IT, Finance, and Construction top salary rankings according to IrishJobs

Leading hiring platform IrishJobs has today published new data that reveals professionals in the IT and finance sector commanded the highest median advertised salary in Ireland in 2025. The figures reflect advertised pay, indicating how employers are positioning roles in the current job market.

The research reveals that full-time employees in Ireland earned an advertised median gross salary of €54,928 in 2025. Professionals in Ireland are well compensated compared to their counterparts across Europe, with a median advertised salary of €38,304 (£33,526) in the UK and €53,900 in Germany.

The insights are based on an analysis of advertised salary and benefit trends from 1.3 million job adverts across the Irish labour market, alongside survey insights from 470 recruiters and 670 candidates in Ireland. The salary research was carried out by IrishJobs parent company, The Stepstone Group, as part of a study of salary trends in markets including Ireland, the UK, and Germany.

With the EU’s new pay transparency legislation coming into effect this June, the study found that only 38% of advertised roles currently include salary information. Findings show that roles in the IT and Banking & Finance sectors had the highest median advertised salary at €80,000. This was closely followed by the Construction (€75,000) and Legal (€75,000) sectors. €70,000 was the median annual advertised salary in both the Engineering and Healthcare sectors.

Rising wages

The research shows strong wage growth across the Irish economy in response to inflationary pressures. 58% of professionals reported receiving a pay increase in 2025. 6% was the average level of pay rise reported in 2025. More than 1 in 3 workers (34%) received a modest pay increase of 2-3%, while 27% of professionals received a pay rise of 4-5%. 77% of professionals said they were satisfied with the level of pay increase received.

Two-track workforce

Findings show a growing divide across the workforce between those looking to change jobs and those looking to stay in their current job for stability. 44% of professionals are looking for a new job in 2026, typically those with in-demand skills are more open to moving. 76% say salary is the most important factor when choosing a job.

In contrast, 43% of professionals in Ireland plan on staying in the same role this year. Of those, over half (54%) report that they are satisfied with the level of their salary. Job security is the key element determining churn. More than half (52%) of professionals say that they don’t want to leave their current employer due to job security.

Mobility is strongest for those with scarce skills in this two-track job market. With the skills requirements across many industries evolving at pace, investment in upskilling and reskilling programmes will be crucial to ensure the future mobility of sections of the workforce.

In-demand skills

As employers navigate a competitive labour market, skills are increasingly driving pay decisions. Recruiting workers with in-demand skills (61%) was the top factor influencing salary decisions among employers in Ireland last year. While specialist and technical skills are in high demand within specific industries, employers are more broadly focused on soft skills.

Leadership & people management skills are the most in-demand capabilities, which are most likely to yield a higher salary. Project management and technical skills made up the top three in-demand skills that are likely to lead to a higher salary.

Top occupations

Findings show that Senior finance managers commanded the highest annual salary in 2025, with a median advertised salary of €100,000. Risk managers (€85,000) also had one of the highest advertised salaries in the banking and finance sectors. Senior software engineers had the highest annual advertised median salary in the IT sector at €95,000.

€80,000 was the highest advertised salary in the construction sector for Site operations managers, while Senior engineers earned the top salary (€85,000) in the engineering sector. Recent IrishJobs data revealed that 8 in 10 of the most in-demand professions in 2025 were in construction and related sectors, with salaries growing in response to high levels of demand for skilled professionals across these sectors.

Employee benefits

The research revealed that benefits and total rewards packages are as important to professionals as salary. Health insurance is the top benefit sought by talent, closely followed by flexible working. Pension contributions above legal requirements, performance bonus or commission and sick pay above legal requirements make up the top five most highly sought-after benefits.

56% of professionals say they wouldn’t consider applying for a role without hybrid or remote working arrangements, while more than half (53%) say they wouldn’t apply for roles that don’t provide clear career progression. These findings indicate that employers must increasingly compete on the full talent package offering in attracting and retaining talent, not only a competitive salary package.

Regional trends

The data shows regional differences in advertised salaries across Ireland. Dublin is the county with the highest median advertised salary at €60,000. Galway has the second-highest annual median salary (€52,000), driven by a vibrant life science, healthcare and education sectors. Cork (€46,200) has the third-highest median annual salary.

Commenting on the release of the findings, Christopher Paye, Country Director of The Stepstone Group Ireland with responsibility for IrishJobs, said: “A positive albeit slowing rate of jobs growth is forecast for the Irish economy in 2026. With the rate of domestic demand set to grow by 2.8% according to Ibec’s latest economic outlook, Ireland will remain ahead of most other European economies. With the rate of unemployment also expected to remain low, these indicators show that employers in Ireland will continue to navigate a highly competitive market for talent this year.

Against this backdrop, the IrishJobs Salary Trends Report provides an important insight into key salary and benefits trends as employers adapt their offering to better attract and retain high-calibre talent in this competitive environment.

It’s clear from our findings that salary is still the core component driving churn in the labour market. Nearly half of professionals are seeking to change jobs over the coming months, with a higher salary being their main motivator for seeking a new position. However, there are signs of a two-track labour market in effect, with mobility strongest among professionals with in-demand skills. With elevated economic uncertainty on the horizon, job security is being prioritised by the majority of professionals who plan on staying in the same position this year.

With many employers already providing salary increases in 2025 and struggling to keep pace with the demand for higher wages, organisations should reevaluate their employment offering and consider wider benefits to create a strong proposition for talent that meets their evolving needs. Providing flexible and hybrid working options remains high on the agenda for jobseekers and can provide a key differentiator for attracting and retaining talent without breaking the bank. Findings show that health and wellbeing is increasingly being prioritised by jobseekers, with health insurance ranked as the most in-demand benefit among professionals surveyed.

Our analysis found that currently 38% of job ads display salary information—but that is set to change. With the EU’s new pay transparency legislation coming into force in June, 2026 will be a significant year for salary disclosure, increasing openness around pay and reshaping how employers advertise roles and how candidates assess opportunities.”

For more information, visit: https://www.irishjobs.ie/