County comparison · Ireland

Cavan vs Galway

Median annual earnings · Source: CSO 2024

8% gap

Galway pays 8% more than Cavan · €43,995 vs €40,596

Galway has the higher median salary at €43,995 per year, against €40,596 in Cavan — a gap of 8%. Looking at the longer trend, Galway has grown faster, at +2.4% per year on average. Information and Communication is the sector where the two counties diverge most, with a difference of €6,990.

Growth Comparison

+2.3%

Cavan annual growth (CAGR) since 2011

+2.4%

Galway annual growth (CAGR) since 2011

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Cavan

€30,000€32,649€35,298€37,947€40,596201120142017202020232024

Galway

€31,816€34,861€37,906€40,950€43,995201120142017202020232024

Cavan Gender Pay Gap

17%

Galway Gender Pay Gap

12%

Sector-by-Sector Comparison

Sector Cavan Galway Diff
Information and Communication €63,566 €70,556 €-6,990
Education €53,720 €59,410 €-5,690
Public Administration and Defence; Compulsory Social Security €56,063 €54,987 +€1,076
Financial, Insurance and Real Estate Activities €52,500 €47,978 +€4,522
Professional, Scientific and Technical Activities €41,250 €47,835 €-6,585
Human Health and Social Work Activities €42,851 €45,493 €-2,642
Industry (B to E) €42,424 €45,154 €-2,730
Construction €42,534 €43,962 €-1,428
Transportation and Storage €37,157 €39,555 €-2,398
Administrative and Support Service Activities €35,466 €35,389 +€77
Wholesale and Retail Trade; Repair of Motor Vehicles and Motorcycles €29,161 €33,557 €-4,396
Arts, Entertainment, Recreation and Other Service Activities €24,646 €26,795 €-2,149
Accommodation and Food Service Activities €23,480 €27,265 €-3,785

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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?

Frequently Asked Questions

Which has higher salaries: Cavan or Galway?
Galway has higher salaries, with a median of €43,995 compared to €40,596 in Cavan — 8% higher.
What is the gender pay gap in Cavan vs Galway?
The gender pay gap is 17% in Cavan and 12% in Galway.
Which county's salaries are growing faster: Cavan or Galway?
Galway salaries are growing faster, at a compound annual rate of +2.4%, compared to +2.3% for Cavan.
Which sector explains the biggest gap between Cavan and Galway?
Information and Communication shows the widest gap: €63,566 in Cavan versus €70,556 in Galway.