Cost & Pricing · Ireland
What a remote developer really costs a company in Ireland
A line-by-line comparison of in-house cost, freelance marketplaces and managed augmentation for Irish teams.
2025-09-30 · 4 min read
What a developer really costs in Ireland
Employer PRSI of around 11% for most salaries, pension contributions and annual leave make up most of the Irish on-cost. Add recruitment fees, equipment, software licences and office space, and the true cost of a hire in Dublin, Cork and Galway is well above the advertised salary.
With augmentation you pay one hourly rate, from $20, for 160 hours a month; employer taxes, hardware and leave cover are the supplier's problem. Compare it with Irish monthly gross pay in EUR. A euro quote removes currency risk.
Three ways to source the work
Hiring on freelance platforms shifts the management, vetting and continuity risk to you, which rarely shows up in the hourly rate. Contracting a supplier company rather than individuals avoids employment-status questions under Irish revenue and employment rules.
Fixed-price agencies add a margin for uncertainty; augmentation charges only for the hours you use, with a supervisor and replacement cover behind each person. It suits pharma, fintech and multinational tech teams whose priorities change every sprint.
Costs that rarely make the budget
Multinationals' European headquarters in Dublin set salary bands that local firms and start-ups struggle to match. Months of a hiring manager's time plus agency fees can exceed the first quarter of an offshore contract.
Attrition costs are easy to forget. A managed supplier carries the replacement and handover risk, so a resignation doesn't stop your roadmap. Remember too that St Patrick's Day, the August bank holiday and the Christmas break affect local capacity every year.
Putting the numbers in front of finance
Put three columns on one page: the full cost of an Irish hire in EUR, the marketplace cost including your own management time, and the augmentation rate. State the exchange rate you have assumed.
The final row should be cost per outcome, such as features delivered or tickets closed, not cost per hour. A six-month contract, at 10% off the monthly rate, also gives Irish finance teams a fixed figure for two quarters.
Key takeaways
- Budget for Irish employer on-costs, not just salary, when comparing options.
- Decide early whether to be invoiced in EUR or USD.
- Rates from $20 per hour replace Irish payroll, equipment and leave-cover costs.
- Compare cost per outcome, not cost per hour.