County comparison · Ireland
Kilkenny vs Waterford
Median annual earnings · Source: CSO 2024
Kilkenny pays 2% more than Waterford · €43,132 vs €42,460
Kilkenny has the higher median salary at €43,132 per year, against €42,460 in Waterford — a gap of 2%. Looking at the longer trend, Kilkenny has grown faster, at +2.3% per year on average. Professional, Scientific and Technical Activities is the sector where the two counties diverge most, with a difference of €5,810.
Growth Comparison
+2.3%
Kilkenny annual growth (CAGR) since 2011
+2.2%
Waterford annual growth (CAGR) since 2011
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Kilkenny
Waterford
Kilkenny Gender Pay Gap
14%
Waterford Gender Pay Gap
20%
Sector-by-Sector Comparison
| Sector | Kilkenny | Waterford | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information and Communication | €61,062 | €57,488 | +€3,574 |
| Education | €55,185 | €55,086 | +€99 |
| Public Administration and Defence; Compulsory Social Security | €54,057 | €54,179 | €-122 |
| Industry (B to E) | €51,155 | €54,721 | €-3,566 |
| Professional, Scientific and Technical Activities | €49,904 | €44,094 | +€5,810 |
| Financial, Insurance and Real Estate Activities | €46,970 | €43,766 | +€3,204 |
| Human Health and Social Work Activities | €45,059 | €43,923 | +€1,136 |
| Construction | €45,433 | €41,600 | +€3,833 |
| Transportation and Storage | €39,548 | €40,080 | €-532 |
| Administrative and Support Service Activities | €34,065 | €31,600 | +€2,465 |
| Wholesale and Retail Trade; Repair of Motor Vehicles and Motorcycles | €30,852 | €29,793 | +€1,059 |
| Arts, Entertainment, Recreation and Other Service Activities | €27,481 | €26,142 | +€1,339 |
| Accommodation and Food Service Activities | €24,949 | €23,381 | +€1,568 |
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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 Kilkenny county page
See the sector table, gender split, and age breakdown for Kilkenny.
Open the full Waterford county page
Jump into the broader county benchmark for Waterford.
Check the widest sector gap in Kilkenny
Professional, Scientific and Technical Activities is one of the strongest differentiators between these counties.
Compare the same sector in Waterford
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Compare Kilkenny with a nearby county
Keep exploring by testing the stronger county against Westmeath.
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