BUSINESS
Irish salaries lag behind UK and US
13-12-2000
by Aoidin Scully
Demand for people with e-business and Web skills is still very strong in Ireland, but salaries still lag behind the UK and US, according to a new report by NewMediaCV.
The Salary Report 2000 found that in some instances there was a 45 percent difference in UK/US and Irish salaries, making it less attractive for Irish e-business professionals living abroad to return home.
"If you compare the London market to the Dublin market, the war for talent or skills crisis is more acute there, and it's even more acute again in New York, Boston, and California," explained Dermot Rogers, Managing Director of NewMediaCV. "A Trinity software engineer graduate could expect to start in the high teens and early twenties rate in Ireland, but UK organisations are offering graduates at the same level salaries that are starting in their thirties," said Dermot Rogers, Managing Director of NewMediaCV.
"While some people might be perturbed about the general level of salary increase, the cost of labour in the IT space in Ireland is still lower than in the comparable parts of the UK or US. A lot is made of the fact that Ireland might be pricing itself out of the market, but the reality is that a lot of Irish software companies are trying to develop products which will compete on the international software stage, so it is an advantage to them to have a lower cost base by operating out of Dublin," added Rogers.
For candidates the key decision factors in joining an employer include the nature of the job with further skill, training and career development opportunities. Remuneration follows second. Then the location of the job, impression of the employer, funding levels and business plans, the opportunity for travel and job security are listed as the most important decision factors.
Candidates in most demand include Java developers, C++ developers with over two years' experience, project managers, graphic designers with two years experience, Visual Basic developers, technical and content webmasters, and writers.
"There cannot be enough Java developers as it's still a relatively new tool," said Rogers.
Demand for staff from m-commerce services and product suppliers is also increasing though it is still a small section of the overall demand. Primary demand here is for XML, Java, sales/marketing and editorial/content development skills.
The report also found that technology market declines since the end of the second quarter of 2000 have begun to have a direct impact, with some "new economy" companies laying off staff. However, increasing demand from larger, older and more stable organisations is balancing the overall market and retaining buoyancy.
Full details of the NewMediaCV e-business and Web salary report are available through NewMediaCV's Web site at www.newmedicav.com.
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