Quick Answer
The jobs Ireland will need most over the next 10 years are in construction, energy and retrofit, engineering, healthcare, technology and logistics. The construction sector alone needs between 95,000 and 110,000 additional workers by 2030, according to Property Industry Ireland, while the number of people aged 65 and over is projected to double between 2027 and 2057.
These shortages are already showing up in pay. Site managers earn €85,000 to €110,000 with experience and cyber security analysts €90,000 to €120,000, according to the Total Solutions Salary Guide 2026, and both are rated very high demand.
This guide sets out which jobs will be most in demand, why, what they pay now and how to get into them. It also covers what employers can do to plan for the shortages ahead.
Jobs in demand in Ireland at a glance
Job | Why demand is rising | Salary, 5+ years |
Site Manager | Housing and infrastructure targets | €85,000 to €110,000 |
Quantity Surveyor | Project pipeline and cost control | €70,000 to €95,000 |
Electrician | Retrofit, heat pumps, data centres | €60,000 to €75,000 |
Commissioning Technician | Energy and industrial projects | €65,000 to €80,000 |
Electrical Engineer | Grid, renewables and infrastructure | €75,000 to €100,000 |
Civil Engineer | Roads, water and housing | €65,000 to €85,000 |
Cyber Security Analyst | Digitisation and regulation | €90,000 to €120,000 |
Data Analyst | Data and AI adoption | €65,000 to €80,000 |
Supply Chain Manager | Trade, resilience and cost pressure | €110,000 to €140,000 |
Plant Fitter | Construction plant and machinery | €62,000 to €78,000 |
Motor Technician | Shift to electric vehicles | €50,000 to €62,000 |
Salaries: Total Solutions Salary Guide Ireland 2026, base salary with five or more years of experience.
Construction trades and site management
Construction faces the biggest gap of any sector. Property Industry Ireland estimates the industry, which already employs over 177,600 people, must add 95,000 to 110,000 workers by 2030, roughly 25,000 a year. It also expects around 20% of the current workforce to retire within a decade.
The roles that will stay hardest to fill are those that keep projects moving: site managers, project managers, quantity surveyors, health and safety advisors, and skilled trades such as carpenters, steel fixers, groundworkers and plant operators. Site managers are already rated very high demand in our Salary Guide.
The Government is responding through the employment permit system. In May 2026, Construction Planner/Scheduler and Geospatial Surveyor were added to the Critical Skills Occupations List, and steel fixers and concrete pump operators were removed from the list of occupations ineligible for permits.
See current pay in the construction salary guide or browse construction jobs.
Energy, retrofit and electrical
Ireland's climate targets will create thousands of skilled jobs this decade. The Expert Group on Future Skills Needs found that the residential retrofit and heat pump workforce, around 4,000 people, must grow more than fourfold to over 17,000 to meet the target of retrofitting 500,000 homes to a B2 energy rating and installing 600,000 heat pumps. Wind and solar employment is expected to reach 9,000 by 2030.
That means steady demand for:
Electricians: €60,000 to €75,000 with experience
E&I supervisors: €82,000 to €98,000
Commissioning and instrument technicians: €65,000 to €82,000
Plumbers who retrain in heat pump installation
Retrofit designers and engineers
Most of these jobs are reached through an apprenticeship rather than a degree. Our guide to the highest paying jobs without a degree shows how. Current pay is in the electrical and instrumentation salary guide.
Engineering
Engineers sit behind almost every growth area on this list: housing, water, roads, the electricity grid, renewables and manufacturing. The SOLAS National Skills Bulletin 2025 flags science and engineering among the areas facing future skills challenges.
With five or more years of experience, electrical engineers earn €75,000 to €100,000, mechanical engineers €72,000 to €95,000, structural engineers €70,000 to €90,000 and civil engineers €65,000 to €85,000. Engineers who combine design skills with project delivery and commercial awareness will be in the strongest position. See the engineering salary guide.
Healthcare and care
An ageing population will drive demand for care for decades. The CSO projects the number of people aged 65 and over will double from an estimated 916,000 in 2027 to 1.88 million in 2057. The Government has already increased the number of employment permits for home carers by 1,000 to help meet demand.
Nursing, healthcare assistants, home carers and healthcare managers will all remain in short supply. Health and safety and compliance roles across every sector will grow too, as regulation tightens.
Technology, data and cyber security
Not every tech job is growing, but specialist roles are. The National Skills Bulletin identifies digitisation and AI as major forces reshaping the labour market. Cyber security analysts earn €90,000 to €120,000 with experience and are rated very high demand. Software engineers earn €85,000 to €115,000 and data analysts €65,000 to €80,000.
The people in most demand will combine technical skill with an understanding of the business: how systems support operations, compliance and revenue. See the IT salary guide.
Logistics, supply chain and warehousing
Changing trade relationships and pressure on costs are pushing businesses to plan supply chains more carefully, which keeps experienced leaders in demand. Supply chain managers earn €110,000 to €140,000 with experience, procurement managers €100,000 to €130,000 and warehouse managers €80,000 to €95,000.
