Chapter 4 – Belfast, Dublin, London… or the World?

You’ve qualified. You have the letters after your name. And suddenly the map gets much bigger.

For a newly qualified Chartered Accountant in Northern Ireland, Belfast is no longer the only realistic employment market.

Dublin is less than two hours away. London remains one of the world’s largest financial and professional-services centres. Australia continues to attract Irish and UK accountants. Canada, New Zealand, the Middle East, the United States and continental Europe can all potentially offer opportunities.

That creates an exciting question.

Should you stay – or should you go?

And, perhaps more importantly:

Is moving away actually worth it?

The obvious temptation is to compare salaries.

£45,000 in Belfast.

€65,000 in Dublin.

£65,000 in London.

On the surface, the maths seems straightforward. It isn’t.

Salary is only one part of the equation. Rent, taxation, commuting, lifestyle, career development, employer brand, the type of experience you gain and your future earning potential can all completely change the answer. For some newly qualified accountants, moving away will be one of the best career decisions they ever make. For others, remaining in Northern Ireland may provide the better combination of career development, disposable income, lifestyle and long-term opportunity.

The objective should not be to move simply because you can.

It should be to understand what the move is going to do for your career.

First things first – your qualification travels

One of the biggest advantages of becoming a Chartered Accountant is that your qualification is unusually portable.

Chartered Accountants Ireland describes the qualification as a global credential and reports that approximately 6,340 of its members work overseas. Around 1,600 Irish Chartered Accountants are currently working in Australia alone.

There is also considerable formal recognition behind that portability.

Chartered Accountants Ireland currently has mutual-recognition arrangements with ten professional bodies internationally, including organisations in Australia and New Zealand, Canada, the United States, Hong Kong, Singapore and South Africa, as well as ICAEW and ICAS in Great Britain.

That does not mean that every accountant can simply arrive in another country and immediately obtain local audit or practising rights. Local regulation, taxation, company law, visa requirements and professional-registration rules can still apply. But for an accountant considering an international career, the starting position is strong. You have a qualification that employers around the world understand. That is a significant asset.

Option One: Belfast

Let’s start at home.

Belfast does not offer the highest headline salary of the locations we are going to consider. But headline salary is not the same thing as financial outcome. Our current Abacus Careers Accountancy Salary Guide places an industry-based newly qualified accountant in Northern Ireland at approximately:

£42,000 – £50,000

with an average of around £46,000.

In professional practice, newly qualified ACA/ACCA salaries are broadly around £38,000–£46,000, while Assistant Manager-level positions in larger audit and tax practices can move into the mid-to-upper £40,000s. As we discussed in Chapter One, current vacancies suggest that the market is gradually moving towards the higher end of those ranges for candidates with strong experience. So why stay? Because Belfast can offer a combination which is sometimes underestimated.

Lower housing costs

Housing remains considerably less expensive than London and Dublin. Official UK rental statistics showed average Northern Ireland private rent of approximately £877 per month in April 2026. By comparison, average London private rent was approximately £2,302 per month in June 2026.

Obviously these are regional averages rather than a direct comparison of identical apartments, but the scale of the difference matters. An extra £15,000 or £20,000 of salary can disappear remarkably quickly if an additional £1,000 or more each month is being spent on accommodation.

A growing professional market

Northern Ireland is also a much more sophisticated accountancy employment market than it was 15 or 20 years ago. Alongside traditional local businesses and accountancy practices, Belfast now contains substantial operations across financial services, technology, professional services, legal services, insurance and international shared-service environments. For the right candidate, it is entirely possible to build a senior finance career without leaving Northern Ireland.

Lifestyle has a value

Being close to family and friends, shorter commuting times, the potential to purchase property earlier and the ability to maintain an established social network all have economic and personal value. They do not appear in a salary survey. But they matter.

The key question for someone staying in Belfast is therefore not:

“Am I being paid as much as someone in London?”

It is:

“Am I gaining the experience that will allow my career and earnings to continue developing?”

