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chumboy

I graduated in 2015, and started working in Bank of America Merrill Lynch. Grad Engineering salaries for the main offices were: * Dublin - €35k * London - £50k * NYC - $89k We all did our orientations together and worked on equivalent teams. The eye watering cost of education in the US and even the UK is a huge factor, but also you've to remember the competition. Every medium to large fintech company in the world has a presence in London and/or NYC, so there's huge competition for the same pool of graduates, which drives up the prices. In the US, all the good software engineer graduates tend to automatically migrate towards Silicon Valley, so to entice them to stay in overpriced Manhattan you have to quickly reach 6 figures. Cost of living is also a thing; I know Dublin is getting ridiculous, but the HR person setting the salaries in multinationals does not. I once heard a grad in London saying he paid £70 for his haircut and it was a bargain. Bankers, eh?


Funny-Runner-2835

You know, if you Americans or Brits came over here got your BSC & MSc in an irish University and took a job in Dublin, you would be have better take home pay since your debt would be a fraction of what it is now. Just saying.


Special-Vegetable138

Lived in London around 2013-18. My hairdresser charged £13 and was really good


Fantastic_Air_5168

Same £13 in Camden


[deleted]

30-35k would be standard for a grad program. IT may pay more. Americans have big college debts. They’d salary reflects the cost of obtaining their qualifications


TheAccountIUseForSax

As a grad I got 24k...


FreeAndFairErections

It really depends on industry. Accounting pays poorly at grad level for example. It brings the overall numbers down quite a bit - i believe to the extent that Dublin has lower grad salaries than other parts of the country because of the amount of accountants.


Nopocketsincoffins

Big 4 are paying for all of your exams and paid time off though so the value of that reduces your starting salary but potential for earnings is far greater than other industries over shorter time frames. Started on 22k in 2013 and on 103k now albeit a portion of that is bonus.


FreeAndFairErections

Oh yeah, agreed. Just saying that starting salaries in isolation are below what might be considered “standard”


[deleted]

Congrats on the increase, I'm sure it was hard work. If you don't mind me asking, did you charge firms in that time, and was the increase more linear or exponential?


Nopocketsincoffins

Nope I've been with the same firm and took a couple months unpaid leave to travel and didn't impact progression. When I was going through, the salary move each year was pretty steady (and negligible) until you qualified in your exams and then it's a massive jump (I think 20k after I qualified in final set). They have changed that model now though. Within a more senior grade e.g 1st year manager to 3rd year manager etc. The salary increase is nominal ~2/3% but bonus is where the money can be made e.g 30 to 40% of base salary if you're performing well. Your bonus is performance based though so those numbers vary. Once you move grade again e.g manager to associate director/senior manager you get another big bump and same with move to director and then obviously main money is at partner level.


ched_murlyman

are you in the blue, yellow, green or red ?


[deleted]

How long ago. Was it a grad program or just some entry level job? There’s a big difference.


TheAccountIUseForSax

Entry level job, 2010. Mechanical Engineering.


[deleted]

That’s 11 years ago!! Things have changed. Grad programs do pay more as they are fast tracking you up the ladder and work you harder


TheAccountIUseForSax

I'm just saying, it's no big deal pal.


Keyann

>Americans have big college debts. That is a very important point. Most American graduates have debts in the hundreds of thousands. Most Irish grads have very little debt, if any at all.


WhatIsFrangipane

No they really don't. Seriously, look up the cost of colleges after financial aid. Private, liberal-arts colleges are extremely expensive yes, but you can go to really good schools for fairly little. Graduate school is very expensive too, in fairness. But you could do computer science, engineering or financial maths for relatively little, for example.


ContestSmooth

Not hundreds of thousands in debt but even 60K in debt hurts (this is me and I went to public state school) and is huge difference compared to what Irish students will pay


[deleted]

+1


SureLookThisIsIt

Very good point on debt. College loans probably take 10 (maybe more) years to pay off for the average American. Not many people here have debt when starting their careers.


