If salary is a priority when choosing your CAO course, it helps to know which degrees consistently produce the highest earners in Ireland. This article ranks the top fields by starting salary and 5-year salary, with notes on what drives the numbers in each case.
A few things worth noting before the list: starting salary and lifetime earning potential are not always the same. Medicine pays very well once you're fully qualified, but it takes 10 to 15 years to get there. Some degrees that produce high starting salaries plateau earlier. The best list for you depends on what you're optimising for.
Top fields by starting salary in Ireland (2026)
Here are the fields that consistently produce the highest starting salaries for Irish graduates:
1. Software Engineering and Computer Science
Graduates going into software engineering roles at large tech companies in Dublin, typically Google, Meta, LinkedIn, Stripe, Workday, Salesforce and others, can earn €44,000 to €60,000+ from their first role. The combination of skills shortage and multinational competition keeps these salaries high. Senior software engineers at the same companies 5 years out can earn €80,000 to €120,000+ including equity.
2. Electronic Engineering
Electronic and computer engineering graduates, particularly those entering semiconductor, signal processing or firmware roles at companies like Intel, Analog Devices or Qualcomm in Ireland, earn starting salaries in the €44,000 to €55,000 range. The skill set is highly specialised and supply is genuinely tight.
3. Chemical and Bioprocess Engineering
Graduates going into process and manufacturing engineering roles at pharmaceutical multinationals (Pfizer, Eli Lilly, AstraZeneca, Janssen) in Cork, Limerick and Dublin typically start in the €42,000 to €52,000 range, with strong progression into project engineering and site management roles.
4. Data Science and Actuarial Science
Data science graduates at multinationals and financial services firms earn €40,000 to €52,000 at the start. Actuarial science graduates going into insurance and pensions roles can start in a similar range, and salary growth is steep once professional actuarial exams are passed.
5. Pharmacy (industry pathway)
While community pharmacy starting salaries are in the €38,000 to €44,000 range, pharmacists who move into pharmaceutical industry roles in quality assurance, regulatory affairs or production management can earn significantly more, €65,000 to €100,000+ within 8 to 10 years.
Where high CAO points don't always mean high starting salary
Medicine and Dentistry require among the highest CAO points in the country, and they do eventually produce very high salaries. But the timeline is long. Medical interns earn around €36,000 to €45,000, rising through SHO and registrar grades before reaching the €100,000+ consultant salary. That journey takes 10 to 15 years from starting college.
If your goal is maximum earnings in the first 5 years after graduation, software engineering and electronic engineering are better options than medicine purely on that metric, even though medicine will likely produce higher lifetime earnings.
Beyond salary: what else to consider
Raw salary is one measure. It's also worth thinking about:
- Job security: nursing and engineering have lower unemployment rates than many higher-paying fields in a downturn
- Hours and lifestyle: some high-paying roles, particularly in tech and finance, come with genuine work intensity
- International portability: nursing, pharmacy and engineering qualifications travel; some highly specialised industry roles are more geography-dependent
- Salary growth vs starting salary: a field with a moderate starting salary but steep growth (like accounting) may outperform a field with a high starting salary that plateaus early
The ROI calculator shows starting salary, 5-year salary, payback period and ROI for over 70 Irish college courses. Compare any course in seconds.
Open the ROI CalculatorFrequently asked questions
What is the highest paying degree in Ireland?
Computer Science and Software Engineering consistently produce some of the highest starting salaries among Irish graduates, often €44,000 to €55,000+ at large tech companies. Electronic and Chemical Engineering, Actuarial Science and Data Science are also among the top earners. Medicine produces very high eventual salaries, but the long training pathway means engineers and computing graduates earn more in the early years.
Do higher CAO points always lead to higher salaries?
Not necessarily. CAO points are a proxy for competition for places, not for salary outcomes. Some high-points courses (Medicine, Dentistry) produce graduates who don't earn their peak salary until many years into their career. Some lower-points computing or engineering programmes at technological universities produce graduates with strong starting salaries comparable to those from higher-points programmes at research universities.
Which sector pays Irish graduates the most?
Technology and pharmaceutical manufacturing are consistently the highest-paying sectors for Irish graduates at the entry level. Financial services, particularly quantitative and risk roles, are also high paying. Graduates in software engineering or data roles at large tech companies in Dublin typically earn the most at the starting level.
Can arts graduates earn high salaries in Ireland?
Yes, but typically through specific paths. Law graduates who qualify as solicitors at large commercial firms, economics graduates in finance or consulting, and arts graduates who gain professional qualifications (ACA, CFA) can all earn competitive salaries. The path usually involves professional qualification or combining the arts degree with other skills or experience.