Gender Pay Gap by County in Ireland
Sorted by largest gap · 2024
This page shows the gender pay gap across all 26 Irish counties using official CSO earnings data. The average gap across counties is 16%, meaning women earn around 16% less than men at the median level. Cork records the largest gap at 23%, while Sligo has the narrowest at 7%. The gap is calculated from median annual salaries — click any county to see sector-level breakdowns and how the gap has moved over time.
| County | Male Median | Female Median | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cork | €52,359 | €40,427 | 23% |
| Kildare | €54,689 | €42,203 | 23% |
| Meath | €51,676 | €40,485 | 22% |
| Waterford | €46,934 | €37,560 | 20% |
| Wicklow | €51,896 | €41,329 | 20% |
| Carlow | €44,142 | €35,626 | 19% |
| Dublin | €54,238 | €44,327 | 18% |
| Louth | €45,237 | €37,028 | 18% |
| Laois | €47,198 | €38,679 | 18% |
| Clare | €47,880 | €39,809 | 17% |
| Cavan | €43,939 | €36,400 | 17% |
| Kerry | €42,550 | €35,235 | 17% |
| Limerick | €48,349 | €40,221 | 17% |
| Westmeath | €46,708 | €38,823 | 17% |
| Offaly | €44,563 | €37,451 | 16% |
| Wexford | €42,414 | €35,592 | 16% |
| Tipperary | €44,473 | €37,760 | 15% |
| Kilkenny | €46,316 | €40,000 | 14% |
| Mayo | €43,414 | €37,520 | 14% |
| Monaghan | €40,089 | €34,814 | 13% |
| Galway | €46,676 | €41,083 | 12% |
| Longford | €41,008 | €36,229 | 12% |
| Roscommon | €44,209 | €39,339 | 11% |
| Donegal | €38,425 | €35,363 | 8% |
| Leitrim | €42,767 | €39,159 | 8% |
| Sligo | €44,065 | €40,911 | 7% |
Frequently Asked Questions
Which county has the largest gender pay gap in Ireland?
Cork has the largest gender pay gap at 23%, with men earning €52,359 and women earning €40,427.
Which county has the smallest gender pay gap?
Sligo has the smallest gender pay gap at 7%, the narrowest in Ireland. Click through to the county page to see how the gap has changed over time.
What is the average gender pay gap across Ireland?
The average gender pay gap across all counties is approximately 16%. This figure is the mean of each county's individual gap, not a population-weighted national figure.
Why does a gender pay gap exist in Ireland?
The gender pay gap in Ireland reflects a combination of factors: occupational segregation (women concentrated in lower-paying roles), a higher rate of part-time working among women, career breaks for caring responsibilities, and underrepresentation in senior and technical roles. The gap varies significantly by sector and county.
Is Ireland required by law to report gender pay gaps?
Yes. Under the Gender Pay Gap Information Act 2021, Irish employers with 250 or more employees are required to publish gender pay gap reports annually. The threshold was reduced to 150 employees in 2024 and will fall to 50 employees from 2025. The CSO data on this page covers all PAYE employments across Ireland.
How is the gender pay gap calculated on this page?
The gap shown is calculated as (male median − female median) / male median × 100. This represents how much less the female median is as a percentage of the male median. A gap of 10% means women earn 10% less than men at the median level. Data is sourced from the CSO annual earnings survey.
Next Step
Need salary benchmarks with live job-market context?
Salaries.ie shows the public data. If you want current openings, employer demand, and a stronger sense of what roles are actually live in Ireland, use RoleUp alongside the salary pages.