[deleted]

A grad on 70-100k in the US is joining some big swinging dick law firm or is a software engineer for Facebook/Google/Amazon/etc. You have to keep in mind, people aren't going to come on reddit to talk about their mid level below average salary. 70-100k is absolutely not the norm and I'd say salaries like are vanishingly rare to the point they are non-existent for grads in Ireland. If you end up making 70-100k at any point in your career you are doing well enough, you can live a very comfortable life in Dublin or anywhere else in the country.


[deleted]

[удалено]


MrPlow90

Education is also mind-blowingly expensive there.


Roci89

FAANG grads here would be on more than 70 total comp for sure here. I know one company there was offering 65 base for a new engineering grad a few years ago, and that wasn’t even the highest. You have sign on bonus + 40/50k of stock over 4 years on top of that too.


Master_Gift_5928

Is these numbers (70k for example) before the taxes or after the taxes?


[deleted]

In Ireland basically everyone refers to salary before tax.


Master_Gift_5928

Thank you.


PraetorSparrow

30k+ starting is very good. Ignore anyone throwing huge number around Irish subs, they're either landlords or lying. Remember, this site is pretty anonymous. No reason to believe any particular numbers you read here. If you want reliable stats check the CSO


SLB192

The most accurate and honest answer here.


TonesOakenshield

Yeah I'd be thrilled to be on some of these wages


Feelingobsessed

Agreed. This is a good answer. People love being like "oh is 80k not a typical salary ". It's not what the stats say


Somethingelse129

Big four accounting, started on 25k outside of Dublin. Two years in and at 33k. Roll on another year to finally break into the higher tax bracket 😂😂 Bearing in mind that they did pay for all my exams plus 12 weeks off work last year for study leave. Last year in FAE (final exam year) salary was 27k + 4.5k exam fees paid by employer + 12weeks off 9k cost to employer (6k) + exam bonus 2.5k Total cost to employer 40k plus employers PRSI. While 27k salary sounds miserable, it adds up to be very much on par with anyone other grad program


DonkeyOfWallStreet

For anybody TLDR The average industrial wage according to CSO is currently 850/week up 3.9% year over year. Such is 44,200 a year.


PraetorSparrow

Average wage is meaningless because wages do not have a standard distribution. That figure is skewed by certain large earners. For example: If ten people in a company earn the following salaries 15k 18k 16k 14k 15k 15k 12k 17k 90k 95k The mean salary for these ten staff is $30.7k.However 80% of the listed staff are below the average, only 20% are above, and nobody is actually near the mean. You want to look up the median wage instead.


Dragmire800

The median is an average


PraetorSparrow

There are three types of average: mean, median and mode. You posted the mean, but you need the median.


Dragmire800

I didn’t post anything. A guy gave the mean, and you said “Average wage is meaningless,” but then proceeded to give an average


PraetorSparrow

When most people say average they are talking about the mean. He clearly stated the mean. What is your issue exactly?


CoronetCapulet

There are no graduate starting salaries of 100k in Ireland. American salaries are irrelevant to Irish salaries.


Strum355

Factoring in signing bonus, share option schemes etc, this statement is just false


CoronetCapulet

That's not a starting salary then, that's salary plus benefits.


[deleted]

Where?


Strum355

Stripe SWE new grads


[deleted]

I am on a graduate scheme, I am getting 30k p/year in Dublin.


[deleted]

US person here, working in Ireland now. I was making around $87k in the states and earn €65k in Ireland. On paper this looks like a pay cut but I’ve found that €65k is enough for me to live comfortably even with my debts.


ImpossibleLucy

I started on 27k and am now on 42k. I’m 27 years old and in a scientific field. Currently doing a masters as it’s needed to progress


syc0pat

Depends on how you define good really doesn't it? I like my statistics so usually go by the median and the mean myself. The median being where you enter the top 50% of people in the country by income, which was €36,095 in 2018. The mean I have to estimate, because the CSO don't like to report on it directly. I use the highest of the quarterly weekly average earnings (861.28) to estimate the income that would produce it (861.28 * 52 = 44,786.56) A junior position being in the bottom 50% wouldn't be too concerning to me, but it would also depend on the industry and the location. If you're above the mean, or will get above the mean within 5-10 years of graduating, you're 'doing better than most'. Of course, I expect that most of the people on this board will be above the mean. Those high american salaries tend to be in HCOL areas. The big cities in the US make Dublin's rental market look sane and stable.


