Average Salaries in Ireland: What Different Careers Really Pay
How much do people actually earn in Ireland?
The answer depends heavily on the job, experience level, location and employer. A graduate may begin on €30,000–€40,000, an experienced professional might earn €50,000–€75,000, while senior managers and specialists can earn €100,000 or more.
The latest Central Statistics Office figures available at the time of writing show average weekly earnings of €1,046.88 in the second quarter of 2026. That is equivalent to approximately €54,400 over 52 weeks, although this should not be treated as the salary of a typical worker.
The national median is lower because a relatively small number of high earners pull the average upwards. This guide explains what different careers realistically pay and what normally determines where someone falls within each range.
Digital Dinny Quick Answer
Average weekly earnings in Ireland: €1,046.88
Annualised equivalent: approximately €54,400
Latest comprehensive median weekly earnings: €730.89
Annualised median equivalent: approximately €38,000
Typical graduate starting salary: €30,000–€40,000
Common mid-career professional salary: €45,000–€70,000
Experienced manager or specialist: €70,000–€100,000
Senior director, consultant or executive: €100,000+
These figures are gross pay before PAYE, USC, PRSI and pension deductions.
The salary ranges throughout this article are broad market estimates. They combine official earnings data, public-sector pay scales and Irish recruitment salary guides. They are not guaranteed salaries for every employee or vacancy.
What is the average salary in Ireland?
There are two main ways of measuring typical earnings: the mean and the median.
Mean or average salary
The mean is calculated by adding everyone’s earnings together and dividing the total by the number of employments.
According to the CSO, average weekly earnings reached €1,046.88 in Q2 2026, an increase of 3.9% in 12 months.
Multiplying that weekly figure by 52 gives an annualised equivalent of approximately:
€1,046.88 × 52 = €54,438
However, that does not mean most employees earn €54,438.
The CSO’s quarterly figure can include overtime, bonuses and other irregular earnings. It also reflects a workforce containing part-time and full-time employees, along with substantial differences between industries.
Median salary
The median is the midpoint: half of employments earn more and half earn less.
The CSO’s latest comprehensive administrative earnings analysis found median weekly earnings of €730.89 in 2024.
That is equivalent to approximately:
€730.89 × 52 = €38,006
This is often a more useful indicator of what a typical employment pays because very high salaries do not distort it as much as the average.
It is still not a perfect measure of a full-time annual salary. The dataset includes different working patterns and does not contain hours-worked information.
Average salary versus median salary
The gap between the two measures is important:
Annualised average earnings: approximately €54,400
Annualised median earnings: approximately €38,000
Difference: approximately €16,400
The average is higher because earnings are not evenly distributed. Senior executives, highly paid technology professionals, medical consultants, financial specialists and business owners can earn considerably more than the majority of workers.
A salary of €50,000 may therefore be below the mathematical average but comfortably above the latest national median.
Average salaries in Ireland by career
The following figures are indicative annual base-salary ranges. The amount offered for an individual job can be higher or lower depending on experience, location, responsibilities and benefits.
Irish retail, hospitality and customer service salaries
Retail assistant
Typical salary: €28,000–€34,000
Supervisor or department manager: €32,000–€42,000
Store manager: €40,000–€65,000+
Weekend premiums, Sunday pay and bonuses can increase total earnings. Large stores generally pay more than small independent retailers.
Bar staff
Typical salary: €28,000–€36,000
Bar supervisor: €32,000–€42,000
Bar manager: €40,000–€60,000+
Actual earnings depend on hours, tips, late-night work and whether the employee receives a Sunday or public-holiday premium.
Chef
Commis or junior chef: €28,000–€35,000
Chef de partie or experienced chef: €35,000–€45,000
Sous chef: €42,000–€55,000
Head or executive chef: €50,000–€75,000+
Hotels, high-end restaurants and large catering operations may pay more. Long hours and weekend work are common at senior levels.
Customer-service representative
Starting salary: €29,000–€35,000
Experienced representative: €34,000–€42,000
Team leader or manager: €40,000–€60,000
Employees using a second language or working in regulated financial services may receive higher pay.
