Due to skills shortages and high demand of some sectors in Ireland, the overall average salary increased by 3.9% in 2018, according to latest salary guide from Irish recruitment firm Cpl Resources. The 3.9% increase follows the trend of continued, year-on-year wage increases for the last five years.

Cpl’s salary guide found that the best-paid roles in Ireland include board level executives, audit partners, chief data officers, chief compliance officers, head of risk and control, chief actuaries, and salaried legal partners.

According to Cpl, senior roles are not the only roles that are seeing strong demand and high wages.

The Independent.ie reports that candidates for jobs in the HR sector who have only one year's work experience are now expecting to be paid €30,000 and up, an increase from last year's salary expectations, which were in the low-to-mid €20,000 range, due to the rising cost of living in Dublin.

“The employment market is currently very buoyant commented,” Rob Daly, Senior Director, Cpl Resources. “Good candidates are becoming harder to find, and clients have reduced the interview process to avoid losing potential talent. Further, we are seeing that Brexit is causing market uncertainty, making the contract position market stronger.”