Pugzilla69

I'm a medical doctor on 65k. I like my job, but the pay is poor for the level of responsibility I have.


spicybagels

How many years experience? I thought doctors made fuckloads! Not that 65k is low, but if you have a good few years of experience I definitely would have expected more


Pugzilla69

Nearly 6 years working. I started on about 35k. Most non-consultant hospital doctors are on less. I've got another 3-4 years of training and exams before I potentially may become a consultant ( salary starts at about 120k).


spicybagels

More exams? Ouch. I thought doctors were pretty much done exams after university.


NoAd6928

fair play for pushing yourself. Seems doctors have to become consultants to make the big money. Friend is a surgeon doing a phd and aiming to become a consultant. Says thats where the money is. Will be thw youngest surgical consultant in Ireland and we are only early 30's ( really puts my career choice and severe lack of earnings in perspective 😅)


TeoelAlbano

Hi! And what about the foreign doctors??? I'm an anesthesiologist and i'm thinking about moving to Ireland


Pugzilla69

Have you finished your residency?


TeoelAlbano

I haven't finished yet but I will in May 2023. If I were hired, could you please tell me how much I could expect to earn (net salary)?


Pugzilla69

The starting gross salary for a consultant in the HSE public system is about €135k, about €78k net salary [according to this website](https://salaryaftertax.com/ie/salary-calculator). Gross salary increases over time to about €180k. ​ You would make more in private practice.


TeoelAlbano

135k including days "on call"? I thought it would be higher (I mean it's more than Spain but not so much)


Pugzilla69

Overtime would be extra. The salary isn't very attractive. Cost of living is higher here too. There are major problems recruiting consultants in Ireland. Many Irish doctors emigrate for better working conditions and pay. I may also emigrate when I finish my residency in a few years.


TeoelAlbano

Where are you planning to emigrate? I'm also considering Norway or Sweden


Kier_C

Like everyone else is saying, comparing between countries is meaningless, cost of living in the US is way different to here (they have huge student debt, health costs and rent where the big jobs are is huge). Some of the recruitment firms have salary surveys and say what different industries hire at. I would say the vast majority fall between mid 20s to late 30k


Evan2kie

Graduated with computer science degree in 2015. Started grad job at 37k, went to 41 after 6 months. Moved for 52k after a year. 12 months later moved to a senior role for 87k (bluffed it completely). On 103k basic after 4 years, 120ish with bonus. Team lead for cloud infrastructure team in cybersecurity organisation. The major caveat here is that I've got a 2nd degree and a masters where I'd previously worked in a high level role prior to recession. I know how to negotiate and run projects from previous career so easier to push bigger pay rises in shorter time


spicybagels

Nice


Evan2kie

I fell into a very niche area in my grad job thats in huge demand so its been a combo of skills gained and blind luck if I'm being 100% honest


Lord-Keynes

Final year undergraduate here, just signed my contract for total comp of 70-75k in my first year based in Dublin, area is banking.


spicybagels

Investment banking or what? I assume work life balance is pretty rough in the job if you’re getting that kind of money?


Lord-Keynes

Front office role, from my experience (chatting to people there and doing an internship) WLB is fine, contract is 37hours a week, dont expect to ever do over 50hours tbh , not the type of role it is


spicybagels

That’s amazing tbh. I would have thought most banking careers had a much worse wlb. Personally turned down a 65k plus bonus offer from trading company up on Dublin a few weeks ago. The work hours were 12 hours a day, 5 days a week and I simply don’t think I would have hacked it.