If the answer is yes, staying is not the conservative option. It may be the smart one.

Option Two: Dublin

Dublin is arguably the most obvious alternative for a newly qualified accountant from Northern Ireland. Geographically it is close. Professionally it is a significantly larger market. And culturally, the transition is relatively straightforward.

Current salary data puts newly qualified accountants in Dublin at approximately:

€60,000 – €65,000.

The Chartered Accountants Leinster Society salary survey provides another useful benchmark. Its September 2026 research found an average total remuneration package of €65,538 for newly qualified Chartered Accountants across Leinster. Interestingly, the equivalent figure in 2025 had been €72,450.

That decline is worth noting. Salary markets do not simply move upwards every year. Survey populations change, economic conditions change and hiring demand changes. But Dublin still offers a substantial pool of opportunity. Multinational technology companies, pharmaceutical businesses, financial-services organisations, international banks, private equity and investment businesses, large indigenous companies and the Big Four all recruit qualified accountants.

For someone who wants exposure to major international employers without moving particularly far from home, Dublin has obvious attractions. But then we encounter the Dublin problem.

Housing

A €65,000 salary sounds considerably larger than a £45,000 salary. That does not automatically mean the individual is financially better off. Accommodation availability and rental costs remain a major issue in Dublin.

Anyone considering the move therefore needs to assess:

• actual net monthly pay;
• accommodation costs;
• commuting;
• pension contribution;
• bonus;
• working hours;
• hybrid working;
• and the cost of travelling back to Northern Ireland.

There is another possibility too. For candidates living close to good transport links, hybrid working may make a Belfast-to-Dublin career possible without a full relocation.

That will depend entirely on the employer and the number of office days required, but the improvement in rail and bus connectivity combined with hybrid working means that the traditional choice between “live in Belfast” and “live in Dublin” is not always quite as binary as it once was.

Option Three: London

Then there is London. For generations of ambitious Irish accountants, London has been the obvious first international career move.

It still has considerable appeal. 2026 salary guides place London newly qualified accountant salaries broadly around:

£60,000 – £70,000.

That immediately creates a significant premium over Belfast. A candidate earning £45,000 in Northern Ireland who secures £65,000 in London has increased their headline salary by £20,000. But again, that is not the calculation that matters.

Average London private rent stood at approximately £2,302 per month in June 2026, according to the Office for National Statistics. For someone renting independently, housing can consume a very substantial proportion of the salary premium. Sharing accommodation changes the calculation considerably, which is one reason London can make particular sense in your twenties.

But London offers something beyond salary.

Scale.

• Major listed businesses.
• Global financial institutions.
• Private equity.
• Investment banking.
• Corporate finance.
• Global professional-services firms.
• Fintech.
• Technology.
• Insurance.
• International headquarters.

Some career paths and specialist opportunities simply exist on a larger scale in London. That can have enormous long-term value. A newly qualified accountant might spend three years in London, return to Northern Ireland in their late twenties or early thirties and bring back experience that significantly strengthens their position in the Belfast market. This is one of the reasons I encourage candidates considering London not to assess the move solely on what they will save during year one.

Ask:

What could this experience make me worth in five years?

That can be a much more important number.

Option Four: Australia

If there is one destination that has traditionally attracted newly qualified accountants from Ireland and the UK, it is Australia. And there are good reasons. The professional qualification transfers well.

Chartered Accountants Ireland has mutual-recognition arrangements with Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand and CPA Australia. The employment market is substantial, particularly in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth.

Current 2026 Australian salary benchmarks illustrate the potential scale of remuneration. Sydney Financial Accountant salaries, for example, are reported around A$103,550 to A$125,350, depending on experience, with a median around A$114,450. These are broader Financial Accountant figures rather than a specific guaranteed NQ salary, so they need to be treated as market guidance rather than an expected starting point.

