For many Irish businesses, the United States is the single biggest growth opportunity they will pursue. It is also one of the most misunderstood. Companies choose cities on familiarity, hire too quickly and budget on salaries alone, and around 70% of first international expansions fail or are seriously delayed.
The US Playbook for Irish Companies draws on nearly a decade of Phoenix Search work building US teams for Irish businesses, more than one hundred placements across Atlanta, New York, Miami and Texas, combined with market data verified against primary sources in July 2026.
The guide compares six US markets (New York, Boston, Charlotte and Raleigh, Austin, Atlanta and Miami) on talent, salaries, tax and office costs. It sets out who to hire first and how to structure US offers, what a US team really costs once benefits and payroll taxes are counted, how regulated fintech and life sciences businesses should sequence their hires, and the practical steps of entry: employer of record or US entity, visas, the first 100 days and Enterprise Ireland supports. Anonymised case studies show how Phoenix has built commercial engines, leadership teams and finance functions in the US.
Download the full guide for the city salary tables, cost comparisons, case studies and the board questions to ask before you expand.
Related reading: Building Your C-Suite in Payments: Ireland, UK and US and our payments and fintech executive search practice.