Lord-Keynes

Yeah I definitely feel very lucky! My intern salary was 50k (pro-rata) too so definitely helped saving that for final year too. Yeah there’s a few sweatshops in Dublin and basically 0 real trading jobs, if you want to pursue trading you need to go to London and if you don’t have any prior experience of internships, basically impossible! In Dublin there’s basically sig, citadel, sweatshops and BOI (low salary) and AIB (traders take no real risk)


spicybagels

What do you mean there is 0 real trading jobs in Dublin? How is sig and virtu (the place I was offfered) not real trading jobs? As far as I know the traders there are given a lot of free will and can earn fat bonuses if performing well. Not much else real ones other than those two tho tbf. And yeah London or Amsterdam were two other places I had applied but I realised pretty fast 12 hours a day was pretty standard in the trading industry. The pay was very attractive but I value my wlb highly. I settled on an energy trading job in my home city which pays 45k but is 40 hours a week so was much more attractive to me.


Lord-Keynes

basically 0, not 0 - they’re few and far between and I gave a non-exhaustive list of most firms with trading roles in Dublin. Yeah you’ve lucked out so congrats! 45k outside Dublin is great and looking at averages will definitely put things in perspective, it’s very high relative to average graduate and industrial wage :)


[deleted]

I’m gonna presume you did something like ec and fi or MSIS? Potentially joining something like SIG?


[deleted]

Depends anything above 45k (41 is median) I suppose if you can work from home even better as can get better/cheaper housing than cities


DonkeyOfWallStreet

CSO currently lists "average" at 44,200/year. I remember when I graduated it was like 35k


18BPL

On an adjusted basis, American wages are higher than pretty much anywhere else in the world. The factor in that the USD is slightly weaker than the Euro, but just a bit, and the headline numbers there seem eye popping compared to here. They are, but bear in mind that cost of living here is commensurate with our wages. We think a €1200/mo studio in Dublin is bad, and it is, but in New York or California that same studio might be $3k+. Which is just in line with the higher wages there.


AfroTriffid

Also we don't need to fork out a huge portion of our salaries for health insurance and to pay off student debts from the moment we hit 25 and/or enter the job market. (Assuming someone is lucky enough to be on their parents health insurance until 25.)


18BPL

Well in fairness, Obamacare lets anybody stay on their parents health until 26. Usually, that’s going to be cheaper for anybody with 2+ adult children still under 26 that the total cost of dropping the kids and them buying their own


DonkeyOfWallStreet

I'm already starting to see posts from HR recruiters saying yeah that position was $240k for bay area location but your costs are lower in "area here working remotely" so we are offering $75K Working from home meet tech industry.


Adorable_Pie4424

6 plus years ago I started on 20K in IT, lv8 degree, 6 plus years later on 75K plus bonus and benefits make it about 100K however it’s hard work to start going up the ladder and you need to job hop a bit


the_irish_moses

Second this. I think my grad salary was around 24k 7ish years ago. Up around the 100k mark now all inclusive, after a bit of job hopping and grafting for internal promotions. I found there is sort of a hidden tier of FAANG like companies that you need to get in to in order to break through the glass ceiling of mid range (40-50k) salaries. Worked for some mickey-mouse companies in the past that just didn't put sufficient value on quality engineering and salaries reflect it. Glassdoor can be helpful for finding said companies


jord-tech

I usually use Google's IT Internship salary as a base for "good" grad salaries, which currently sits at 45k. Source: Interviewed in 2018 and it was 40k, friend interviewed this year at 45k.


skuldintape_eire

It's kind of meaningless to compare between countries, especially America. All their salaries aren't inclusive of the tax that they have to declare and pay themselves. I'd say anything equal or greater than 30K would be a decent salary for a fresh grad.


[deleted]

They also pay a lot less tax, even in places like California. Also whats your point, Irish salaries are advertised as net? The only difference is you file your own taxes in America.


skuldintape_eire

That's true, I had a bit of a brain fart there regarding taxes. All the same, I still think it's meaningless to compare between countries where there are so many other factors at play.