On the warehouse floor, certified forklift drivers and HGV drivers remain hard to find, particularly along the M1, M4, M7 and M50 corridors. Our guide to forklift licences in Ireland explains the training you need. See the warehouse salary guide.
Motor and plant mechanics
The move to electric vehicles will change, not remove, the work of motor technicians. The Expert Group on Future Skills Needs expects mechanics to retrain for electric vehicles as uptake grows. Motor technicians earn €50,000 to €62,000 with experience, HGV mechanics €58,000 to €70,000 and plant fitters €62,000 to €78,000. Those who add EV and hybrid qualifications now will be best placed. See the mechanical and automotive salary guide.
Which jobs will change the most?
Routine administrative and data entry work is most exposed to automation and AI. That does not mean office jobs will disappear, but the tasks inside them will change. Administrators who can work with new systems, manage processes and support people will stay in demand, while purely repetitive roles will shrink. The same pattern applies in warehousing, where automation is changing picking and stock control but increasing the need for supervisors and technicians.
For candidates: how to prepare for the next 10 years
Pick a growing sector, not just a job title. Construction, energy, engineering and logistics all need people at every level.
Get the tickets and qualifications employers ask for, such as a Safe Pass, forklift certificates or a trade apprenticeship.
Add a green or digital skill to what you already do, for example heat pumps for plumbers or EV systems for mechanics.
Use temporary and contract work to build experience quickly. See what to expect working as temporary staff.
Browse current roles on our jobs in Ireland page.
For employers: how to plan for skills shortages
If these shortages are coming, the businesses that plan early will hire first. Practical steps:
Benchmark pay now. Use the Salary Guide to check your offers are competitive before you advertise.
Look beyond Ireland. The Critical Skills Occupations List keeps changing, and more construction and technical roles are now eligible for permits. Our immigration services for employers can help with applications.
Use temporary and contract staff to cover peaks and project work without long term risk. See our temporary recruitment service.
Grow your own. Apprenticeships take time but build loyal, skilled teams.
Work with a specialist recruiter. Our construction, warehouse and permanent recruitment teams know where the candidates are.
Key Takeaways
Construction needs 95,000 to 110,000 additional workers by 2030, and around 20% of the current workforce is expected to retire within a decade.
Climate targets mean the retrofit and heat pump workforce must grow from around 4,000 to over 17,000, creating steady work for electricians, plumbers and technicians.
The number of people aged 65 and over is projected to double between 2027 and 2057, keeping healthcare and care roles in short supply.
Site managers and cyber security analysts are rated very high demand in the Total Solutions Salary Guide 2026, earning up to €110,000 and €120,000 with experience.
Many of the most in demand jobs are reached through apprenticeships, tickets and on the job training rather than a degree.
Employers who benchmark pay, use employment permits and plan for temporary cover now will fill roles faster as shortages grow.
Ireland's demand for workers over the next decade is being shaped by housing, climate targets, an ageing population and new technology. The result is a long list of roles that will stay hard to fill, from site managers and electricians to engineers, carers and cyber security specialists, and pay is already rising to match.
For candidates, that is an opportunity. Choosing a growing sector and adding the right ticket, apprenticeship or skill now can lead to secure, well paid work for years to come. For employers, the message is to plan early: the businesses that benchmark pay, widen their search and build a reliable pipeline of temporary and permanent staff will be the ones that keep projects moving.
Whether you are looking for your next role or planning your hiring for 2027, the Total Solutions team in Dublin 11 can help. Browse current jobs or talk to us about your hiring needs.
FAQs
What jobs will be in demand in Ireland in the next 10 years?
Construction trades and site management, electricians and energy technicians, engineers, healthcare and care workers, cyber security and data specialists, and supply chain and logistics managers. Construction alone needs 95,000 to 110,000 additional workers by 2030, according to Property Industry Ireland.
What is the most in demand job in Ireland?
Skilled construction roles are among the hardest to fill. Site managers are rated very high demand in the Total Solutions Salary Guide 2026 and earn €85,000 to €110,000 with experience. Cyber security analysts are also rated very high demand, earning €90,000 to €120,000.
Which trades will be most in demand in Ireland?
Electricians, plumbers trained in heat pumps, carpenters, steel fixers, groundworkers and plant operators. Ireland needs to grow its retrofit and heat pump workforce from around 4,000 to over 17,000 people to meet its climate targets.
Will AI take jobs in Ireland?
AI is more likely to change jobs than remove them. Routine administrative and data entry tasks are most exposed, while roles that combine technical skill, problem solving and working with people, such as engineering, trades and care, are expected to grow.
How can employers prepare for skills shortages?
Benchmark salaries against the market, consider employment permits for roles on the Critical Skills Occupations List, use temporary and contract staff for peaks, invest in apprenticeships, and work with a specialist recruitment agency.
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