Irish Administration and the public sector
Office administrator
Starting salary: €29,000–€36,000
Experienced administrator: €35,000–€45,000
Office manager: €45,000–€65,000
Salaries tend to be higher where the position includes payroll, procurement, compliance or responsibility for other employees.
Civil servant
Civil-service jobs generally operate on published incremental scales rather than privately negotiated salaries.
Broad examples include:
Clerical Officer: approximately €30,000–€50,000
Executive Officer: approximately €38,000–€60,000
Higher Executive Officer: approximately €58,000–€75,000
Assistant Principal: approximately €80,000–€100,000+
Employees normally move through the scale through annual increments, subject to the relevant rules and satisfactory performance.
Public-sector packages can also include structured annual leave, pension benefits and greater salary transparency. The published scale should always be checked when applying because national pay agreements can change the figures.
Irish Healthcare salaries
Staff nurse
Starting basic salary: approximately €38,000–€42,000
Experienced staff nurse: approximately €45,000–€58,000
Clinical nurse specialist or manager: €55,000–€80,000+
Basic salary does not tell the full story. Nurses may earn additional money through:
Night-duty allowances
Sunday premiums
Overtime
On-call payments
Qualification allowances
Specialist or management responsibility
Two nurses on the same basic salary can therefore receive different total earnings.
Healthcare assistant
Typical basic salary: €32,000–€42,000
Experienced or senior roles: €40,000–€48,000+
Shift work, nights, Sundays and overtime may materially increase gross pay.
Pharmacist
Newly qualified pharmacist: €45,000–€55,000
Experienced community or hospital pharmacist: €55,000–€75,000
Supervising pharmacist or pharmacy manager: €70,000–€95,000+
A pharmacy owner may earn substantially more, but business income is not the same as an employee’s salary. Owners also carry staffing, rent, stock and regulatory costs.
Doctor
Doctors’ earnings vary considerably by grade:
Intern: approximately €45,000–€50,000 basic
Senior House Officer: approximately €55,000–€70,000 basic
Registrar: approximately €65,000–€85,000 basic
Specialist Registrar: approximately €75,000–€95,000 basic
Public-only consultant: potentially €230,000+ under the relevant contract
Non-consultant hospital doctors may receive substantial overtime and on-call payments on top of basic salary.
The route to the highest earnings is long. It can require a medical degree followed by internship, specialist training and several years working as a non-consultant hospital doctor.
Irish education salaries
Primary or post-primary teacher
Starting salary: approximately €44,000–€47,000
Experienced teacher: approximately €55,000–€70,000
Upper end of the main scale: approximately €80,000+
Principal or senior school leadership: potentially €90,000–€140,000+
Teacher salaries depend on the applicable Department of Education scale, qualifications, incremental credit and allowances.
Some teachers qualify for additional payments for posts of responsibility, principal duties or certain specialist qualifications.
Teachers benefit from a transparent pay scale and relatively strong job security once established. The disadvantages can include the time required to secure a permanent contract and the high cost of housing near schools in major cities.
Irish technology and data salaries
Software developer or software engineer
Graduate or junior: €38,000–€50,000
Mid-level: €50,000–€75,000
Senior: €70,000–€100,000
Engineering manager or principal engineer: €95,000–€140,000+
Large multinational technology companies may offer shares, bonuses and employer pension contributions in addition to salary.
A person with a €90,000 base salary could have total compensation exceeding €110,000 if the package includes a substantial bonus and share awards. Those benefits are not guaranteed cash salary and may be subject to performance targets or vesting periods.
Data analyst
Entry level: €35,000–€45,000
Experienced analyst: €45,000–€65,000
Senior analyst or analytics manager: €65,000–€90,000+
Knowledge of SQL, Excel, Power BI, Tableau, Python or statistical modelling can improve earning potential.
Data scientist or machine-learning specialist
Junior: €40,000–€55,000
Mid-career: €55,000–€80,000
Senior or specialist: €80,000–€120,000+
The highest salaries generally require more than knowing how to use individual tools. Employers pay a premium for people who can solve commercial problems, work with complex datasets and communicate findings clearly.
