Growth across the insurance sector is lifting salaries in roles that were stable in previous years, and employers are now competing for niche skills at every level. The employers gaining ground are not only paying more. They are also deciding faster.
Growth Is Creating Demand for Niche Skills at Every Level
Actuaries, claims, underwriting, and insurance sales are the roles clients are struggling most to fill. Through 2026 and into Q4, growth across a number of areas has created demand for these niche skill sets at all levels, from junior to senior. The hot skills list confirms the core: claims, underwriting, and actuarial roles. At the cold end, financial lines and personal lines have steady candidate supply.
The contrast is useful for planning. Demand is strongest in technical roles built on specialist training, such as actuarial and underwriting, and in claims. Candidate supply is healthier in the lines-based functions. Employers should size their search effort and salary expectations to the specific function, since the insurance label covers very different market conditions.
Salaries Are Rising Where They Were Once Stable
The demand described above has produced an upward trend in salaries in areas that were more stable in previous years. Companies have also had to look to other European markets for this talent, and they have had to pay a premium to attract candidates relocating to Ireland.
Actuaries sit at the top of that pattern. Given the scarcity of their skill set in the insurance industry, there is always flexibility on salary for them, and they are able to command higher pay.
The junior end of the market looks different. Salaries have stayed the same, which means candidates are accepting the first offer put in front of them, and demand for these candidates remains strong. The exception is candidates who already hold a QFA or APA qualification, who have seen a slight increase in salary.
How an offer is framed matters as much as its size. Offering below expectations while leaning on the reputation of the function or institution leaves candidates feeling they are not a priority at offer stage, and they respond by staying put or accepting a counteroffer.
Risk-Averse Candidates and the Value of Speed
Candidates are looking further ahead than before. Career progression remains key, specifically what the role looks like 18 months and beyond, together with the hybrid policy on offer and whether it is likely to change in the near future. An arrangement that may be revised soon is treated with suspicion.
Insurance candidates are also somewhat more risk-averse than those in the wider financial services industry. As a result, counteroffers are not as prevalent here, but the bar for moving is high: every box has to be ticked before a candidate is confident they are making the right move. Progression, hybrid working, salary, and the employer's pace all count.
Pace is where employers can gain or lose most. Clients that cannot move in a timely manner and approve offers on time have seen them rejected in favour of employers that run a faster process, and this holds across a number of institutions regardless of brand name.
The clearest example this quarter came from one insurance provider that streamlined its process by removing an interview stage and shortening the whole process to two weeks. The aim was to move faster and win better talent. For a candidate pool that is cautious and needs every box ticked, a short, decisive process signals commitment early and leaves less time for doubts to set in.
The Takeaway
Insurance hiring now rewards employers that match pay to specific, scarce skills, make offers that respect candidates' expectations, and run a process that is short and decisive. Get in touch with our team for custom benchmarking on the insurance roles proving hardest to fill in your business.
