CSO salary data for Ireland

Irish pay, mapped clearly.

Compare salaries by county, sector, age, and gender using official Irish earnings data.

€44,816

Median annual salary in Ireland (2024)

Top sector: Information and Communication Top county: Dublin Quarterly update: Q1 2026
Average Salary Compare Sectors Search Salaries

Rankings

Highest-Paying Sectors

1 Information and Communication €80,147 2 Financial, Insurance and Real Estate Activities €59,023 3 Public Administration and Defence; Compulsory Social Security €56,745 4 Education €54,413 5 Professional, Scientific and Technical Activities €51,750
View all sectors

Places

Highest-Paying Counties

1 Dublin €49,224 2 Kildare €48,431 3 Wicklow €46,527 4 Cork €46,416 5 Meath €46,272
View all counties

Sector table

Highest-Paying Sectors

See which industries currently lead the Irish salary rankings.

County table

Highest-Paying Counties

Find the counties with the strongest salary levels right now.

Time series

Salary Trends

Track how Irish pay has moved over time using official data.

Analysis

Insights

Guide

Benchmark Your Own Salary

Five adjustments that turn the national average into a figure describing your job.

Inflation

Salaries vs Inflation Since 2011

Nominal pay is up by more than a third. See what is left after prices.

Affordability

Where Salaries Go Furthest

Every county ranked by what a median salary is worth once rent is paid.
Read all insights

How to use Salaries.ie

Salaries.ie is designed to answer three practical questions quickly: what people earn in Ireland overall, which sectors pay the most, and how salary levels change by county. The numbers come from official CSO data, which makes them far more useful than anecdotal salary talk online.

If you are researching a move, benchmarking your own pay, or comparing career directions, start with the national figure above, then drill into the county, sector, and comparison pages. That gives you a much better picture than relying on one national average alone.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the average salary in Ireland?
The median annual salary in Ireland is €44,816 as of 2024, based on CSO annual earnings data. The most recent quarterly figure (Q1 2026) is €55,930 annualised. The median is generally a better benchmark than the mean (average), as it is less skewed by very high earners at the top of the distribution.
What is the highest-paying sector in Ireland?
Information and Communication is the highest-paying sector in Ireland with a median salary of €80,147. This reflects the concentration of technology and software companies operating their European bases here. See the full sector rankings for a complete list.
Which county in Ireland pays the most?
Dublin is the highest-paying county with a median salary of €49,224. Higher county medians are usually driven by employer mix — counties with more multinational technology, finance, and pharma employers tend to record higher medians. See the full county rankings for all 26 counties.
Are Irish salaries rising?
Yes, the national median salary increased by 4% in 2024 compared to the previous year. See the salary trends page for a full historical breakdown and inflation-adjusted figures.
Where does this data come from?
All salary figures on Salaries.ie come from the Central Statistics Office (CSO) — the official Irish national statistics body. The primary source is the CSO annual earnings survey (DEA06/DEA08), which covers earnings by county, sector, age, and gender. Quarterly figures come from the CSO EHQ03 quarterly earnings release. See the methodology page for full details.

Source: Central Statistics Office (CSO)