Trust Center
Data Sources & Methodology
An honest account of how PayMetric Labs collects, normalizes, and publishes salary benchmarks and contractor day rate data for Ireland and the UK. Read this before you use a benchmark in a negotiation.
Last updated: May 28, 2026
No blended averages
Role, level, and location are always separated before benchmarking.
Confidence scored
Every figure carries a rating so you know how much weight to give it.
Source year visible
Every benchmark shows which data period it reflects.
Where salary data comes from
Salary data is collected from job boards, recruitment firm reports, salary guides, and selected public datasets. Using multiple independent sources lets us cross-check figures and catch outliers before they reach a published benchmark.
Where contractor day rate data comes from
Contractor day rate benchmarks are built from agency rate cards, contractor survey data, and published market intelligence reports covering both Ireland and the UK. Rates are segmented by role, seniority, and IR35 status for UK contractors.
Why we standardize before benchmarking
Data from different sources uses different job titles and seniority definitions. We map everything into consistent role families and levels before calculating any figure. A day rate and a salary for the same role are measured on an equivalent basis.
How confidence scores are assigned
Every benchmark, salary or day rate, gets a confidence score based on how many sources back it, how consistent those sources are with each other, and how recent the data is. High Confidence means you can cite it in a negotiation. Moderate Confidence is directional context.
How market intelligence reports are built
The same benchmark data that powers individual role pages feeds our market intelligence reports, ranking the highest-paying roles, tracking which skills are most in demand, and identifying where pay is growing fastest across both permanent and contract hiring.
Currency and regional separation
Ireland (EUR) and UK (GBP) benchmarks are kept entirely separate with local currency context preserved. We do not convert between currencies in a way that would distort comparisons. IR35 context is applied only to UK contractor benchmarks.
Contractor structure context for Ireland
Ireland contractor day rate benchmarks include take-home estimates across the three main contractor structures: sole trader, PAYE umbrella, and director (personal limited company). These estimates use current Revenue tax rates and are provided for guidance only.
How often data is refreshed
Benchmark datasets are reviewed on a rolling cycle. The source year shown on every salary and contractor day rate page tells you exactly which data period a benchmark reflects, so you always know how recent the figure is before using it.
Benchmark pipeline
How We Turn Salary and Day Rate Data Into Published Benchmarks
Collect salary and day rate data from trusted sources
We gather salary ranges, contractor day rates, job titles, seniority levels, and location data from salary guides, job boards, recruitment firm rate cards, and selected public datasets, covering both permanent and contract compensation.
Output
Raw salary and day rate data
Standardize roles, seniority, and locations
Job titles are mapped into consistent role families and seniority levels, and currencies are standardized so a senior engineer in Dublin can be compared fairly with one in London, whether on a salary or a contractor day rate.
Output
Like-for-like salary and rate groups
Calculate ranges, benchmarks, and percentile bands
We calculate the median, P25, P75 percentile bands, and year-on-year pay movement for each role and location. For contractor day rates, we also apply IR35 and contractor structure context for the UK and Ireland respectively.
Output
Published salary and day rate benchmarks
Quality-check and publish
Each benchmark gets a confidence score based on how much data backs it up and how consistent sources are with each other. Pages only go live once they pass quality and editorial review.
Output
Live verified benchmarks