IE
Junior accountants in Ireland earn more than those in the UK
29 July 2010
Junior accountants in Ireland might want to think twice before booking that plane ticket to the UK – you're likely to earn more by staying at home.
The National Competitiveness Council has just produced a voluminous report on the cost of doing business in Ireland (and hence its attractiveness to international investment). This is based on the four key areas of labour, property, utilities and business services.
Rather obviously, we've honed in on any issues related to employment in the financial sector. One of the more interesting findings is that junior accountants are paid rather well – the fifth highest globally (as the chart below shows).
Significantly, average salaries are 23% above those in the UK, a country where junior accountants are increasingly hunting for jobs.
Obviously, these figures are an average across all industries and exclude the fact that accountants working in lucrative City roles are likely to be paid significantly more than their counterparts within financial services positions in Ireland. And, as they move up the ranks, this salary differential becomes more pronounced.
Elsewhere in the financial services sector – for a head of finance role within a small to medium-sized firm – Ireland fails to keep pace with the UK, but looks appealing compared with many other European countries.
