 55,000 to 75,000 |
Source: Brightwater
Health Service Executive (HSE), which provides public health care services in Ireland, lists the following starting pay rates for selected medical occupations in the public sector.
| Occupation | Annual Salary (EUR) |
| Advanced nurse practitioner | 56,993 |
| Clinical nurse specialist (general) | 49,056 |
| Dental hygienist | 35,779 |
| Dental surgeon | 60,461 |
| Health care assistant | 27,647 |
| Occupational therapist | 35,672 |
| Physiotherapist | 35,672 |
| Radiation therapist | 34,243 |
| Registered midwife | 29,346 |
Source: Health Service Executive (HSE)
Average weekly earnings for professionals in the health care and social work sector are 919.64 EUR. The average annual salary for doctors is 60,706 EUR.
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