Occupation Lists

Critical Skills Occupations

Occupations on the Critical Skills Occupations List are considered highly sought-after in Ireland. A Critical Skills Employment Permit offers a fast track to long-term residency.

€40,904

With Relevant Degree

€68,911

Without Relevant Degree

€36,848

Recent Graduate

Showing 77 of 77 critical skills occupations

Academic

SOC 2311Academic

Higher education teaching professionals conducting research and delivering academic programmes

SOC 2311Lecturer

Higher education lecturers and teaching professionals delivering lectures and academic instruction

Allied Health

SOC 2221Physiotherapist

Physiotherapists assessing and treating physical conditions through movement, exercise, and manual therapy

SOC 2222Occupational Therapist

Occupational therapists helping people develop, recover, or maintain daily living and working skills

SOC 2223Speech and Language Therapist

Speech and language therapists assessing and treating communication, speech, and swallowing disorders

SOC 2229Orthoptist

Orthoptists diagnosing and treating eye movement disorders and binocular vision problems

Animation

SOC 3411Animator

Animators creating visual effects and animated content for film, television, and digital media

SOC 3411Art Director

Art directors overseeing the visual style and creative direction of animation and media productions

SOC 3411Location Designer

Location designers creating environments, settings, and background art for animated productions

SOC 3411Character Designer

Character designers creating visual concepts and designs for animated characters

SOC 3411Prop Designer

Prop designers creating objects, accessories, and assets for animated and media productions

SOC 3411Animation Layout Artist

Animation layout artists planning and composing scenes, camera angles, and staging for animated productions

Architecture & Construction

SOC 2431Architect

Architects designing buildings and advising on construction, renovation, and spatial planning

SOC 3121Architectural Technologist

Architectural technologists preparing technical plans, specifications, and construction documentation for buildings

SOC 2433Quantity Surveyor

Quantity surveyors managing costs, contracts, and financial performance for construction projects

SOC 2436Construction Project Manager

Construction project managers overseeing construction operations, scheduling, and project delivery

SOC 2436Commercial Manager

Commercial managers in construction managing contracts, procurement, and commercial performance

Engineering

SOC 2121Civil Engineer

Civil engineers designing and managing construction of infrastructure, transportation, and building projects

SOC 2121Structural Engineer

Structural engineers specialising in the design and assessment of structural frameworks and load-bearing systems

SOC 2121Site Engineer

Site engineers managing construction works and technical operations on-site

SOC 2122Mechanical Engineer

Mechanical engineers designing, developing, and maintaining mechanical systems and equipment

SOC 2123Electrical Engineer

Electrical engineers designing and developing electrical systems, power distribution, and equipment

SOC 2124Electronics Engineer

Electronics engineers designing and developing electronic systems, circuits, and devices

SOC 2125Chemical Engineer

Chemical engineers designing and managing chemical processes, plant operations, and production systems

SOC 2129Project Engineer

Project engineers managing technical engineering projects and delivery across disciplines

SOC 2129Production Engineer

Production engineers optimising manufacturing processes and production systems

SOC 2129Process Engineer

Process engineers designing, managing, and optimising industrial processes and workflows

SOC 2121Setting Out Engineer

Setting out engineers responsible for accurate positioning, alignment, and surveying in construction

SOC 2121Facade Designer

Facade designers specialising in the design and engineering of building envelopes and external systems

Finance & Business

SOC 2421Accountant

Chartered and certified accountants providing financial management, audit, and advisory services

SOC 2421Tax Consultant

Tax consultants advising on taxation compliance, planning, and regulatory requirements

SOC 2423Management Consultant

Management consultants advising organisations on strategy, operations, and organisational efficiency

SOC 2425Actuary

Actuaries analysing financial risk using mathematics, statistics, and financial theory

SOC 2425Economist

Economists researching and analysing economic data, trends, and policy implications

SOC 2425Statistician

Statisticians collecting, analysing, and interpreting quantitative data for decision-making

Medical

SOC 2211Medical Practitioner

Medical practitioners diagnosing, treating, and preventing physical and mental illness and disease

SOC 2212Psychologist

Psychologists studying and treating mental processes, behaviour, and psychological disorders

SOC 2213Pharmacist

Pharmacists preparing and dispensing medicines and advising on their safe and effective use

