Working in Ireland as an American: Top Jobs and Visa Tips

Americans can find jobs in Ireland by applying to roles in sectors like technology, healthcare, education, and customer service. Many U.S. and international companies based in Ireland welcome American professionals, especially those with specialized skills or remote work backgrounds. Begin by preparing an Irish-style CV, exploring job listings on platforms like IrishJobs and LinkedIn, and considering international health insurance as part of your relocation planning.

Living and working in Ireland offers the opportunity to grow your career while enjoying a rich cultural experience. The cost of living is similar to the United States, and roles are available for both in-person and remote work. Pacific Prime can help you secure international health insurance so you stay protected while living abroad.

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Best Jobs in Ireland for American Expats

Ireland has a high job demand for web development, nursing, customer service, education, and interpreters. So if you’re an expat from America with those skills, you have good prospects of finding a job.
Americans can also try their luck for foreign positions posted by American companies or the U.S. government.

Here are some American companies in Ireland you might look into working for:

• Citi
• Fidelity Investments
• HubSpot
• Johnson & Johnson
• LinkedIn
• Slack
• Google
• Intel
• IBM
• Intercom
• Dun & Bradstreet

Here are a couple of careers Americans have successfully gotten in Ireland:

• Teachers, especially in STEM subjects
• Online entrepreneurs
• Working as a digital nomad
• Internships
• Translators
• Au Pair

We’ll now give you several lists of jobs you can look through as you narrow down what type of position is right for you.

English-Speaking Job Options in Ireland

Some English-speaking jobs in Ireland for American expats and digital nomads include being an English Teacher, Hospitality and Tourism Worker, Interior Designer, Communications Specialist, Interpreter, Supply Chain Manager, SEO Specialist, Nurse Practitioner, Travel Agent, and Freelance Tutor.

Because English is one of the official languages in Ireland, there will be much less of a language barrier impeding your way when it comes to finding an English-speaking job there. You should be able to apply for almost any career, but your chances will be even higher if you’re bilingual in Irish.

Here are some careers and their average annual salaries you can consider if you’re looking for an English-speaking job in Ireland:

• English Language Teacher: EUR €16K – €46K or USD $18K – $50K

• Hospitality and Tourism Worker: EUR €10K – €72K or USD $11K – $79K

• Interior Designer: EUR €19K – €64K or USD $21K – $70K

• Communications Specialist: EUR €14K – €38K or USD $15K – $42K

• Interpreter: EUR €20K – €57K or USD $22K – $62K

• Supply Chain Manager: EUR €36K – €114K or USD $39K – $125K

• SEO Specialist: EUR €55K – €65K or USD $60K – $71K

• Nurse Practitioner: EUR €20K – €62K or USD $22K – $68K

• Travel Agent: EUR €14K – €39K or USD $15K – $43K

• Freelance Tutor: EUR €35K – €40K or USD $38K – $44K

High-Paying Careers in Ireland

Among the highest-paying jobs in Ireland are Chief Executive Officers, Finance Directors, District Court Judges, Sales Directors, Directors of Operations, General Practitioners, Technical Practitioners, Technical Architects, Software Development Managers, Solutions Architects, and IT Managers.

Most of these careers require higher level education, such as an associate’s, bachelor’s, master’s, or doctorate degree, as well as extensive training and experience. If you are an expat who wants to live in Ireland and have experience or interest in any of these fields, you are in luck.

Here is a list of the highest-paying jobs in Ireland with their average annual salaries:

• Chief Executive Officer (CEO): EUR €163K or USD $179K

• Finance Director: EUR €139K or USD $152K

• District Court Judge: EUR €136K or USD $149K

• Sales Director: EUR €130K or USD $142K

• Director of Operations: EUR €130K or USD $142K

• General Practitioner: EUR €123K or USD $135K

• Technical Architect: EUR €103K or USD $113K

• Software Development Manager: EUR €101K or USD $111K

• Solutions Architect: EUR €97K or USD $106K

• IT Senior Project Manager: EUR €96K or USD $105K

These are the highest-paying industries in Ireland right now, so you’ll for sure want to consider if one of them is right for you:

• Business/Finance
• Healthcare
• Information Technology
• Engineering
• Legal

If you’re an expat who has training, prior experience, or interest in any of these fields, we’d recommend beginning your job search here.

Top In-Demand Jobs in Ireland (2025)

The most popular jobs in Ireland in 2025 are Automation Engineer, Sustainability Manager, Data Scientist, Compliance Officer, Software Engineer, e-commerce Manager, Web Developer, mortgage Underwriter, Construction Manager, and Healthcare Assistant.

Many, but not all, of these careers require at least a bachelor’s degree.

