IT Infrastructure Talent Monitor Q4 2024…by Barden

In Ireland’s competitive tech industry, the career outlook for IT infrastructure professionals is promising yet challenging. IT Infrastructure professionals in Ireland navigate through a landscape shaped by critical demand and evolving challenges.

The demand for skilled IT infrastructure professionals in Ireland reflects the growing reliance on secure and efficient IT systems to drive business operations. The profession is a critical pillar of Ireland’s tech-driven economy.

We have spent a lot of our time getting to know a large cohort of this pool and here’s what we’ve noticed:

#1 Base Salary

Salary ranges for IT infrastructure roles vary based on several key factors:

• Location plays one of the most significant roles, with Dublin often offering higher salaries.
• Skills such as cloud computing and cybersecurity also highly influence salaries.
• Industries like finance and technology tend to offer more competitive salaries, especially in larger companies.
• Additionally, certifications in relevant technologies play a crucial role in determining your earning potential for a particular role.

This is a very broad guideline and it’s important to take into account the specifics of each individual role. For bespoke advice please contact Lorraine at lorraine.oleary@barden.ie

#2 IT Infrastructure Landscape

The core responsibilities will vary hugely from business to business. Understanding the IT Infrastructure landscape is essential to align skills with job requirements and make informed choices. It facilitates accurate role definition, effective skill assessment, and strategic hiring planning to meet IT needs.

When two companies are both seeking to hire for example; a ‘System Engineer’, the specific responsibilities of each role can vary significantly – ultimately making them worlds apart from each other. Understanding the % of time that will be divided among different tasks is crucial, as this factor can strongly impact the decision-making process.

These tasks can span a broad range of functions including:

#3 Variables that matter

Several key variables can also help to define the specifics of a role, providing more insight into what the job actually entails. Here are relevant variables that help define IT infrastructure roles:

• Technical Focus: Determines whether the role is primarily focused on hardware, software, networking, or a combination of these.
• Operational vs. Strategic: Indicates whether the role is hands-on and operational or more strategic and focused on planning and architecture.
• Project-Based vs. Ongoing Support: Differentiates whether the role involves project work, such as deploying new systems, or ongoing support and maintenance of existing systems.
• Industry and Sector: Certain industries, like finance, and healthcare, may have specific regulatory and compliance requirements. Larger organisations may have more specialised roles, while smaller companies may require broader, generalist skills.

By considering these variables, employers and candidates can gain a clearer understanding of what a specific IT infrastructure role entails, beyond the job title alone. This helps in matching the right skills and experience with the appropriate job functions.

#4 IT Infrastructure Talent Availability

Here are some data points about the IT Infrastructure talent pool in Ireland this quarter. The estimated number of talent available per role for Q4 2024 was undeterminable based on data available at the time of publication:

#5 Projected challenges for the next 12 months

Over the next 12 months, the landscape of IT infrastructure will witness numerous changes, accompanied by several emerging challenges. Some to consider include:

1. AI and Automation Integration: Managing the integration of artificial intelligence and automation into IT operations, addressing data management complexities and workforce adaptation.
2. Edge Computing Growth: Dealing with the expansion of edge computing to process data closer to the source, requiring management of distributed IT resources and ensuring data security.
3. Regulatory Compliance: Keeping pace with evolving data privacy regulations and cybersecurity laws globally, ensuring organizational compliance and robust data governance.
4. Sustainability Initiatives: Emphasising environmental sustainability by adopting greener IT practices, such as energy-efficient data centres and eco-friendly hardware solutions.

In Barden, we understand that each team, role, and requirement is unique. If you would like to discuss what tactics and approaches that would suit you, please feel free to contact Lorraine O’Leary our IT Infrastructure Talent Advisory & Recruitment expert here in Barden (lorraine.oleary@barden.ie); we’re where leaders go before, they start looking for IT Infrastructure talent.

This information is accurate as per October 2024 and will be updated periodically. Data sources include Barden Proprietary Data, LinkedIn Analytics and other 3rd party data sources.  If you have a request and would like real-time information to inform your hiring decisions contact Lorraine O’Leary at lorraine.oleary@barden.ie