JavaScript developers are a key pool in the Irish IT market and demand for them continues to increase each year. In the past 6 months, JavaScript developers have seen more of a shift to remote working in line with Covid-19 worries. Salaries and contract day rates for this space are also rising according to the level of demand, along with more comprehensive benefits packages being added to the mix. As a result, JavaScript developers – especially those that are specialists in an advanced JS framework such as Angular or React – tend to earn good salaries and are also a part of major projects.
There is a trend of large multinationals taking on numerous Frontend Software Developers each year but start-ups and smaller organisations are also ramping up their hiring in light of restrictions easing in Ireland. The larger companies tend to offer generous salaries on top of a comprehensive benefits package that will often include stock as well as bonus, health insurance, pension and, in a lot of cases, remote working. This has become a benefit of great interest to JavaScript and Web Developers as they tend to be dispersed throughout Ireland and not just focused on the Dublin area.
Additionally, stock is becoming a hot commodity among developers. Although many start-ups and smaller organisations can’t offer packages as large as the well-established companies, they have been able to compete by raising salaries and offering pre-IPO stock.
Candidates in this market typically look for greenfield projects with the opportunity for exposure to other frameworks in order to upskill. Meanwhile, clients that are typically hiring will be interested in developers with solid communication skills that can be client-facing if necessary and expertise in an advanced framework including React / Angular / Vue or Fullstack JavaScript experience with Node.js.
The demand for contract JavaScript developers is still relatively low compared to some other areas of Information Technology that we surveyed however it is still on the rise in comparison to previous years. Core JavaScript engineers are definitively less popular as this type of work becomes more outdated.
This job market is certainly strong and will only become more robust with trends leaning towards a more significant emphasis on mobile development.