Cybersecurity professional
Entry level: €40,000–€55,000
Experienced professional: €60,000–€85,000
Security manager, architect or senior specialist: €85,000–€130,000+
Certifications can help, but practical experience in networks, cloud systems, incident response and risk management is particularly valuable.
Irish finance, accountancy and legal salaries
Accountant
Trainee accountant: €28,000–€40,000
Newly qualified accountant: €50,000–€65,000
Experienced accountant or finance manager: €65,000–€90,000
Financial controller or finance director: €90,000–€150,000+000
Professional qualifications such as ACA, ACCA, CIMA or CPA can have a major impact on salary.
The early training years may involve modest pay relative to the study and examination workload. Earnings can rise quickly after qualification, particularly when the employee moves into industry, financial services or a management role.
Financial analyst
Graduate: €35,000–€45,000
Experienced analyst: €50,000–€75,000
Senior analyst or manager: €75,000–€110,000+
Bonuses are more common in banking, investment management and certain corporate-finance positions.
Solicitor
Trainee solicitor: €30,000–€50,000
Newly qualified solicitor: €50,000–€75,000
Experienced solicitor: €70,000–€110,000
Senior associate, partner or specialist: €100,000–€200,000+
The largest commercial firms generally pay more than small regional practices. However, higher salaries can involve longer hours, billing targets and demanding client workloads.
A law degree is not the only entry route, but candidates must complete the Law Society’s professional training and examination requirements to qualify as a solicitor.
Irish engineering and construction salaries
Engineer
Graduate engineer: €36,000–€45,000
Engineer with several years’ experience: €48,000–€68,000
Senior or chartered engineer: €65,000–€90,000
Engineering manager or director: €90,000–€130,000+
Civil, mechanical, electrical, pharmaceutical and process-engineering salaries can differ considerably.
Chartered status, project responsibility and experience in regulated industries can strengthen earning potential.
Quantity surveyor
Graduate: €38,000–€48,000
Intermediate: €50,000–€70,000
Senior: €70,000–€95,000
Commercial director: €100,000–€140,000+
Strong construction demand can increase salaries, but the industry remains sensitive to project pipelines and the wider economy.
Construction project manager
Junior or assistant project manager: €45,000–€60,000
Experienced project manager: €65,000–€90,000
Senior project manager or contracts manager: €90,000–€130,000+
Some packages include a company vehicle, fuel card, travel allowance, subsistence or performance bonus.
Irish trades and transport salaries
Electrician
Apprentice: paid at a proportion of the qualified rate
Newly qualified electrician: €40,000–€50,000
Experienced electrician: €50,000–€65,000
Contractor or specialist: potentially €70,000+
Overtime, site allowances, industrial work and self-employment can increase earnings.
An electrician operating a business may generate more income than an employee, but turnover should not be confused with personal pay. Insurance, equipment, vans, materials and unpaid administrative work must be covered.
Plumber
Newly qualified plumber: €40,000–€50,000
Experienced plumber: €50,000–€65,000
Specialist or self-employed plumber: potentially €70,000+
Emergency call-outs, commercial work and specialist heating skills can improve earnings.
HGV driver
Typical salary: €38,000–€50,000
Experienced or specialist driver: €50,000–€60,000+
Night work, long-distance driving, overnight allowances and overtime can push total earnings above the basic salary.
Drivers generally need the correct driving licence and Driver Certificate of Professional Competence. Certain specialist loads require additional training.
Irish sales, marketing and Human Resources salaries
Sales representative
Base salary: €32,000–€50,000
On-target earnings: €40,000–€70,000
Senior business-development role: €60,000–€100,000+ OTE
OTE means “on-target earnings”: the total expected income if the employee achieves agreed sales targets.
A job advertised at €70,000 OTE might consist of a €45,000 base salary and €25,000 potential commission. The commission should not be treated as guaranteed pay.
