Salary in Laois
Based on CSO data · 2024
County Laois is a midlands county well-positioned on the Dublin-Cork road corridor, making it an attractive hub for logistics and light industry. Port Laoise is the main employment centre. The county has benefited from Dublin overspill as remote working reshapes where people choose to live and work.
Earning in Laois: What the Data Shows
Laois benefits from a central location on the Dublin-Cork motorway corridor that gives it logistical advantages few midlands counties can match. This positioning has attracted distribution centres, light manufacturing, and agri-food processing operations that provide steady employment at or near the national median for those sectors. Portlaoise's role as a regional service centre adds public sector and retail employment.
The county's salary profile has been incrementally lifted by Dublin commuter and remote worker inflows. As housing costs in the capital and its inner commuter belt have escalated, Laois has become an attractive option for workers willing to trade commute time for affordability. The county offers housing at roughly a third of Dublin prices, which translates into a substantial effective pay increase for anyone earning a Dublin salary while living in Laois.
The salary trajectory in Laois is positive but gradual, driven more by compositional shifts in the workforce than by rapid indigenous economic development. The county's challenge is to develop a more diversified local employment base that can generate higher-paying roles independently of the Dublin commuter effect. Recent investments in enterprise and co-working facilities in Portlaoise suggest movement in this direction.
Quick Answers
The current median salary in Laois is €43,230 and sits 4% below the national median.
The highest-paying local sector is Information and Communication at €68,821, and the gender split is available on the county gender pages.
Use the sector table and age-band links below to move from the county headline into narrower salary pages, or compare Laois directly with Dublin.
Median Salary
€43,230
per year · CSO 2024
Mean Salary
€50,339
per year · CSO 2024
vs National
N/A
-4% below average
Salary Analysis
+2%
Annual growth (CAGR) since 2011
+3.7%
Real growth (after inflation)
€28,510
After rent (34% of salary on rent)
18%
194%
Sector pay spread (€23,402 – €68,821)
34.5%
Third-level educated (Census 2022)
+8.2%
Population growth 2016–2022
11,606
Live Register (2026 March)
In 2011 prices, today's €43,230 is worth €34,781 — a real increase in purchasing power. CPI data from the CSO.
Compare This County
Most county visitors want a fast second answer: compare Laois with another county, check the gender split, or jump into the strongest local sector.
Search Another Sector Or County
Use Laois as the anchor, then pivot into a sector page, a gender split, or another county without restarting your search.
Annual figures: CSO 2024 · National quarterly average (Q4 2025): €52,618 annualised · About our data
Laois salary trend
Switch between median and mean, or compare this trend against the baseline.
Next Step
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Gender Pay Gap
18%
Women earn €38,679 vs men at €47,198 (median)
Cost of Living
€1,227
Avg monthly rent (2025 H1)
€14,720
Annual rent cost
34%
of median salary on rent
Laois Profile
91,657
Population (Census 2022)
+8.2%
Growth since 2016
34.5%
Third-level educated
11,606
Live Register (2026 March)
Midland region
Salaries by Sector in Laois
| Sector | Median Salary | |
|---|---|---|
| Information and Communication | €68,821 | |
| Public Administration and Defence; Compulsory Social Security | €59,326 | |
| Education | €52,426 | |
| Financial, Insurance and Real Estate Activities | €50,681 | |
| Industry (B to E) | €47,165 | |
| Professional, Scientific and Technical Activities | €45,524 | |
| Construction | €45,421 | |
| Human Health and Social Work Activities | €43,923 | |
| Transportation and Storage | €42,753 | |
| Administrative and Support Service Activities | €38,198 | |
| Wholesale and Retail Trade; Repair of Motor Vehicles and Motorcycles | €31,428 | |
| Arts, Entertainment, Recreation and Other Service Activities | €28,058 | |
| Accommodation and Food Service Activities | €23,402 |
Salary by Age Group in Laois
40 - 49 years
€48,703
50 - 59 years
€46,699
30 - 39 years
€46,683
25 - 29 years
€38,558
60 years and over
€36,285
15 - 24 years
€22,217
Keep Exploring
Once you know the headline salary in Laois, the next useful question is usually which sector, age band, or comparison explains that number.
Information and Communication is the top sector here
Information and Communication currently leads Laois on median pay.
Check another strong sector
Public Administration and Defence; Compulsory Social Security is another high-signal sector page for Laois.
Open the top age band
40 - 49 years is the strongest age group for earnings in Laois.
Review the gender split
Open the female salary view and compare it with the county-wide median.
Compare with Dublin
See how Laois stacks up against another high-interest county.
Browse the county rankings
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