A neat comparison of remuneration packages is not always possible given variations in fringe benefits such as pension contributions, bonus schemes, company cars and private medical insurance.

What an employee receives can also depend on their experience and negotiating skills. Add to the mix conflicting surveys by rival recruitment firms which use different methods of measurement and various terms of reference, and there is inevitable disparity between pay level estimates.

But each year the Irish Management Institute surveys executive salaries in Ireland. Up to 1,000 firms across a range of Irish businesses are sampled, with responses from 174 enterprises employing 5,365 managers. The results, which were released in November and based on salary data as of April 1st, 2003, provide one of the most accurate assessments of executive salaries available.

Bonuses for all managerial levels, and overtime and shift allowances at first-line management, are included. But other fringe benefits are excluded.

So what can someone working in the five key areas of finance/accounting, healthcare/pharmaceuticals, IT, law and sales/marketing expect to earn? Using IMI results where applicable, and average figures provided by recruitment agency surveys where not, The Irish Times provides a guide to earnings in these industries.

Finance/accounting

Traditionally seen as a secure sector with reasonably strong entry-level wages. A first or second year corporate analyst in the corporate banking sector can earn €25,000-€29,000 a year, rising to €30,000 to €40,000 after three to five years. Newly-qualified accountants can earn €37,000 to €40,000 in their first year, while a financial controller with three years' experience can earn €44,000 to €70,000.

According to the IMI survey, average salaries in first line finance and accounting management vary from €25,000 to €46,296 a year.

Those in middle management in the finance/accounting area can earn €49,000 to €71,650.

Significant variations in the pay packets of middle and/or senior management may be explained by the fact that salary size is closely linked with the size of the firm: the larger the firm the larger the salary. As a result, first-line management salaries in large firms, for example, may equal or exceed those at middle management in smaller firms. At head of function (or senior management) level, again there is a wide variance in pay, ranging from €79,200 to €134,950.

Healthcare/pharmaceuticals

Recruitment professionals see this as having strong growth potential. Salary levels at first-line management level compare favourably with finance and accounting. Ranging from €42,000 to €53,600, rising to €54,714 and €73,765 at middle management level. But at senior management level, remuneration falls when compared with finance and accounting, with salaries ranging from €71,082 to €111,000.

Law

The IMI survey provides no information on this sector. But a double distinction can be made between average salaries for those working in private practice and in-house, and in the top-tier firms and smaller rivals.

A newly qualified solicitor in private practice for a top-tier firm may earn €40,000-€51,000 in the first year. This rises to €57,000-€66,000 after about three years, and can rise to €105,000 for someone who qualified in 1997. For second-tier firms, salary can be significantly less, with a first year qualified solicitor earning €34,000 to €45,000. This rises to €55,000-€62,000 after about three years, and can expect to reach €82,000 for a solicitor who qualified in 1997. Permanent in-house solicitors may earn €32,000-€49,000 in their first year of qualification, rising to €55,000-€70,000 after three years, and €90,000-€135,000 after six to seven years.

IT

This sector shows tentative signs of recovery. A programmer with one to three years' experience may earn €23,000 to €38,000, industry surveys show. But a software engineer with equivalent experience will benefit from a slightly higher rate of pay, at €28,000 and €39,000.

First-line management salary levels range from €45,000 to €60,000.This may rise to €60,537-€79,000 for middle management. For senior management, €81,138-€130,750 can be expected. Contract work, which is often paid at a daily rate, is also a key consideration here.

Sales/marketing

A sales executive in business development may earn €18,000-€25,000, while a marketing assistant can expect €19,000-25,000. In communications, entry-level public relations representatives will earn €19,000 to 34,000; this compares favourably with the salary of a telesales representative in the advertising field, at €16,000-€23,000. Sales managers in development/sales earn €38,000-€57,000, while a product or brand manager working in marketing may €32,000 to €51,000.