Irish B2B Marketing Benchmarks, 2026 Edition

How to Read This Edition

Every figure in this edition is cited, with the full source list at the back. Every figure is attributed to the organisation that published it, with the data year stated. Where a genuinely Ireland-specific number does not exist, that is said out loud rather than filled with an international figure presented as local.

Cite this edition

Suggested citation: Bluerock Consultancy, Irish B2B Marketing Benchmarks, 2026 Edition, compiled from published third party sources, bluerockconsultancy.com/irish-b2b-marketing-benchmarks. A downloadable PDF of this edition is available at /irish-b2b-marketing-benchmarks-2026.pdf. Please cite the original publisher named beside each figure as well.

How current this data is

Reviewed on 1 September 2026 using the most recent editions published at that date. Official statistics run behind the calendar, so the CSO Business in Ireland 2023 release from December 2025 is still the newest full business economy data. Salary guides, PRSI rates and auto enrolment contributions are 2026 editions. Check the linked sources for a newer release if you are reading this long after September 2026.

What the Irish Buyer Landscape Looks Like

The CSO recorded 401,359 active enterprises in the business economy in 2023, with SMEs at 99.8 percent of active enterprises and 60.6 percent of persons engaged. For most B2B propositions the realistic addressable market in Ireland is a few thousand companies rather than a mass audience, and the decision often sits with one or two people who already know your competitors by name. Reputation compounds faster than paid reach, segment choice matters more than channel choice, and volume based outbound runs out of market before it runs out of budget. No published Irish figure exists for buying committee size or for how much of the journey happens before contact, so the international numbers below are a proxy rather than local fact.

Marketing Budget as a Share of Revenue

No Ireland-only benchmark for marketing spend as a share of revenue is published by the CSO or by any named Irish survey. The international averages that get quoted come from surveys of very large organisations, so they describe a different kind of business to a scaling Irish company. Work backwards from closed won rate and average deal value to the number of qualified conversations a revenue target needs, then price the channels that can produce them.

Irish Marketing Salary Ranges

Employer Costs on Top of Salary

Total First Year Cost of a Senior Marketing Hire

How B2B Buyers Actually Buy

Gartner's B2B Buying Report finds 75 percent of buyers prefer a rep-free experience, with buying committees of six to ten stakeholders. 6sense's 2025 B2B Buyer Experience Report finds the vendor already favoured before first contact wins roughly 80 percent of the time. Median B2B SaaS sales cycles run about 84 days, longer for enterprise deals. No Ireland-specific research exists on any of these measures.

Irish Business and Digital Adoption Data

The CSO recorded 401,359 active enterprises and 2,345,457 people employed in the business economy in 2023. Eurostat reports 58 percent of EU SMEs reached at least basic digital intensity in 2023 against 91 percent of large enterprises. The CSO found more than 15 percent of Irish enterprises used artificial intelligence in 2024, rising to 51 percent among those with 250 or more employees.

Grant Support Limits for Marketing and Digital Work

Enterprise Ireland's Digital Marketing Capability support tops out at €35,000 and its New Market Validation Grant at €150,000. The Local Enterprise Office Grow Digital Voucher offers up to €5,000 for businesses with up to 50 employees. The Market Discovery Fund covers research and market entry rather than campaign execution.

Common Questions About Selling Into Ireland

How much should a B2B company spend on marketing as a share of revenue?

There is no published Ireland-only benchmark for marketing spend as a share of revenue, and the international averages that circulate are drawn from very large companies, so they say little about a scaling Irish business. Work backwards from closed won rate and average deal value to the number of qualified conversations the revenue goal needs, then price the channels that can produce them.

What does a senior marketing hire cost in Ireland in 2026?

Excel Recruitment's 2026 Sales and Marketing Salary Guide puts a marketing manager at €60,000 to €80,000 and a head of marketing at €85,000 to €120,000 nationally. Morgan McKinley's Dublin marketing director data runs indicatively €120,000 to €180,000. With employer PRSI, pension auto-enrolment, bonus and recruitment fees, an SME senior marketing hire realistically lands at €120,000 or more a year all in.

What are the employer costs on top of salary in Ireland?

Employer PRSI at Class A runs at 8.9 percent up to the weekly threshold and 11.15 percent above it. Pension auto-enrolment began on 1 January 2026 with a minimum employer contribution of 1.5 percent of gross salary, rising toward 6 percent over ten years. Recruitment agency fees are commonly quoted at 15 to 20 percent of first year salary.

What grant funding exists in Ireland for marketing capability?

Enterprise Ireland's Digital Marketing Capability support carries a maximum award of €35,000 and its New Market Validation Grant goes up to €150,000. The Local Enterprise Office Grow Digital Voucher offers up to €5,000 for businesses with up to 50 employees.

What should a company know before selling into the Irish market?

Ireland is a small, tightly networked market where reputation travels faster than advertising. The CSO recorded 401,359 active enterprises in the business economy in 2023, and SMEs account for 99.8 percent of active enterprises, so most addressable buyers are small teams where one or two people carry the decision. Visibility and credibility with a named segment usually beat broad reach.

How much does a marketing manager cost in Ireland?

Excel Recruitment's 2026 Sales and Marketing Salary Guide puts a marketing manager at €60,000 to €80,000 base salary. Once employer PRSI of 8.9 to 11.15 percent, pension auto-enrolment of 1.5 percent and a recruitment fee of 15 to 20 percent are added, a marketing manager hire in an Irish SME typically costs €80,000 or more in the first year before any training, bonus or campaign spend.

How much does a marketing director cost in Ireland?

Morgan McKinley's Dublin marketing director data runs indicatively €120,000 to €180,000 base. Adding employer PRSI, pension auto-enrolment and recruitment fees, a marketing director for an Irish SME usually lands at €150,000 or more all in, before campaign budget and any bonus.