County comparison · Ireland

Waterford vs Wicklow

Median annual earnings · Source: CSO 2024

10% gap

Wicklow pays 10% more than Waterford · €46,527 vs €42,460

Wicklow has the higher median salary at €46,527 per year, against €42,460 in Waterford — a gap of 10%. Looking at the longer trend, Wicklow 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 €31,666.

Growth Comparison

+2.2%

Waterford annual growth (CAGR) since 2011

+2.4%

Wicklow annual growth (CAGR) since 2011

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Waterford

€31,595€34,311€37,028€39,744€42,460201120142017202020232024

Wicklow

€33,766€36,956€40,147€43,337€46,527201120142017202020232024

Waterford Gender Pay Gap

20%

Wicklow Gender Pay Gap

20%

Sector-by-Sector Comparison

Sector Waterford Wicklow Diff
Information and Communication €57,488 €89,154 €-31,666
Public Administration and Defence; Compulsory Social Security €54,179 €59,902 €-5,723
Financial, Insurance and Real Estate Activities €43,766 €65,374 €-21,608
Education €55,086 €52,166 +€2,920
Industry (B to E) €54,721 €51,544 +€3,177
Professional, Scientific and Technical Activities €44,094 €53,625 €-9,531
Transportation and Storage €40,080 €48,185 €-8,105
Human Health and Social Work Activities €43,923 €44,246 €-323
Construction €41,600 €44,718 €-3,118
Administrative and Support Service Activities €31,600 €40,196 €-8,596
Wholesale and Retail Trade; Repair of Motor Vehicles and Motorcycles €29,793 €34,841 €-5,048
Arts, Entertainment, Recreation and Other Service Activities €26,142 €30,344 €-4,202
Accommodation and Food Service Activities €23,381 €26,110 €-2,729

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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: Waterford or Wicklow?
Wicklow has higher salaries, with a median of €46,527 compared to €42,460 in Waterford — 10% higher.
What is the gender pay gap in Waterford vs Wicklow?
The gender pay gap is 20% in Waterford and 20% in Wicklow.
Which county's salaries are growing faster: Waterford or Wicklow?
Wicklow salaries are growing faster, at a compound annual rate of +2.4%, compared to +2.2% for Waterford.
Which sector explains the biggest gap between Waterford and Wicklow?
Information and Communication shows the widest gap: €57,488 in Waterford versus €89,154 in Wicklow.