2026 Executive Search Salary Guide Ireland

What is included in the 2026 Executive Salary Guide?

The guide brings together salary benchmarks and leadership market insight, including:

·        Base salary benchmarks for close to 70 C-suite, VP, Director and Head of roles

·        The three things that separate executive appointments that succeed from those that stall

·        The executive roles most in demand in 2026 and the leadership skills earning a premium

·        How AI is reshaping where Ireland's employers invest, and the skills premium that comes with it

·        What is driving senior turnover, and what it means for your hiring plan

·        Female representation in Ireland's senior executive teams and STEM workforce

·        Hybrid working expectations and the best places in Ireland to live and work

·        Key FDI, job creation and talent statistics shaping Ireland's STEM market

A snapshot of 2026 executive salaries in Ireland

Role	Level	Base salary, 2026
Chief Executive Officer (CEO)	C-suite	€250k–€450k
Chief Operating Officer (COO)	C-suite	€180k–€350k
Managing Director / General Manager	C-suite	€180k–€300k
Chief Financial Officer (CFO)	C-suite	€180k–€280k
Chief Technology Officer (CTO)	C-suite	€180k–€280k
Chief People Officer / CHRO	C-suite	€150k–€260k
Chief Quality Officer	C-suite	€160k–€250k
Chief Supply Chain Officer	C-suite	€160k–€250k
VP Research & Development	Vice President	€180k–€280k
VP Operations	Vice President	€160k–€220k
VP Engineering	Vice President	€150k–€220k
VP Quality	Vice President	€150k–€220k
Operations Director / Site General Manager	Director & Head of	€150k–€220k
Head of AI / Machine Learning	Director & Head of	€160k–€220k
Director of Engineering	Director & Head of	€130k–€190k
Director of Manufacturing	Director & Head of	€130k–€180k
Director of Quality Assurance	Director & Head of	€130k–€180k

What is changing in Ireland's executive hiring market?

Executive hiring in 2026 is less about finding an impressive CV and more about finding the leader who fits a clearly defined moment in the business.

Across HERO ONE's executive search work, three things consistently separate appointments that succeed from those that don't:

·        A clear, written mandate agreed up front: what the leader must deliver, what is missing, and what success looks like.

·        A defined decision-making panel, with clear decision rights and a single named decision-owner.

·        A willingness to move with conviction once a preferred candidate is identified.

Where all three are in place, offer acceptance rates consistently exceed 90%.

Demand is strongest for leaders who pair deep sector expertise with the ability to lead through change:

·        Chief AI Officers and Heads of AI/ML, particularly in pharma and medtech

·        VP Regulatory Affairs and Chief Quality Officers, as EU MDR and the EU AI Act reshape operating models

·        VP Manufacturing and VP Operations across advanced manufacturing, pharma and energy

·        Chief Transformation Officers and VP Digital Transformation in regulated industries

·        Non-Executive Directors with AI, cybersecurity or sustainability expertise

The leaders earning a premium are those who can set AI strategy within a regulated framework, anticipate regulatory change, and bring investors, regulators and employees with them.

Why is base salary only part of the executive package?

At senior level, base salary is the starting point, not the full picture. Two roles with the same base can look very different once everything else is considered.

When benchmarking an executive offer, look at:

·        Annual bonus, and what it is tied to

·        Long-term incentives, equity or share options

·        Pension contributions

·        Sign-on payments, or buy-out of bonus and equity forfeited on leaving

·        Relocation and support for international moves

·        Scope, reporting line and decision rights

·        Flexibility and travel expectations

For organisations, the offer is your first leadership statement. For leaders, it is the clearest signal of how a business values the role.

HERO ONE's Remuneration & Benchmarking Advisory helps both sides see the full picture before the offer stage: Executive Search Ireland | Senior Leadership & C-Suite | HERO ONE

Permanent, interim or fractional leadership?

Not every leadership need calls for a permanent appointment. Fractional and interim C-suite roles are growing, particularly among scale-ups and SMEs in the €5M to €50M revenue band, where a part-time CFO, CTO or Chief AI Officer can bring senior capability before a full-time hire makes sense.

A permanent executive appointment may suit:

·        Long-term strategy and building a leadership team

·        Succession for a critical role

·        Growth plans that need continuity of leadership

An interim or fractional leader may suit:

·        A leadership transition, or cover while a permanent search runs

·        A defined transformation, integration or site start-up programme

·        A value-creation plan in a PE or VC-backed business

·        Specialist expertise, such as AI governance or regulatory readiness, for a set period

HERO ONE works alongside HERO Contracting to support permanent, interim and contract leadership across Ireland's STEM sectors: Contracting Opportunities | Hero Recruitment

Coming home to lead in Ireland?

Many of the leaders we speak with are Irish professionals who have built careers in the US, the UK, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, the Middle East and Asia, and are weighing the right moment to return.

Moving home at senior level brings its own questions: how an Irish package compares with what you earn overseas, how bonus and equity translate, the timing of a move for family and schooling, and where in Ireland the right role sits.

The guide shows what leadership roles pay in Ireland today, alongside how hybrid working is evolving and where in Ireland professionals are choosing to live and work. When you're ready, a confidential conversation with HERO ONE can help you think the move through, and we'll always point you to independent tax and financial advice where you need it.

📥 Submit the form to get your copy of HERO’s 2026 Executive Search Salary Guide.

Looking to talk through your options? Contact us today to discuss your options. Alternatively, connect with us on LinkedIn.