Accountants who specialise are seeing their pay go up faster than non-specialists, according to a survey by recruitment firm Robert Half International.

Over the last five to 10 years, specialists have seen their rewards go up 10% more than those in traditional accounting roles.

The attraction of the high salaries on offer for specialist functions has prompted some industry experts to note a secondary impact on the supply of finance professionals. Many traditional practitioners are re-training as specialists, while new entrants into the industry are opting to focus on specialty functions.

Ian Graves, managing director Continental Europe, Robert Half International, said: "The findings confirm that the changing role of the traditional accounting function and its increasing complexity is being ignored. Our advice for employers is not to ignore the traditional accounting roles and ensure that their remuneration reflects the true state of the market today, to avoid potential problems in the future."

The trend has been caused by new IFRS accounting standards and Sarbanes Oxley, legislation requiring more comprehensive and verifiable financial information.

Another finding of the survey was that, for more senior roles, Ireland appears to be the most lucrative country to work in.  For example, chief accountants, management accountants, financial controllers and finance managers are better rewarded than their counterparts in other parts of the world.