A Head of Engineering on €101K hybrid in Ireland needs to earn at least €76,800 remotely to break even (after tax, travel, meals, wardrobe, and the value of commuting time).
Head of Engineering hybrid vs remote break-even at €101K
Assumptions: €15/day transport, 60 min round trip, €6 daily meal premium, €600/yr wardrobe. 2026 Income Tax, USC, and PRSI.
€60,788
/year
−€4,259
costs + time
€92,100
remote gross
€57,129
/year
−€7,919
costs + time
€84,500
remote gross
€53,469
/year
−€11,578
costs + time
€76,800
remote gross
€49,810
/year
−€15,237
costs + time
€69,300
remote gross
€46,151
/year
−€18,897
costs + time
€62,300
remote gross
Net salary without commute: €65,047/yr (€5,421/month) after Income Tax, USC, and PRSI.
Adjust for your actual offer
The table above uses the Head of Engineering median. Enter the exact salaries you are comparing to get a precise answer.
Role A — Hybrid / In-Office
Role B — Fully Remote
Train, Leap/Oyster cap, fuel, parking
Buying lunch vs. eating at home
Professional clothing, alterations, dry-cleaning
Role B (Remote) leaves you €10/yr better off
Role A's salary advantage of €24,200 is wiped out by €11,578 in commute costs and lost time.
Role A — Hybrid (3d/wk)
€15/day × 138 office days
138h/yr × €59/hr
Role B — Fully Remote
€3,498
Out-of-pocket costs
Travel + meals + wardrobe
€8,080
Time cost
138h @ €59/hr
€11,578
Total commute impact
The real cost of going in
At €101K with a typical 3-day commute (€15/day transport, 60 min round trip, €6 daily meal premium, €600/yr wardrobe), your true net income is approximately €53,469 per year. Your net salary without any commute deductions would be €65,047. The commute costs you €11,578 per year in direct costs and lost time, meaning you would only need to earn €76,800 fully remotely to match this hybrid role's real value.
Assuming a 3-day hybrid schedule with a typical Ireland commute, you would need a remote salary of at least €76,800 to match the true net income of a €101K hybrid Head of Engineering role. This accounts for €3,498 in direct annual commute costs and €8,080 in time cost (138 hours of commuting per year valued at your hourly rate of €59/hr).
On a 3-day hybrid schedule, a Head of Engineering in Ireland faces approximately €3,498 in direct annual costs (transport, meals, wardrobe) plus €8,080 in opportunity cost from 138 hours spent commuting each year. Total commute impact: €11,578.
Your hourly rate is calculated by dividing your gross salary by contracted hours across 46 working weeks (accounting for statutory leave). For a €101K Head of Engineering on 37.5 hours per week, that is €59/hr. On a 3-day hybrid schedule with a 60-minute round trip, you spend 138 hours commuting per year, valued at €8,080.
A €101K Head of Engineering salary in Ireland is subject to Income Tax, USC, and PRSI, leaving a net salary of €65,047 per year (€5,421/month) before any commute costs. The effective tax rate at this income level is approximately 35.6%.
Both Ireland and the UK provide statutory minimum paid leave of approximately 4 weeks. Adding bank holidays brings the typical total to around 5.6 weeks per year. Using 46 working weeks ensures that commute costs and time calculations only apply to weeks when you actually travel to the office.
