A new report into salaries in Northern Ireland has found that various roles in technology are proving robust in the face of Brexit uncertainty.
Analytics, software development and tech manager positions in Northern Ireland showed a consistent upward trend last year in terms of salaries.
The first two saw pay rises in 68pc and 62pc of instances respectively, while the latter role saw 95pc of people receive a better wage in 2016.
Bonuses were also in abundance, according to a new Abacus report into Northern Ireland salaries.
Expectations are soaring in these sectors, with 90pc of those working in analytics and 88pc of software developers expecting a basic pay increase in 2017.
The report found that average salaries in analytics and software development ranged from £30,654 for analysts and £46,407 for tech managers, to £69,722 for department heads working in Northern Ireland.
Software developers with up to four years’ experience averaged £29,125, with that rising to £37,675 for those with five years or more. It was marginally less than £50,000 per year for tech leads.
“Total compensation packages, including salary increases and benefits, continue to perform strongly,” said Justin Rush, director of Abacus.
“This is on the back of continued foreign direct investment from some of the world’s leading companies in areas of technology, finance and law.”
Despite the abundance of reports highlighting work-life balance, company culture and various peripherals as the key to attracting and retaining staff, salaries remain a dominant factor when candidates choose a company to work for.
For example, in the Republic of Ireland, a 2016 Hays Salary Guide found that workers might not be so willing when it comes to perks replacing salaries.
According to the report, 47pc of employees are not happy with their salaries despite increases, with two-thirds of employers giving pay hikes in 2016.
More than half of employers will again provide pay rises in 2017, though 44pc of those surveyed cited unrealistic salary expectations as a major issue when hiring.
From left: Abacus directors Alan Braithwaite and Justin Rush. Image: Brian Morrisson
If you’re working in skilled areas such as IT, science, engineering, accounting or financial services, chances are that 2017 could prove to be a profitable year for you in Ireland.
According to Morgan McKinley’s salary guide for this year, salary increases of 5-10pc will bring these fields into a higher level of average income, with IT in particular reaching notable levels.
CTOs could be making €150,000 a year, QA managers as much as €90,000, and technical leads not far off that. Lab technicians could reach €40,000 in the pharma industry, and those working in formulation fields could earn double that.