Digital marketing professional
Graduate or marketing executive: €30,000–€42,000
Marketing manager: €50,000–€75,000
Head of marketing: €75,000–€110,000
Marketing director: €100,000–€150,000+
Commercial responsibility matters. Employers generally pay more for professionals who can connect marketing activity to sales, customer acquisition, revenue and profit.
Technical skills in paid advertising, analytics, automation, CRM systems and e-commerce may command higher salaries than general content-production skills alone.
Human-resources professional
HR administrator or coordinator: €32,000–€42,000
HR generalist or adviser: €42,000–€60,000
HR manager: €60,000–€85,000
HR director: €100,000–€150,000+
CIPD qualifications can support progression, but employee-relations experience, employment-law knowledge and management responsibility are also important.
Which industries pay the most?
Official CSO sector figures show substantial differences between industries.
In Q2 2026, average weekly earnings included:
Information and communication: €1,730.61
Financial, insurance and real-estate activities: €1,499.23
Professional, scientific and technical activities: €1,294.65
Public administration and defence: €1,256.79
Industry: €1,171.84
Construction: €1,089.21
Education: €1,077.36
Transportation and storage: €1,017.32
Health and social work: €980.94
Administrative and support services: €838.79
Wholesale and retail: €775.16
Arts, sports and other services: €679.73
Accommodation and food services: €506.78
These are sector-wide averages rather than quoted salaries for individual occupations.
For example, the information and communication figure covers more than software developers. It may include managers, sales staff, administrators and other employees working for companies classified within that sector.
What determines your salary in Ireland?
Experience
Experience remains one of the strongest salary drivers.
A graduate may understand the theory of a profession but require supervision. An experienced employee who can work independently, manage clients and train colleagues is normally worth more to an employer.
Responsibility
Managing people, budgets, safety, compliance or major commercial accounts generally increases pay.
A job title alone can be misleading. One “marketing manager” might manage a single social-media account, while another controls a seven-figure budget and a team of ten.
Specialist skills
Scarce and commercially valuable skills tend to attract higher salaries.
Examples include:
Cybersecurity
Artificial intelligence
Data engineering
Pharmaceutical validation
Tax
Regulatory compliance
Construction cost management
Specialist healthcare
Business-to-business sales
Location
Dublin generally offers the largest number of high-paying professional jobs. The CSO found median weekly earnings of €821.42 in Dublin in 2024, compared with a national median of €730.89.
However, higher rent, childcare, transport and housing costs can absorb part of the salary premium.
A €60,000 salary in Dublin is not automatically more valuable than €55,000 elsewhere. The correct comparison is disposable income after housing and commuting costs.
Employer size
In Q2 2026, the CSO recorded average weekly earnings of:
€837.54 in enterprises with fewer than 50 employees
€938.14 in enterprises with 50–250 employees
€1,196.65 in enterprises with more than 250 employees
Large organisations often have greater capacity to pay higher salaries and provide pensions, health insurance and bonuses.
Smaller employers may offer faster responsibility, broader experience, flexibility or a shorter path to management.
Public versus private sector
Public-sector roles normally offer published salary scales, structured increments and pension arrangements.
Private-sector employees may have greater scope to negotiate salary, bonuses, shares or rapid promotion. They can also face more variation in job security and benefits.
Direct comparisons can be misleading because the sectors employ different mixes of occupations, ages and qualifications.
How quickly can someone reach €50,000?
Reaching €50,000 is realistic in many Irish careers, but the timeline varies.
Potentially within two to four years
This may be possible in:
Software development
Engineering
Accountancy after qualification
Pharmaceutical manufacturing
Business-to-business sales
Data and cybersecurity
Certain skilled trades
Construction management
More commonly within five to ten years
This may apply to:
Marketing
Human resources
General administration
Retail management
Hospitality management
Civil-service progression
Dependent on a formal pay scale
Teachers, nurses, Gardaí and many public servants may reach €50,000 through increments, allowances, promotion or a combination of these.
