17pc pay increases for junior healthcare staff in last 12 months, while the salaries of more experienced staff have often remained static
Sign-on bonuses of up to €5,000, extra holidays and accommodation offers on the table in a bid to lure talent
Almost nine in ten (85pc) healthcare employers are struggling to attract and retain staff, leading to a growing reliance on agency and overseas workers and prompting many healthcare providers to offer sign-on bonuses of as much as €5,000 in a bid to lure talent.
The staffing crisis has also prompted many healthcare providers to become landlords for their employees, with rental accommodation increasingly being offered by employers in an attempt to secure workers.
This is according to Excel Recruitment’s Healthcare Salary Guide 2024, which tracks salaries and trends across the healthcare sector.
An added challenge for healthcare providers to contend with today is that while the pay rates of junior and entry-level workers have risen by as much as 17pc, the salaries of many experienced and senior healthcare staff have often remained static or only slightly increased.
Claire Timmon, head of healthcare with Excel Recruitment explained:
“Recent increases in the national minimum wage have had a knock-on effect on pay rates across the sector with many junior healthcare staff being paid more than this time last year, while the pay rates of more experienced or senior staff have not moved.
In response to staffing challenges, organisations are exploring various strategies, including offering competitive benefits such as pension options, sick leave, extra holidays, and sign-on bonuses of up to €5,000. The Irish housing crisis has become a significant concern for employers and many healthcare providers, particularly outside of Dublin, are offering accommodation to attract professionals from different regions, both within and outside Ireland. This in turn has added to the already significant costs they are facing.”
Strong pay increases have been recorded for some staff, including:
- The average hourly rate for a kitchen porter working in a healthcare catering setting is up 17pc on last year, from €11.80 to €13.80.
- The average hourly rate of a cleaner working in healthcare is up 12.5pc on last year – from €12 in 2023 to €13.50 today.
- Most healthcare assistants have seen increases in pay rates of 10pc or more. For example, the average hourly rate for a daytime healthcare assistant with between one and two years’ experience is now €15.90 – 15pc higher than the 2023 rate of €13.80. The rate of pay for an entry-level night-time healthcare assistant has increased by 10pc over the last year – from €12.80 to €14 per hour.
By comparison, pay rates for a wide range of professional, managerial and senior staff have remained static over the last year including for roles such as head chef, care manager, social care worker, speech and language therapist and occupational health therapist (see Appendix).
Ms. Timmon observed,
“This year, healthcare candidates have emphasised the importance of flexibility, recognising that a one-size-fits-all approach is impractical and more needs to be done for a better work-life balance. To enhance long-term retention, organisations must embrace flexibility without compromising safety or patient care. Innovative tools like shift-swapping systems can facilitate this flexibility while addressing staffing gaps.
The rise of contract work, with fixed-term contracts ranging from three to 12 months, has provided healthcare professionals with the desired flexibility. These contracts often include accommodation, and there has been an increase in retention and sign-on bonuses, along with improved benefits mirroring public packages in private facilities.
The healthcare workforce has shown a growing interest in agency work due to greater flexibility in work-life balance and the ability to work across a broad spectrum of healthcare facilities, thereby gaining even more valuable experience.”.
Looking ahead
Ms Timmon added:
“Over the past few years, the healthcare sector has faced significant challenges, including the impact of Covid-19, Brexit, and increased inward immigration. These factors have created hurdles for private healthcare operators in delivering services effectively. Furthermore, the low unemployment rate[1] in Ireland, and an increasing cost of living, has led to intense pressure on the labour market.
Looking ahead, staffing and recruitment pose significant challenges in the healthcare sector, with factors like mandatory sick pay, pension scheme changes, an additional bank holiday, and a minimum wage increase contributing to rising costs.
There needs to be an urgent rethink around the costs facing healthcare employers – and how the Government can support them to provide the remuneration and incentives that will attract and retain the staff that are necessary to provide a quality and safe healthcare system in Ireland.
By 2035, Ireland’s population is projected to reach 5.4 million, with a 50pc increase in the elderly demographic. If the Government healthcare system already can’t cope with the demands of the population today, how will it do so when confronted by the challenges posed by the aging population of 2035?”
Notes to Editor
Excel Recruitment is an award-winning recruitment company specialising in retail, hospitality, healthcare, industrial and administrative since 2002.
Appendix
Excel Recruitment’s Healthcare Salary Guide 2024 v 2023
| RESIDENTIAL CARE – Average salaries | ||
| 2024 | 2023 | |
| Director of Nursing | €88,000 | €86,000 |
| Assistant Director of Nursing | €68,000 | €64,000 |
| Clinical Nurse Manager | €26 ph | €25.50 ph |
| Senior Staff Nurse | €25 ph | €24.00 ph |
| Staff Nurse Day | €21 ph | €20.00 ph |
| Staff Nurse Night | €24 ph | €23.00 ph |
| CATERING AND HOUSEHOLD – Average salaries | ||
| 2024 | 2023 | |
| Head/Senior Chef | €25 ph | €25 ph |
| Chef | €20 ph | €20 ph |
| Kitchen Porter | €13.80 ph | €11.80 ph |
| Catering Assistant | €13.50 ph | €12.20 ph |
| Housekeeper/cleaner | €13.50 ph | €12 ph |
| HEALTHCARE ASSISTANTS (DAY) – Average salaries | ||
| 2024 | 2023 | |
| Entry level | €14 ph | €12.80 ph |
| 1-2 years experience | €15.90 ph | €13.80 ph |
| 3 years experience | €15.60 ph | €14.20 ph |
| HEALTHCARE ASSISTANTS (NIGHT) – Average salaries | ||
| 2024 | 2023 | |
| Entry level | €15.15 ph | €13.75 |
| Senior healthcare assistant | €17.40 ph | €16 ph |
| Care Manager | €34,000 | €34,000 |
| ALLIED HEALTH PROFESSIONSALS – Average salaries | ||
| 2024 | 2023 | |
| Medical Social Worker | €45,000 | €45,000 |
| Speech and language therapist | €46,000 | €46,000 |
| Occupational health therapist | €46,000 | €46,000 |
| Physiotherapist | €46,000 | €46,000 |
| Social care worker | €35,000 | €35,000 |
| Medical officer nursing home | €110,000 | €110,000 |
[1] Latest figures from the CSO – which are for Q3 2023 – show an unemployment rate of 4.6pc