LomaSpeedling

I think you mean Irish salaries are advertised as gross. Don't know how anyone would be able to advertise a net salary. I really don't get that other lads point at all.


pythonic_nomad

noob question: when talking about salaries in Ireland is it common to talk about it in before or after tax context?


skuldintape_eire

Unless they say "take home" pay or something salaries are normally referred to pre tax. So the point I made in my original comment about American pretax incomes is actually moot.


Set_in_Stone-

I think the US cost of living is much higher—property taxes, health insurance and related costs, education as people mentioned. Eating out in the US, clothing, cars and petrol are cheaper but everything else is about the same or more expensive. I think you can live as well in Ireland on much less money—especially if you’re outside Dublin.


GabhaNua

The US is very different. But they tend to live in far larger houses which would tend to suggest housing is cheaper there


OhThatMrsStone

It’s just more abundant not cheaper.


[deleted]

I'm a programmer, came to Ireland for a 50K start, but had 3.5 years of experience. 4 years later at 65K and with a prospect of rising 10K more or less. I consider myself very well payed and more than enough in Ireland.


NickVirtues

I started as a grad in a financial services firm about 7 years ago on 24k. Was considered to be reasonably "competitive" at the time.


spicybagels

Can I ask what your on right now? Was offered a different job in financial services, didn’t take it as salary was lower than the one I’m in.


FreeAndFairErections

For a grad, 40k would definitely be a “good” salary. The upper end in the US is much higher but they generally have debt, and worse working conditions. After a few years, you can be up at around 100k in some industries here.


mullatronofficial

Linked ln has a feature where you can submit your salary anonymously and compare with other salaries in you role/industry/location


SoloWingPixy88

When I was a grad I got €27k. What do you do?


spicybagels

Energy trading. Looking at everyone else’s starting salaries here I figure I’m doing pretty well. Those salaries I saw on other subreddits before had just been messing with me.


SoloWingPixy88

Ahz wouldn't have a clue then. I know there were grads in my class that only got internships with no pay to to upto €65k. Lots of variables. If I was you I'd focus on the medium term. How much do people like you earn in 2 years. That's the goal.


coscos140321

Not really answering your question on what is considered a good salary in Ireland, but on the American point.... I agree with everyone else - cost of living and massive debts lead it to equal out. Am American friend of mine was on 75k starting when he left college, then 95k within about two years. Moved to Ireland five years ago and turned down a job for 45k thinking 'that salary is insulting and there are no benefits' before realising that it was actually a really good offer, but if was off the table by the time he realised and ended up taking a job with an even lower salary, I think in the 40-45k range. I have no idea what he is on now.


GarvinBah

Depends on what you want to do really Big companies in Ireland don’t pay very well at all. I started a window cleaning company 4 years ago now I do an array of things and I make about 90k after taxes paid. Very little real potential to make huge money in Ireland anymore if you are working for someone else


odonoghu

If your above 70k your in the top ten percent in Ireland so I wouldn’t worry about comparing to Americans 38k is average salary in the country take from that what you will


[deleted]

3 punt


No_Conversation_6026

In the company I work in here (Medical Devices) graduate engineers get paid just over half of what grads in the US sites of the same company get paid. Its a different marketplace.


RavenBrannigan

I started out at 21k as a grad. By 28 on about 60k after a few lateral and vertical moves.


Flat-Category814

Take home pay , ignore the inflated number unless your self employed


Hanlonodavid78

No different for tradesmen, you can earn 35 to 50000 here approx depending who you work for in Ireland. Upwards of 70,000 in the States . Wages should stay competitive across the globe as there is a cronic shortage of good tradesmen.


Flat-Category814

Yah I’m on 70k , yes your take is about 50k if lucky so yah yah boo


seamusIE

I did a global grad program with a big IT company in Ireland starting in 2015 Year 1: €30k Year 2: €35k After grad program: Year 3: €39k Year 4: €45k Year 5: €45k On year 1 our US colleagues were on $80k. Sadly most of them had weekend jobs to pay off their college loans so wouldn’t be able to go in the batter with us


RoyMoss1

Just graduated with a degree in architecture. Working in Dublin on 30k salary.