Changing employer can accelerate salary growth in some private-sector careers. Staying with one organisation may provide stability but can result in slower pay progression if increases are limited to modest annual adjustments.
Is a degree financially worthwhile?
It depends on the profession.
A degree is essential or effectively required for careers such as:
Medicine
Teaching
Engineering
Pharmacy
Certain healthcare professions
Many graduate finance and professional-services roles
A degree may be useful but not essential in:
Marketing
Sales
Technology
Human resources
Recruitment
Media
General business management
An apprenticeship or practical qualification may offer better value for someone interested in electrical work, plumbing, mechanics, manufacturing or other technical careers.
The financial question is not simply whether graduates earn more. Readers should consider:
Tuition and education costs
Years spent outside full-time employment
Likelihood of completing the course
Employment demand
Starting salary
Long-term salary ceiling
Availability of an apprenticeship or work-based route
Understanding Irish qualification levels
Ireland’s National Framework of Qualifications ranges from Level 1 to Level 10.
Common qualifications include:
Level 5: Leaving Certificate or further-education certificate
Level 6: Advanced certificate or higher certificate
Level 7: Ordinary bachelor’s degree
Level 8: Honours bachelor’s degree
Level 9: Master’s degree or postgraduate diploma
Level 10: Doctoral degree
A higher qualification does not automatically produce a higher salary.
A Level 6 craftsperson with scarce technical skills can earn more than a Level 9 graduate working in an oversupplied profession. Employers ultimately pay for the combination of knowledge, capability, responsibility and market demand.
Gross salary is not take-home pay
Every salary quoted in this guide is gross income unless otherwise stated.
An employee’s payslip may include deductions for:
PAYE income tax
Universal Social Charge
PRSI
Employee pension contributions
Additional Superannuation Contribution for relevant public servants
Health insurance or other voluntary benefits
A pay rise also does not mean the entire increase is taxed at the employee’s highest income-tax rate. Ireland uses a marginal tax system, so only the portion falling within a higher band is taxed at that rate.
Tax credits, pension contributions, marital status and other circumstances affect take-home pay. Employees should use current Revenue rules when comparing offers.
Salary is only one part of the package
A job paying €55,000 can be more valuable than one paying €60,000 if the first includes better benefits.
Potential benefits include:
Employer pension contribution
Performance bonus
Sales commission
Private health insurance
Share options or restricted stock
Company car
Car allowance
Fuel card
Paid professional subscriptions
Additional annual leave
Overtime or shift premiums
Remote or hybrid working
Income protection
Life assurance
Paid training
Ask whether a quoted figure is base salary or total compensation.
If an employer contributes 8% of a €60,000 salary to a pension, that contribution is worth €4,800 a year, although it is not immediate take-home pay.
Digital Dinny analysis: what the figures really tell us
€50,000 is above typical earnings, but not exceptionally high
Based on the latest comprehensive median data, €50,000 is above the midpoint for Irish employments. It is nevertheless increasingly common among experienced professionals, tradespeople and public servants.
Housing costs can make it feel much less substantial, particularly for a single person renting or buying in Dublin.
The fastest route to higher pay is not always university
Technology, sales, construction and skilled trades can all provide routes to €50,000 or more without a conventional four-year degree.
The strongest non-university routes normally combine a recognised qualification with practical experience and a skill employers struggle to recruit.
Qualifications matter most when they unlock a profession
A qualification has the greatest financial value when it is required for entry or materially changes the jobs someone can perform.
Examples include becoming a qualified accountant, electrician, nurse, teacher, pharmacist or engineer.
Collecting general qualifications without gaining practical experience does not guarantee higher earnings.
The €100,000 jobs usually involve a trade-off
Salaries above €100,000 are achievable, but they are not typical.
They commonly involve at least one of the following:
Management responsibility
Long or unpredictable hours
Revenue or sales targets
Years of specialist training
Regulatory or legal accountability
Scarce technical expertise
Frequent travel
Business ownership
Risk of bonuses not being paid
Responsibility for major budgets or teams
The highest salary is not necessarily the best career choice if it comes with working conditions that are unsustainable for the individual.
