Salaries by Sector
Compare median annual pay across the main industries in Ireland using official CSO earnings data. This page is the fastest way to see which sectors pay the most, which ones sit below the national average, and where to click for a deeper county-by-county breakdown.
Key Facts
- Highest-paying sector: Information and Communication at €80,147
- Lowest-paying sector: Accommodation and Food Service Activities at €26,000
- Coverage: 13 major industry sectors from official Irish earnings data
Information and Communication
€80,147
Median annual salary (2024)
Financial, Insurance and Real Estate Activities
€59,023
Median annual salary (2024)
Public Administration and Defence; Compulsory Social Security
€56,745
Median annual salary (2024)
Education
€54,413
Median annual salary (2024)
Professional, Scientific and Technical Activities
€51,750
Median annual salary (2024)
Industry (B to E)
€50,000
Median annual salary (2024)
Construction
€44,676
Median annual salary (2024)
Human Health and Social Work Activities
€44,622
Median annual salary (2024)
Transportation and Storage
€43,823
Median annual salary (2024)
Administrative and Support Service Activities
€37,125
Median annual salary (2024)
Wholesale and Retail Trade; Repair of Motor Vehicles and Motorcycles
€32,902
Median annual salary (2024)
Arts, Entertainment, Recreation and Other Service Activities
€28,497
Median annual salary (2024)
Accommodation and Food Service Activities
€26,000
Median annual salary (2024)
How to use this sector salary data
Sector averages are useful for getting context, not making a decision on their own. A high-paying sector can still contain wide variation between junior and senior roles, between Dublin and the rest of the country, and between specialist and generalist jobs.
The best next step is usually to open the sector page you care about, then compare it against county-level salary data or one of the side-by-side comparison pages. That gives you a more realistic picture than a single national figure on its own.