The visa environment is also relatively accessible for younger UK and Irish applicants. Australia’s Working Holiday arrangements currently allow eligible UK and Irish passport holders to apply up to age 35. For UK passport holders, changes introduced in recent years can allow up to three separate Working Holiday visas without the previous specified-work requirements.

For a 24- or 25-year-old newly qualified accountant, that creates a genuine window of opportunity. And that word — window — is important.

Relocating to Australia at 25 with few commitments is very different from trying to make the same move at 35 with a partner, children, mortgage and established career. There are some career decisions that become harder with time. Working overseas is one of them.

What about Canada, New Zealand and the US?

Canada and New Zealand have also historically attracted Irish accountants, and Chartered Accountants Ireland has recognition arrangements with professional bodies in both countries. The United States is more complicated because professional licensing rules vary and immigration can be more difficult.

However, Chartered Accountants Ireland has formal recognition arrangements involving AICPA/NASBA, making the qualification valuable for candidates able to secure an appropriate employment and immigration route. The important point is not that one destination is universally better than another. It is that qualification substantially expands your geographical employment market. Before qualification, an international move can be difficult. After qualification, you have something employers recognise.

And then there is the Middle East

Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Doha and the wider Gulf continue to attract finance professionals from Ireland and the UK. For many years the attraction has been obvious. (For this analysis, I am ignoring the effects of the ongoing war in the region and assuming a decision to make the move will be based at a time of stability and safety.)

• International employers.
• Large projects.
• Regional headquarters.
• Potentially attractive tax arrangements.
• And in some cases very strong compensation packages.

But this is another market where candidates need to look beyond the advertised salary. Housing allowances, medical insurance, flights home, bonuses, end-of-service benefits and relocation assistance can materially affect the real value of a package.

The same applies to the job itself. A strong international group finance, FP&A, transaction, reporting or commercial-finance role could add considerably to your CV. A poorly defined accounting position with limited development may not.

Location should never compensate for a weak job. That principle applies whether the location is Dubai, Dublin or Donegall Square.

The career value of leaving

There is another reason to consider moving abroad which has very little to do with salary.

Perspective.

Someone who has worked successfully in Belfast, Sydney and London before the age of 30 has experienced different management styles, businesses, cultures, regulatory environments and ways of working. That experience can accelerate professional maturity and is viewed very favourably, it speaks volumes of your character:

• You learn to rebuild a network.
• You learn to operate outside your comfort zone.
• You work with people from different backgrounds.
• And you see how businesses operate elsewhere.

ICAEW explicitly notes that international experience and developing a global mindset can be valuable career experience for professionals seeking to reach senior management positions. That does not mean international experience guarantees career success. It doesn’t. Nor does staying at home limit your potential. But international experience can provide differentiation. And career differentiation becomes increasingly important as you progress.

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The hidden option: go away – and come back

There is sometimes an assumption that moving abroad is a permanent decision. It is not, in my 20+ years of hiring locally I have been priviledged to help and support many people return to N.Ireland. Some after 18 months, others after 10 years.

In fact, one of the most attractive career strategies for a Northern Ireland accountant can be:

Imagine two candidates approaching their early thirties. Both qualified in Belfast. One remained locally and progressed through a strong Northern Ireland business.

Qualify → gain two to four years of international experience → return.

The other spent three years with a multinational in Dublin, London or Sydney before returning.

Both may now have excellent CVs. They simply offer different experience.

Northern Ireland employers regularly value candidates returning home with:

• multinational exposure;
• group reporting experience;
• larger-scale systems experience;
• FP&A and commercial finance exposure;
• international stakeholder management;
• transformation experience;
• or experience from larger financial-services environments.

Moving away therefore does not mean abandoning the Northern Ireland market. Sometimes it increases your future value within it.

Don’t move for £5,000

This may be the most important section of this article. Relocation is a major decision. If you are leaving your family, friends, home and established network, there should be a compelling reason. And that reason doesn’t have to be (and probably should not be soley) money.