Dublin’s pay premium should be measured after costs
Dublin recorded the highest median earnings in the country, but it also has some of Ireland’s highest accommodation costs.
Before accepting a Dublin role, calculate:
Extra take-home pay – additional rent or mortgage costs – commuting costs – childcare difference
That figure is more useful than comparing gross salaries alone.
How to check whether you are being paid fairly
Use more than one source.
1. Compare the correct job
Match your actual responsibilities rather than relying only on the title.
2. Check your experience level
Do not compare a first-year employee with someone managing a department.
3. Use several salary guides
Recruitment-company estimates can differ because they use different placements, clients, sectors and locations.
4. Examine live vacancies
Job advertisements show what employers are prepared to offer now, although many still omit salary information.
5. Include the entire package
Calculate the value of pension contributions, bonuses, annual leave, health insurance and remote working.
6. Prepare evidence before requesting a pay rise
Useful evidence includes:
Revenue generated
Costs reduced
Projects completed
New responsibilities
Positive client results
Staff managed
Specialist skills gained
Comparable market salaries
“I have taken responsibility for a €500,000 account and increased sales by 15%” is a stronger argument than “I have worked here for two years.”
Advantages and disadvantages of pursuing a higher-paying career
Advantages
Greater capacity to save and invest
Improved mortgage affordability
More financial protection against unexpected costs
Better pension contributions in some roles
Greater career mobility
Potential access to bonuses, shares and other benefits
Disadvantages
Longer education or training requirements
Greater responsibility and stress
Longer or less predictable working hours
Higher performance expectations
More management and administrative work
Greater exposure to job cuts in some highly paid private-sector industries
Pressure to live close to expensive employment centres
How to get started
If you are choosing or changing careers:
Identify five jobs that genuinely interest you.
Check real vacancies and note the required skills.
Compare starting, mid-career and senior salaries.
Establish whether a degree, apprenticeship or professional qualification is necessary.
Speak to people already working in the profession.
Calculate the cost and length of training.
Look for an entry-level role, internship or apprenticeship.
Build evidence of practical skills.
Review your salary against the market every 12 months.
Consider both pay and quality of life before moving jobs.
A career should not be judged on its maximum advertised salary. A better question is what an ordinary person can realistically earn after three, five and ten years—and what they must do to get there.
Frequently asked questions
What is the average salary in Ireland?
CSO figures show average weekly earnings of €1,046.88 in Q2 2026. This is approximately €54,400 when multiplied by 52, but it includes different working patterns and may include overtime and irregular payments.
What is the median salary in Ireland?
The latest comprehensive CSO administrative analysis found median weekly earnings of €730.89 in 2024, equivalent to approximately €38,000 over 52 weeks. This should not be treated as an exact full-time annual salary because the data covers employments with different working patterns.
Is €50,000 a good salary in Ireland?
€50,000 is above the latest annualised median earnings figure. Whether it provides a comfortable lifestyle depends on housing costs, dependants, debt, transport and whether it is a single or household income.
What careers pay more than €100,000 in Ireland?
Potential routes include medicine, senior technology, law, finance, engineering management, executive leadership, specialist sales and business ownership. Most require extensive experience, responsibility or specialist qualifications.
Can you earn €50,000 without a degree?
Yes. Experienced electricians, plumbers, HGV drivers, sales professionals, technology workers and construction specialists can earn €50,000 or more without a traditional university degree. Training and practical experience are still normally required.
Do salaries tend to be higher in Dublin?
Yes. Dublin had the country’s highest median weekly earnings in the CSO’s 2024 analysis. However, accommodation and commuting costs should be included when comparing offers.
Are recruitment salary guides accurate?
They are useful estimates rather than official pay scales. Different recruiters work with different employers and vacancies, so ranges can vary. Public-sector scales are more precise because they are formally published.
Sources and further reading
CSO: Earnings Analysis Using Administrative Data Sources 2024
Department of Education: Education circulars
HSE: Pay and benefits
Quality and Qualifications Ireland: National Framework of Qualifications