Demand for engineers and manufacturing specialists remains high, driven by innovation, automation, and infrastructure projects. Learn which roles are commanding the highest salaries and how skill shortages are shaping the sector

Manufacturing & Engineering Jobs H2 2025: Key Trends and Salary Data

“Wait and See”

Hiring activity in Ireland’s manufacturing and engineering sectors during the first half of 2025 was volatile. Despite robust hiring and output identified in AIB’s Manufacturing PMI report in June, the overall environment was cautious and uneven. Multinational companies adopted a "wait and see" approach due to tariff concerns and regulatory risks. This led to delayed hiring decisions, extended recruitment cycles, project slowdowns, and missed opportunities in a competitive talent market.  It looks like this will remain the case for the rest of 2025 with the mixed signals frustrating both candidates and companies alike.

Automation

Automation has accelerated in 2025 due to global competitiveness, labour shortages, and government/industry incentives. Manufacturers are under pressure to improve productivity, reliability, and cost-efficiency. As a result there is high demand for Automation Engineers, Control System Engineers, SCADA/HMI Technicians, MES Analysts/Integrators, Robotics Programmers, and Maintenance Technicians with automation/electrical bias. Recruitment favours engineers with a mix of automation, regulatory, lean, or data systems experience.

Contract and Project Engineering

Contract and project-based engineering has grown significantly in 2025, driven by substantial capital investments across various sectors. Projects like facility builds, cleanroom retrofits, automation upgrades, and digital transformations require temporary but highly skilled engineering expertise. Key contract roles include Commissioning Engineers, CQV Engineers, Field Service, Project Engineers & Managers, and Process & Mechanical Engineers. Contract durations average 6-18 months, with strong rates for MES, CQV, Commissioning, and Automation Engineers.