Irish millennials: Lads want to work at Paddy Power but who earns what?

The study by brand experts Universum shows the average 21-year-old Irish male student in a business, IT or engineering course expects to earn €45,000 when they leave college, while their female counterparts anticipate an average starting salary of €37,000.

The gender divide goes beyond pay. Disney and L'Oreal are among womens' ideal employers, while Paddy Power and Nike are favoured by men.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, for both sexes, those coming of age after the recession rank job security above all other priorities as they leave college.

More than half of 10,000 business, engineering and IT students who responded to the survey between October 2014 and February 2015 see stable employment as their top priority.

Having a positive working environment is also a major issue for so called "millennials".

Google and Apple are seen as the most desirable employers by both male and female students across commercial and technical courses.

The multinational technology firms' appeal is boosted by their reputations for staff-friendly working environments and high-end campus-style offices. In a sign the post-crash brain drain may be ending, most graduates hope to find their ideal employer in Ireland, though 38pc are considering emigration for career reasons.