Barden are delighted to have partnered for the 9th year with Darren Holmes and the Leinster Society committee on this key publication for Chartered Accountants Ireland and its members across the Leinster area.
Some of the key highlights from the 2026 survey include:
- Average salary package of all qualified chartered accountants across Leinster now stands at €130,960, broadly in line with 2025 (€131,654) following several years of rapid growth
- Average salary package for a recently qualified chartered accountant now stands at €65,538, as the exceptional increases of recent years continue to moderate
- Average salary package for a qualified chartered accountant, with 5 years post-qualification experience, now stands at €89,759
- 8% of members are working fully remotely, 21% are full-time back in the office, while 71% of members have hybrid working arrangements.
- 37% of members have been promoted in the last 3 years, with 16% having moved jobs in the last 12 months.
Emerging trends of note:
This year’s survey examined a number of different areas that are likely of critical concern to leadership teams and HR alike. Some of the key take aways include:
Hybrid working: The post-COVID pattern established in 2022 remains firmly embedded in the system, with 71% of members still enjoying some form of hybrid working arrangement, and those who do splitting their week broadly in half between office and home (52% VS 48%), a slight increase on 2025. The proportion of people back in the office five days a week has held steady at 21%, unchanged since 2025, suggesting the balance struck over recent years has now settled.
Benefits: The survey again revealed several consistent patterns in the benefits companies provide, which can be useful for benchmarking. Headlines include 1) an average of 24 days leave, 2) 84% of members receive a pension with an average employer contribution of 8% and 3) pension was once more cited as the most important element of non-salary extrinsic reward, valued most by 59% of members. 62% of people are either satisfied or very satisfied with their salary, and a similar 62% are either satisfied or very satisfied with the non-monetary aspects of their packages.
Pay transparency: A new area of focus this year is the EU Pay Transparency Directive, due to take effect in Ireland in the second half of 2026. Sentiment among members is cautiously positive: 59% feel positively about its introduction, while 45% remain undecided on whether an advertised salary band would make them more likely to apply for a role. It is an area we expect to develop quickly over the coming year once it officially comes into effect.
AI and Automation: Our final observation concerns the continued rise in people’s perceptions of AI and its impact on their day-to-day roles. While adoption keeps growing, with 53% of members now using AI in their day-to-day work, concern about overreliance has grown alongside it, as below:
- 55% of respondents say it is a significant opportunity for the profession.
- 57% say it will allow the profession to move further up the value chain in terms of the work it does.
However, 35% now believe that AI poses a threat to the profession (up from 23% last year) and 59% believe that overreliance on AI risks the high level of trust placed in the profession (up from 46%).
You can access the full report here>>>>>
