Workers with skills in high demand can expect pay rises of between 5-10% this year, according to Morgan McKinley's 2017 Irish Salary Guide.
Areas like ICT, science, accounting and financial services are amongst those most likely to gain as companies continue to struggle to compete for talent in the country.
Morgan McKinley's report has also forecast that the total number of people in employment will continue to grow this year, albeit at a slower pace than in recent years.
It noted that growth in the building and construction sector will be significant this year as commercial and housing markets react to increased demand.
The recruitment consultancy said that while total employment here is at its highest level since 2008, forecasting is difficult due to the uncertainty around Brexit.
It noted that about 30% of all employment is in sectors that are heavily related to UK exports, especially SMEs in the agrifood and tourism sectors.
"Given the increased prominence of a hard Brexit scenario, any negative shock to export demand in the future would flow through the economy with potential implications for he labour market and employment," commented Karen O'Flaherty, chief operations officer with Morgan McKinley.
But a separate survey suggests that less than half of all employees expect a pay rise this year, with two thirds willing to take a pay cut for more flexible working arrangements.
The latest Employment Market Monitor from CPL shows a continued and steady increases in the number of jobs posted in the last quarter of 2016.
The index reached 211 for the fourth quarter of last year - well above the figure of 198 for the same time in 2015.
It also showed that the strongest growth for the third time in a row was in accountancy, finance and banking with 25% growth. Growth was also strong in sales and marketing (up 20%0, and in science, engineering and supply chain (up 13%).
It revealed that workers are more attracted to perks like health insurance or a good pension than stock options or free parking.
Two thirds of those surveyed also said they would take a small pay cut to work flexibly, which CPL shows the workers' frustration with traffic and commuting.
