IF it's double-digit salary increases you're after in Northern Ireland, you need to be working in roles within engineering, technology or marketing.
That's according to new data from recruiting experts Hays, which shows that in a list of the top 20 roles which received the highest percentage increases over the last 12 months, six were in engineering, four in technology and three in marketing/communications.
Three of the biggest rises also came in legal, while two were in HR, and one each in production, supply chain & logistics, and business support.
This compares to a UK-wide report, which was similarly dominated by technology and engineering, with seven of the roles with the highest salary increases in technology and five in engineering. Life sciences also made a strong appearance in the UK-wide survey, with three of the roles in the top 20 list.
In Northern Ireland, electrical computer-aided design (CAD) technicians and cyber security analysts each saw a salary increase of 26.7 per cent (to an average wage of £38,000 and £57,000 respectively), the highest increase within the top 20.
This was followed by marketing analysts and PR managers, who saw an increase of 25 per cent (their average salary jumped to £35,000 and £40,000 respectively).
Other job roles which experienced above average increases included import/export administrators (up 20 per cent), heads of legal (18.2 per cent) and heads of talent/resourcing (17 per cent).
Overall, salaries across the UK increased by 5.4 per cent according to the Hays Salary & Recruiting Trends 2023 guide, above the 2.8 per cent witnessed last year and 1.2 per cent the year prior.
In Northern Ireland, the data showed that the average salary increase was slightly higher at 5.6 per cent.
The salary guide reports on recruitment intentions across the UK and this year is based on the analysis of over 10,000 salaries, alongside survey data of over 13,500 employees and professionals, including 750 in Northern Ireland.
Despite wider economic uncertainty, four out of five employers across the UK, and 85 per cent of those surveyed in Northern Ireland, said they intend on hiring staff over the next 12 months.
Close to three-quarters of employers (72 per cent in the UK and 66 per cent in NI) said they would be willing to hire staff without all the necessary skills, with a view to training them on the job to meet the demand for talent.
John Moore, managing director of Hays in Northern Ireland, said: “As demand for staff continues to increase, we've seen double digital salary growth across a range of industries.
“This high demand paired with the squeeze for talent in certain sectors means that salary increases are likely to continue into the new year, though perhaps not at the same pace.”
He added: “Although salary is important and a competitive salary is clearly a good way to attract and maintain talent, we are increasingly seeing employees caring about other factors such as career progression, wellbeing, work life balance and hybrid working.
“People are motivated to work for organisations who prioritise social responsibility so we would encourage employers not to neglect these areas.”
