New research from hiring platform NIjobs has revealed that nurses were most in-demand roles in 2024 while the highest-paid roles continue to be in technology
The research reflects the wider challenges the healthcare sector is facing, including skills shortages, funding pressures and significant strain due to overwhelming demand.
Other popular roles in the healthcare sector, which experienced high levels of job postings throughout 2024, were healthcare assistant, associate dentist, physiotherapist and mental health support worker.
The insights are based on data from the NIJobs TalentBank, the hiring platform’s all-island CV database of over 1.4 million job candidates, which enables employers to source and connect with talent.
An analysis of TalentBank searches by recruiters and employers over the past 12 months reveals the most in-demand professions.
Quantity surveyors were the second most sought-after profession, followed by roles within the accountancy sector, which were ranked third to fifth on the list. Site manager, plumber, health and safety officer and estimator were among the most common construction roles in 2024.
High demand for workers in construction roles has been a recurring feature of recruitment both north and south, indicating growing skills shortages as the market struggles to meet housing demand targets and continues to face supply issues.
For the first time IT roles, which have previously dominated recruitment, failed to feature in the top 10 after ranking third and fifth in 2023. Hiring demand in the sector has been easing back following a Covid-era surge.
But IT continues to lead in salary rankings with an average annual pay of £50,900, followed by construction (£45,500) and engineering (£41,500). Health creeps into fourth spot with an average salary of £39,700, with finance in fifth (£38,900).
Sam Dooley, country director at Stepstone Group Ireland with responsibility for NIJobs, said: “The Northern Ireland job market experienced record low levels of unemployment in 2024.
“Key skilled professionals in healthcare and construction are highly sought after, with intense competition between employers to attract the best talent.
“The demand for skilled professionals in health and construction indicates a change in recruitment patterns that accountancy, finance, and IT roles would have previously dominated.
“Both are new entries to this year’s list and speak to how the labour market responds to and reflects broader societal and economic trends.
“When it comes to health, there will be increasing pressure to fill these roles as the sector faces unprecedented demand.
“Communities Minister Gordon Lyons recently announced ambitious plans to build 100,000 homes in Northern Ireland by 2039, which signals that demand for Construction workers is unlikely to end soon.”
He added: “Whilst IT recruitment levels may have eased back since the initial flurry of international investment a few years back, companies are still hiring and offering competitive packages with software engineers and developers commanding some of the highest salaries available.
“Demand has surged for skilled professionals in some sectors, which will likely continue. Businesses must work to tackle the ongoing skills shortages in a very competitive market to attract, develop and retain talent.”
