County comparison · Ireland
Carlow vs Meath
Median annual earnings · Source: CSO 2024
Meath pays 15% more than Carlow · €46,272 vs €40,363
Meath has the higher median salary at €46,272 per year, against €40,363 in Carlow — a gap of 15%. Looking at the longer trend, Carlow has grown faster, at +2.2% per year on average — so Carlow is closing the gap over time even though Meath still pays more today. Information and Communication is the sector where the two counties diverge most, with a difference of €12,327.
Growth Comparison
+2.2%
Carlow annual growth (CAGR) since 2011
+2.2%
Meath annual growth (CAGR) since 2011
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Carlow
Meath
Carlow Gender Pay Gap
19%
Meath Gender Pay Gap
22%
Sector-by-Sector Comparison
| Sector | Carlow | Meath | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information and Communication | €66,959 | €79,286 | €-12,327 |
| Public Administration and Defence; Compulsory Social Security | €56,974 | €59,875 | €-2,901 |
| Education | €55,074 | €54,413 | +€661 |
| Financial, Insurance and Real Estate Activities | €48,268 | €59,941 | €-11,673 |
| Professional, Scientific and Technical Activities | €44,100 | €50,411 | €-6,311 |
| Industry (B to E) | €42,320 | €50,340 | €-8,020 |
| Construction | €43,325 | €47,434 | €-4,109 |
| Transportation and Storage | €38,915 | €46,332 | €-7,417 |
| Human Health and Social Work Activities | €38,870 | €45,436 | €-6,566 |
| Administrative and Support Service Activities | €38,209 | €41,711 | €-3,502 |
| Wholesale and Retail Trade; Repair of Motor Vehicles and Motorcycles | €29,986 | €35,143 | €-5,157 |
| Arts, Entertainment, Recreation and Other Service Activities | €24,961 | €29,676 | €-4,715 |
| Accommodation and Food Service Activities | €23,630 | €25,220 | €-1,590 |
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Keep Exploring
County comparison pages are most useful when they feed the next question: which sector explains the gap, and what does each county look like on its own?
Open the full Carlow county page
See the sector table, gender split, and age breakdown for Carlow.
Open the full Meath county page
Jump into the broader county benchmark for Meath.
Check the widest sector gap in Carlow
Information and Communication is one of the strongest differentiators between these counties.
Compare the same sector in Meath
Use the same sector slice to see where Meath lands.
Compare Meath with a nearby county
Keep exploring by testing the stronger county against Cork.
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