What Our Salary Guide Reveals About Data Centre Talent
Posted on:
by Mark Prizeman
Data Centre Guidance
The latest insights from our Data Centre Salary Guide reveal a market in transition. Salary growth is still strong across many roles in Ireland, but the drivers behind it have shifted.
Dublin, once at the centre of Europe’s fastest-growing data centre build cycle, is now facing a slowdown. EirGrid’s restrictions on new grid connections have significantly reduced the number of new facilities breaking ground in the capital. While a small number of projects are still moving forward, much of the large-scale development pipeline has shifted — either to other regions within Ireland or to European markets such as the Netherlands, Germany, Spain, and Denmark.
This change hasn’t reduced the demand for Irish talent. In fact, it has broadened the competition. Skilled commissioning managers, mechanical and electrical engineers, sustainability specialists, and IT infrastructure experts are now being courted by employers across Europe. These opportunities are influencing salary expectations here at home and making retention more challenging, as candidates weigh local offers against competitive packages abroad.
How's Dublin’s Data Centre Landscape Changing?
For years, Dublin was the beating heart of Europe’s data centre construction boom. New hyperscale projects seemed to appear on the planning list every month, and every one of them needed an army of commissioning managers, shift engineers, network specialists, and project managers.
But 2025 feels different. The EirGrid connection restrictions — brought in to protect the city’s already stretched power supply — have slowed new builds to a trickle. A few projects are still making it through but the era of relentless capital build in the capital is on pause.
And here’s the kicker: the work hasn’t disappeared. It’s just moved.
Some developers are shifting projects to other parts of Ireland where grid access is easier. Others are going further afield, investing in the Netherlands, Germany, Denmark, and Spain — places where the build schedules are still humming along.
When the Market Goes Continental
What does that mean for salaries in Dublin? In short: they’re still rising. But the pressure isn’t coming from local competition anymore — it’s coming from Europe.
Irish commissioning managers are being approached with relocation packages to work in the Nordics. Experienced M&E engineers are being offered short-term contracts in Frankfurt that pay more than their permanent Dublin roles. Even sustainability managers are being courted by operators in Spain who need to meet aggressive ESG targets.
For hiring managers here, that’s a challenge. You’re not just competing with the company down the road anymore — you’re competing with the entire EU.
Which Data Centre Roles Are Feeling It Most?
The upward salary pull is hitting some roles harder than others. M&E engineers and shift leads remain hot property, partly because their skills are transferable across markets. Commissioning managers have perhaps the most leverage of all — their expertise is needed at the exact moment a facility goes live, whether that’s in Blanchardstown or Barcelona.
It’s not just the “hard hat” roles either. Network engineers with experience integrating data centre operations with cloud platforms are being offered remote work tied to EU projects. Cybersecurity and compliance specialists are in demand wherever new facilities open, thanks to strict regulatory requirements.
And then there are sustainability and energy managers — a role that barely registered in salary surveys a few years ago, now commanding six figures in some markets. The pressure to deliver greener, more efficient operations is only going to grow, and the salaries reflect that urgency.
The Retention Tightrope
If you’ve lost a candidate at the offer stage this year, you’re not alone.
We’re seeing the highest rejection rates in the €65–85k range — often because a current employer swoops in with a counteroffer, or because an EU project offers a 10–15% uplift plus travel or relocation benefits.
The companies that are holding onto their people aren’t necessarily the ones paying the most — they’re the ones moving fastest. That means doing salary reviews before someone asks, tying pay rises to new certifications, and offering career progression that doesn’t require a resignation to unlock.
Competing Without Moving the Site
Yes, most data centre roles are site-based — you can’t fix a generator or monitor a switchboard from your kitchen table. But that doesn’t mean flexibility is off the table.
Some operators are experimenting with four-day work weeks on rotational shifts. Others are offering project rotations abroad as part of the job, giving staff the EU exposure without losing them permanently. We’ve seen bonuses linked to uptime, safety metrics, and sustainability goals become more common. And more companies are giving generous learning and development budgets — not just for technical skills, but for leadership training and cross-discipline qualifications.
Looking Ahead
The truth is, Dublin’s data centre market in 2025 is no longer just a local game. The slowdown in new builds here hasn’t reduced the demand for Irish talent — it’s just made that talent more portable.
In the next 6–12 months, I expect commissioning and sustainability salaries to keep climbing, driven by EU demand. Shift lead pay will likely cross the €80k median by year-end. And the employers who win — whether they’re hiring or holding onto staff — will be the ones who understand that the competition isn’t just across town anymore. It’s across the continent.
Because in the data centre world, salaries are the headline — but the real story is about opportunity, mobility, and the lengths companies will go to secure the people they need.
