The report shows that many organizations are planning to increase the size of their data teams, however, many experts say that they are unlikely to change employers in 2026.
I Data Salaries Job Sentiment Analysis 2026 The report, published by the Analytics Institute and SAS, examines the growing challenges faced by organizations seeking to expand their data capabilities. The companies spoke to 167 employees and Analytics members across Ireland to gather information.
The findings suggest that there may be an emerging problem of AI talent mobility where the high demand for data and AI knowledge collides with workers who prefer stability over job mobility.
The report found that, while 64pc of organizations have plans to increase the size of their data teams by 2026, 70pc of experts who contributed their knowledge explained that they are unlikely to change employers this year.
“AI technologies are beginning to redefine roles within the data profession, but their impact is more transformative than disruptive,” said Lorcan Malone, chief executive of the Analytics Institute.
He added, “Rather than replacing expertise, AI augments it, increasing the need for strong governance, critical thinking and the ability to translate results into meaningful business outcomes. This makes continuous learning, adaptation, and targeted skill development more important than ever.”
However, he noted that warehousing has become a defining theme within the space, as workflows have begun to slow down, dwell time is increasing and professionals are placing more emphasis on purposeful work, career progression and strong leadership. This, he explained, leads to the creation of environments that support long-term development where collaboration is the foundation for supporting effective data teams.
Job satisfaction was found to be very important to employees across the sector, with almost half of participants agreeing that they enjoy their role very or moderately, with the remainder saying they enjoy their role “a little”. Meaningful work (65pc), a supportive manager (49pc) and mixed work (38pc) were also found to be among the most important features or benefits of the workplace.
For the few professionals open to travel, perhaps surprisingly, salary alone was not the main motivator. The survey revealed that 41pc of professionals would move to a bigger challenge. Many want to work on AI and data projects that have a real impact, especially on projects that go beyond pilots or experiments to reduce costs and drive real innovation.
“With only around 30pc of professionals willing to travel, organizations are facing competition for a limited talent pool,” said Alan McGlinn, UK&I financial services director and Ireland country lead at SAS.
He said, “If companies poach talent from one group, the pool can be very small, in order to grow skills and be successful with AI and data systems, companies must invest in talent development internally, data knowledge and training.”
How important is data strategy?
Rising from 45pc last year, to 49pc by 2026, data was found to be at the heart of the organisation’s strategy, with the proportion of those who see data as important but currently on average falling slightly from 36pc to 33pc. The report said, this suggests that many companies are prioritizing data in making strategic decisions.
Only 0.66pc reported that the data was not important, which the report said highlighted its “near universal value”. Data visualization and business intelligence reporting were found to be among the most important technical skills in the sector, with 74pc of respondents identifying them as important. As was project management at 43pc, machine learning and AI at 33pc.
The data also suggested that there are emerging trends in the tools used by data professionals. Excel at 77pc too SQL at 71pc it remains the most used technology, while Python adoption has grown significantly to 53pc, which the report says reflects the increased use of open source analytics tools across organisations.
Malone said, “Overall, this report shows that as organizations increasingly rely on data-driven insights to inform strategy and improve performance, the need for skilled professionals remains strong.
“Companies that can attract and retain people with technical knowledge and commercial understanding and develop skills internally where recruitment is difficult, will be in the best position to unlock the full value of their data and Investment in AI.”
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