CPL’s third annual Salary Guide indicates modest wage rises for the majority of employees this year, and notes salary inflation in certain sectors of high demand such as science and technology.
The Salary Guide 2014 offers both employees and employers an overview of salary levels at national and regional levels, as well as a focused look at pay packets in Dublin.
This year’s report sees slight increases in wages across the board, in roles as varied as legal, marketing, HR, engineering, languages and office support.
“With virtually no salary increases in the last five years, there is a trend of firms re-introducing performance-related bonuses to retain good staff,” said Anne Heraty, CEO of CPL Resources.
Salary inflation
Salary inflation is evident in some sectors, such as science, technology, food and construction.
For the construction sector, this lift comes after low demand during the recession resulted in harsh adjustments to salary levels. For example, an upswing in commercial construction has led to a 15pc increase in the upper salary band for design managers and an 18pc increase for building services engineers, M&E coordinators and M&E engineers.
For roles in science, CPL finds that some salaries have seen double-digit increases on last year, particularly in Dublin. The recruitment firm attributed this to growth in industries which weren’t as prevalent in Ireland in years past.
“This is good news for employees; however, we must keep focused on Ireland’s role within a global jobs market,” warned Heraty. “To remain competitive, we must continue to train and produce the best people at the best price. Controlling salary inflation must be part of this strategy.”
Top of the CPL pay scale were CEOs in the finance sector with a top salary level of €500,000 per year, followed by pharmaceutical CEOs at €420,000.
CPL also notes that Irish business confidence is increasing, with more companies hiring permanent staff than in last five years and hiring activity among indigenous firms up by 40pc.
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