SOC 2213Industrial Pharmacist

Industrial pharmacists involved in pharmaceutical manufacturing, drug development, and regulatory compliance

SOC 2217Radiographer

Radiographers operating diagnostic imaging equipment and producing medical images for clinical diagnosis

SOC 2217Radiation Therapist

Radiation therapists planning and delivering radiation treatment for patients with cancer and other conditions

SOC 2217Podiatrist

Podiatrists diagnosing and treating conditions of the feet and lower limbs

SOC 2219Audiologist

Audiologists assessing, diagnosing, and treating hearing and balance disorders

SOC 2219Dietician

Dieticians advising on nutrition and dietary needs for health management and disease prevention

SOC 2112Medical Scientist

Medical scientists conducting research and laboratory analysis in clinical and biomedical settings

SOC 2219Cardiac Physiologist

Cardiac physiologists diagnosing and treating cardiovascular conditions using specialist equipment

Nursing

SOC 2231Registered Nurse

Registered nurses providing clinical care, treatment, patient support, and health education

SOC 2232Registered Midwife

Registered midwives providing care and support during pregnancy, birth, and the postpartum period

Paramedic

SOC 3213Paramedic

Paramedics providing emergency medical care and treatment in pre-hospital settings

SOC 3213Advanced Paramedic

Advanced paramedics with extended clinical skills providing enhanced emergency and critical care

Quality & Regulatory

SOC 2129Quality Engineer

Quality engineers ensuring products and processes meet quality standards and regulatory requirements

SOC 2129Quality Assurance Specialist

Quality assurance professionals developing and implementing quality management systems and procedures

SOC 2129Regulatory Affairs Specialist

Regulatory affairs professionals ensuring compliance with industry regulations and standards

SOC 2263Environmental Health Officer

Environmental health professionals monitoring and enforcing environmental and public health standards

Sales & Marketing

SOC 3542Business Sales Executive

Business development managers and sales executives in enterprise and B2B markets

SOC 3543International Marketing Expert

International marketing experts with required domain knowledge specialising in product strategy development and management with technical and product/service knowledge (pharmaceutical, medical devices, software B2B, SaaS products)

Social Work

SOC 2442Social Worker

Social workers providing support, advocacy, and safeguarding for individuals and families

Technology

SOC 2136Software Engineer

Programmers and software development professionals designing, coding, testing, and maintaining software systems

SOC 2136Senior Software Engineer

Senior software engineers with 3+ years' experience in software development and system design

SOC 2136Full Stack Developer

Full stack software developers with experience in both front-end and back-end development

SOC 2136Backend Developer

Backend software developers specialising in server-side application logic and integration

SOC 2136Frontend Developer

Frontend software developers specialising in user interface development and client-side applications

SOC 2136Web Developer

Web developers and designers specialising in web-based applications and services

SOC 2136DevOps Engineer

DevOps engineers with experience in continuous integration, deployment, and infrastructure automation

SOC 2136Cloud Engineer

Cloud computing engineers with experience in cloud platform architecture and management

SOC 2135Systems Architect

IT business analysts, architects and systems designers responsible for systems architecture and integration

SOC 2133IT Specialist Manager

IT specialist managers directing IT operations, development, or infrastructure teams

SOC 2134IT Project Manager

IT project managers overseeing technology implementation and delivery programmes

SOC 2134IT Programme Manager

IT programme managers coordinating multiple related technology projects and strategic initiatives

SOC 2135Business Analyst

IT business analysts examining and designing information systems and business processes

SOC 2135IT Business Analyst

IT business analysts with technical knowledge of systems design and process optimisation

SOC 2139Cyber Security Engineer

Cyber security engineers and professionals specialising in information security, threat analysis, and risk mitigation

SOC 2425Data Scientist

Data scientists with expertise in statistical analysis, machine learning, and data modelling

SOC 2136Machine Learning Engineer

Machine learning engineers developing AI and ML models, pipelines, and production systems

SOC 2136AI Engineer

Artificial intelligence engineers developing AI systems, neural networks, and intelligent applications

SOC 2136Programmer

Programmers and software development professionals

SOC 2136Software Developer

Software development professionals designing, coding, testing, and maintaining software applications

Based on official figures

This list mirrors the official DETE Critical Skills Occupations List and salary thresholds. Always confirm the current status of a specific role on the government pages.

Official government sources · last checked 6 July 2026.