Here are the most in-demand jobs in Ireland in 2024 with their average annual salaries:

• Automation Engineer: EUR €50K – €60K or USD $55K – $66K

• Sustainability Manager: EUR €60K – €65K or USD $66K – $71K

• Data Scientist: EUR €60K – €65K or USD $66K – $71K

• Compliance Officer: EUR €40K – €50K or USD $44K – $55K

• Software Engineer: EUR €45K – €55K or USD $49K – $60K

• e-Commerce Manager: EUR €50K – €55K or USD $55K – 60K

• Web Developer: EUR €50K – €60K or USD $55K – $66K

• Mortgage Underwriter: EUR €40K – €45K or USD $44K – $49K

• Construction Manager: EUR €45K – €50K or USD $49K – $55K

• Healthcare Assistant: EUR €38K – 40K or USD $42K – 44K

Steps to Get a Job in Ireland as an American

To get a job in Ireland as an American you first need to decide which career is right for you. After that, you’ll search for open positions at Irish job sites, job fairs, and social media, and then send them your Irish CV. Once you have an offer, your employer will help you get a work visa.

To make it easy, we’re going to go through each of these steps in more detail. For more tips than we have here, be sure to check out our guide on working abroad as an American.

Where to Search for Jobs in Ireland

When searching for a job in Ireland as an expat, you should reach out to Irish headhunters and recruiters, check job boards in Ireland, join Irish Facebook groups, and reach out to companies you’re interested in working for, even if there isn’t an open position at the moment.

By reaching out to someone in an email with your CV, you just might inspire them to offer you a job or keep you in mind down the road when they are looking to hire.

Here are a few more things you can do when searching for a job in Ireland:

• Join Facebook groups like Jobs in Ireland, Expats in Ireland, and Jobs in Dublin
• Reach out to Irish headhunters like Recruiters, Sigmar Recruitment, and Principle HR
• Use job search sites in Ireland like Monster, Irish Jobs, and Recruit Ireland
• Work with a local employment agency
• Attend job fairs
• Ask for referrals
• Search for jobs in Ireland on social media
• Look for a digital nomad position in the USA you can complete from anywhere in the world

How to Write an Irish CV

After you’ve found a position you’re interested in, you’ll send in a roughly two-page Irish Curriculum Vitae (CV), or what Americans call a resume. The CV will include things like your name, contact information, a personal statement, and your skills, work history, and education.

Your Irish CV will have several sections, so here is a breakdown of each:

• Name and Contact Information

Here you will include your name, address, email, and phone number. Unlike some other foreign countries, but similar to the United States, you won’t include your age or marital status.

• Personal Statement

This can take up a few sentences and highlight your skills and suitability for the particular position you’re applying for.

• Key Skills

Here you will highlight your job-related skills, transferable skills, and adaptive skills.

• Career History and Experience

Starting with your most recent job, working backward chronologically, you’ll list your past positions and outline the tasks and abilities you demonstrated in each.

• Education

This section outlines what training and education you’ve received, as well as where and when.

How to Apply for an Irish Work Visa

There are nine types of employment permits available, and American expats and digital nomads must apply for the kind suitable for them, make payments, and submit documents online.

Here are the nine types of work visas/employment permits in Ireland:

1. Critical Skills
2. Dependent/Partner/Spouse
3. Intra-Company Transfer
4. General
5. Contract for Services
6. Reactivation
7. Internship
8. Sport and Cultural
9. Exchange Agreement

Once you’ve determined which work visa fits your situation, you’ll want to learn more about the specific requirements, checklists, and deadlines for your employment permit. The online system you will use to apply is easy and intuitive, and it provides for fast turnarounds.

You can’t apply for an employment permit until after you have a job offer, so don’t start the application until you have an employer who can prove they plan to hire you.

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What to Expect When Living and Working in Ireland

The cost of living and working in Ireland is similar to that of the United States, though housing, food, and transportation expenses are cheaper in Ireland. Overall, the quality and expense of living abroad in Ireland will be quite comparable to what you’re familiar with as an American.

When it comes to living in a new country, you always want to have healthcare at the forefront of your plans.

Here at Pacific Prime, we have over twenty years of serving expats globally as an insurance brokerage company. We have many international health insurance plans that can keep you covered wherever you travel.

You may be interested in these plans:

• Private Health Insurance in Ireland
• Expat Health Insurance
• Global Health Insurance

You now know quite a few careers that would be great for expats wanting to work in Ireland. We also recommend learning about jobs for Americans in France and jobs for Americans in Sweden.

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Serena Fung

Head of Content at Pacific Prime

Serena Fung is the Head of Content at Pacific Prime, a global insurance brokerage and employee specialist serving over 1.5 million clients in 15 offices across the world. With 6+ years of experience writing about the subject, she aims to demystify the world of insurance for readers with the latest updates, guides and articles on the blog.

Serena earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from the University of British Columbia, Canada. As such, she is an avid advocate of mental health and is fascinated by all things psychology (especially if it’s cognitive psychology!).

Her previous work experience includes teaching toddlers to read, writing for a travel/wellness online magazine, and then a business news blog. These combined experiences give her the skills and insights she needs to explain complex ideas in a succinct way. Being the daughter of an immigrant and a traveler herself, she is passionate about educating expats and digital nomads on travel and international health insurance.

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