2019 Engineering Salary Guide

2019 Salaries for Engineering professionals such as Process Technician, Project Engineer, CAD Technician, Facilities Manager and Maintenance Engineer.

Contents:

• Manufacturing  
• Quality & Validation   
• R&D  
• Maintenance & Facilities
• Commentary on Engineering Roles and Remuneration in Ireland for 2019
• 2019 Workplace & Hiring Trends Survey

  Commentary on Engineering Roles and Remuneration in Ireland for 2019

Overview of 2018

2018 marked a poignant year for Engineering market growth, particularly from an R&D perspective, as Ireland made strides in establishing itself as a global leader in the space. Throughout the year we’ve seen a number of key global players relocating their hubs to Ireland, with job vacancies on the rise as a result. This trend shows no signs of slowing down heading into the new year as Silicon Republic recently reported that Technical Engineering Group (TEG) have opened a research and development facility in MulLingar and are set to hire 40 professionals.

A particular trend that emerged in 2018 was an increase in companies advertising roles on a contract basis. We saw a spike in short term and fixed term vacancies that surpassed any previous year to date, and we anticipate demand for contractors will continue heading into 2019. The heightened volume of contract positions in 2018 was largely due to the large number of site expansions, new projects, introduction of new products to the market and industry-wide ambitions for innovation, which all required the support of temporary specialists.

In Demand Roles

Across the country, there are certain engineering positions which have seen an increased interest from employers. These are largely within the areas of Quality Engineering and Quality Management, and sometimes extend into more senior level positions. Demand for maintenance and facilities roles has been strong, particularly from mid to senior level, alongside the need for Design Engineers with mechanical, electrical or electronic experience. As previously mentioned, there is an increase in the need for companies to bring in professionals on a contract basis, especially within the manufacturing, process and project engineering sectors.  The reasons for these increases are essentially market demand for products being distributed globally, new product introduction and new product development across the market. 

The demand for more female engineers has continued, with the STEM Education Policy Statement 2017-2026 and Implementation Plan 2017-2019 as organisations across the sector attempt to achieve a better balance in gender diversity.

Market Developments & Workplace Trends 

There is a distinct shortage in supply of available professionals in the market which is causing major difficulty to engineering employers. As companies are ambitiously attempting to expand their operations in Ireland, they are faced with the reality that employee retention needs to be made highest priority. Counter offers and retention bonuses are now the norm as employers try to retain their most valuable employees.  

Hiring managers are being forced to look at the bigger picture when the emerging markets are changing so frequently. Premium talent may not always be found here in Ireland and so global attraction strategies and relocation packages are coming more frequently into play. Interview processes will also need to be streamlined coming into 2019 so that professionals can confidently make decisions about what organisations suit them best. Employers who have structured interview processes are succeeding in securing the best talent and ultimately outshine their competitors. 

Brexit is another topical issue in most organisations, with a large number of UK based companies setting up hubs in Ireland to use as a gateway to the rest of Europe and the US.  Likewise, professionals are exploring more opportunities in Ireland for the same reasons. As is across the board, uncertainty around how Brexit will unfold has brought concern to many multinational businesses, but ultimately the Irish Engineering market continues to persevere.
    
Flexible working conditions are increasingly becoming a prominent trend and are outweighing most other benefits offerings. The unique benefits that are becoming more popular include sign on bonuses, and equity in the business - which we expect to grow in demand in 2019. Large numbers of employers are conducting salaries and benefits reviews to ensure they are staying on top of their game and to keep up with competitors. 

Skills & Qualifications 

Following through from 2018, Level 8 degrees are a standard requirement for most multinational companies and SME’s. For those interested in more junior positions, a Level 7 qualification is generally sufficient. Graduates who are qualified in mechanical, Chemical, biomedical, electrical and electronic engineering continue to be in high demand nationwide. 

From a skills perspective, CNC, MasterCAM, Cadcam, Solidworks and FeatureCAM remain most highly sought after by employers. There is a shortage of available jobseekers with polymers and plastics experience, while industry experience is still the preferred background of choice.

Predictions 2019

2019 is set to be a positive year for the Irish Engineering Market. The general consensus across the market is professionals will be looking for opportunities to work their way up the ladder and build on their career. This major shake up is particularly prominent towards the senior end of the market. Retention and attraction strategies are also well underway at various companies. The upcoming influence of Brexit will make companies think about protecting themselves for global and European distribution and so we expect to see a greater focus on retention and attraction strategies

As previously mentioned, there is a continued effort that will carry into 2019 and 2020 to ensure Ireland stands out as a hub for Research and Development. This is clearly demonstrated by medical device and pharma companies bringing their R&D and innovation hubs to Ireland. This has reflected well  for salaries and benefits for employees across the board. Exciting times lie ahead for professionals and employers alike in this area. 

The future looks bright for then next generation of engineering graduates. The Irish Examiner recently reported an estimated 6000 new vacancies in 2019 for skilled engineers across all facets of the discipline. Based off of the high volume of foreign direct investment in Irish Engineering, it’s estimated that job vacancies will surge in the new year despite uncertainties surrounding Brexit. The future demand for engineering professionals may become a crisis for employers as early signs are showing that the current number of 3rd-level engineering students will not meet the high volume of future job vacancies in Ireland.

We should also expect to see further growth in the contracts jobs market in 2019. As previously mentioned, the increased development and growth across the Engineering sector, which shows no signs of slowing down in 2019,  will be heavily dependent on contract based employees.  Likewise, awareness around the financial gains and experience opportunities that come from contract based work is growing amongst the engineering workforce. With this in mind, we expect to see an increased number of specialists making the transition for permanent to contract based employment in 2019