You might move because the opportunity provides:

• exposure to a global company;
• experience that doesn’t exist locally;
• access to corporate finance or investment markets;
• a route into FP&A;
• international experience;
• a better promotional pathway;
• or simply the chance to live somewhere different while you are young enough to do it easily.

All perfectly valid. But moving solely because the salary looks slightly higher is dangerous. A £5,000 salary increase can disappear very quickly through rent and living costs.The question should therefore be:

“What am I getting from this move that I cannot easily get where I am?”

If you cannot answer that question, think very carefully. A bad choice here can have significant impact!

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Compare opportunities properly

If you are considering Belfast versus Dublin, London or somewhere overseas, I would suggest comparing every opportunity across six headings.

1. Money

• Not headline salary.
• Net disposable income.
• What is left after tax, housing and commuting?

2. Experience

• What will you actually be doing?
• What new skills will you gain?

3. Employer

• Will the organisation add something meaningful to your CV?

4. Progression

• Where could the role realistically take you in two or three years?

5. Lifestyle

• Working hours, hybrid arrangements, holidays, commuting and quality of life matter.

6. Exit opportunities

• Perhaps the most overlooked question of all – What job could I get after this one?

Your first post-qualified position does not need to be your forever job. It needs to position you well for the next one.

So… should you stay or should you go?

There is no universal answer. It is your decision and your only!

For one newly qualified accountant, Belfast at £46,000 with an excellent employer, manageable housing costs and rapid progression could be an outstanding decision. For another, £65,000 in London with a global organisation could provide career experience that changes their trajectory. Someone else may decide that they are 25, newly qualified, unattached and unlikely ever to have a better opportunity to spend three years in Australia.

All three could be making the correct decision. What I would discourage is drifting into the next stage of your career without properly considering the alternatives.

Qualification gives you choices. Use them.

Look at Belfast. Talk to employers in Dublin. Explore London. Investigate Australia. Speak to people who have already made the move – really important!

Understand the numbers. Understand the job. And then ask yourself a very simple question:

Where will I learn the most?

Because at 25 or 26, the best financial decision may not be the job that pays you the most next year. It may be the opportunity that makes you significantly more valuable at 30.

One final thought

There is a point in most careers when mobility becomes more difficult:

• Mortgages arrive.
• Partners have careers.
• Children arrive.
• Family responsibilities increase.

The ability to pack a suitcase and take a job 10,000 miles away becomes considerably more complicated. That doesn’t mean every newly qualified accountant should leave Northern Ireland. Far from it.

But if you have always wondered what it might be like to work in London, Dublin, Sydney, Toronto, Dubai or somewhere entirely different, qualification is a very sensible point to investigate it. You don’t have to go. But you should at least understand your options before deciding to stay.

Your qualification has given you a passport to a much bigger employment market. The question is what you want to do with it.

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Next in the series

Chapter 5 – Two Offers, One Decision: How Do You Choose the Right Job?

Salary. Employer. Job title. Hybrid working. Promotion prospects. Culture. Benefits. Future marketability.

When two attractive offers arrive at the same time, how should a newly qualified accountant decide which one will be better for their career?

That is what we will examine next.

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About the data

Salary figures in this article are indicative market benchmarks rather than guaranteed offers. Individual salaries vary according to employer, sector, responsibilities, technical experience and wider benefits.

Northern Ireland figures include the Abacus Careers 2026 Accountancy Salary Guide and current market evidence. Dublin figures include Irishjobs 2026 Ireland Salary Guide and the 2026 Chartered Accountants Leinster Society salary research. London figures include 2026 UK salary data. Rental comparisons use Office for National Statistics data.

International employment, visa and professional-recognition requirements can change and candidates should check the latest requirements with the relevant immigration authority, professional body and prospective employer before relocating.

About the author

Justin Rush has worked in accountancy and financial recruitment across London, Dublin and Belfast for more than 20 years. He founded Abacus Careers in 2003 and has advised hundreds of qualified accountants on career moves across professional practice, industry and financial services, both in Northern Ireland and internationally.