Hiring Market Update H1 2026

Elevate Partners has analysed its hiring activity from the first half of 2026 to provide employers and professionals with a practical overview of the current market.

Using data from completed placements across Ireland’s finance sector, this report highlights the hiring trends, salary movements, talent availability, workplace flexibility and diversity patterns shaping the market. Whether you’re an employer planning your next hire or a finance professional considering a move, these insights offer a valuable benchmark for the remainder of 2026.

Placements & Talent Overview

The first half of 2026 saw strong momentum across the Irish Financial Services market.

Elevate Partners completed 48% more placements compared with H1 2025, reflecting continued investment in hiring across Banking, Wealth Management, Private Equity, Corporate Finance, Real Estate, Technology and Energy & Infrastructure.

For employers seeking specialist talent, the median time-to-hire was 10 weeks, highlighting the competitive nature of today’s market for experienced professionals.

From a talent perspective:

• 76% of placements were professionals already based in Ireland.
• 20% were Irish professionals returning from overseas, primarily the UK and Australia.
• 4% were candidates placed in a variety of international countries.

These figures reinforce Ireland’s position as an attractive destination for finance talent while demonstrating the continued importance of engaging both domestic and returning professionals.

Finance Recruitment in Dublin Continues to Drive Market Growth

Hiring activity remained strong throughout the first half of 2026.

Demand was strongest across:

• Wealth Management (25%)
• Energy & Infrastructure (16%)
• Real Estate (14%)
• Private Equity
• Corporate Finance

Together, these sectors represented the majority of completed appointments.

Salary Growth

Competition for experienced professionals continued to drive salary growth during the first half of 2026.

Across all completed placements, candidates secured an average salary increase of 14%, up from 11% during the same period last year.

The strongest salary growth was recorded within:

• Banking (32%)
• Industry & PLC (28%)
• Technology (27%)

For newly qualified ACA professionals moving from a Big 4 firms into industry, the average package offered included:

• €63,500 base salary
• 15% average annual bonus

Gender Diversity

Gender diversity remained relatively balanced throughout the first half of the year.

Of all appointments completed:

• 55% were male candidates
• 45% were female candidates

Wealth Management recorded the highest number of appointments across both genders.

Additional areas of strong female representation included:

• Real Estate
• Energy & Infrastructure

Meanwhile, Private Equity and Aircraft Leasing continued to record significant hiring activity among male professionals.

Improving gender balance remains an important objective across the Financial Services industry, with many organisations continuing to strengthen their diversity initiatives.

Hybrid Working Remains the Preferred Model

Flexible working continues to influence hiring decisions across Ireland’s finance sector.

Among completed placements:

• Most employers required employees in the office two to four days per week
• 22% offered one to two office days weekly
• 18% required full-time office attendance

Candidate preferences, however, continue to favour more flexibility:

• 45% preferred more than three remote working days per week
• 37% preferred two to three remote days
• 18% preferred one remote day each week

Flexibility remains one of the most influential factors when attracting and retaining talent.