'Key skilled professionals in healthcare and construction are highly sought after, with intense competition between employers to attract the best talent'

New research from the hiring platform NIjobs has revealed the most in-demand roles and highest-paid jobs for 2024.

Nurses topped the list, a new entry for 2024 as the most in-demand profession, replacing the 2023 number one spot of accounts assistant.

This 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, 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. However, IT continues to lead in salary rankings with an average offering of £50.9k per year.

Construction takes second place in salary rankings with an average wage of £45.5k, followed closely by Engineering with £41.5k; Health creeps into fourth spot with an average salary of £39.7k, and Finance places fifth at £38.9k.

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Commenting on the research, Sam Dooley, country director of The Stepstone Group Ireland, with responsibility for NIJobs, said: “The NI 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 insights that TalentBank provide are a good measure of trends in the marketplace. 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.

“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.”

Highest salaries 2024:

1 IT £50.9K

2 Construction £45.5K

3 Engineering £41.5K

4 Health £39.7K

5 Finance £38.9K

Top in-demand roles

1. 2024 Nurse (New) – 2023 Accounts Assistant

1. 2024 Quantity Surveyor (New) – 2023 Accountant

1. 2024 Assistant Accountant 3 Software Engineer

1. 2024 Accounts Assistant – 2023 Assistant Accountant

1. 2024 Accountant – 2023 Software Developer

1. 2024 Accounts Payable – 2023 Accounts Payable

1. 2024 Credit Controller – 2023 Management Accountant

1. 2024 Purchase Ledger – 2023 Credit Control

1. 2024 Payroll – 2023 Payroll

1. 2024 Accounts Receivable – 2023 Purchase Ledger