Professional, Scientific and Technical Activities Salary in Ireland
Based on CSO data · NACE sector M · 2024
The professional, scientific and technical sector includes management consultancy, legal services, accounting, architectural practices, and scientific research. It is home to many of Ireland's white-collar professions, with strong graduate pipelines from Irish universities and a concentration in Dublin's city centre and IFSC.
Salary Landscape: Professional, Scientific and Technical Activities in Ireland
The professional, scientific, and technical sector in Ireland spans an unusually wide range of occupations, from solicitors and management consultants to laboratory researchers and architects. This breadth means that salary variation within the sector is driven less by seniority alone and more by sub-sector: legal and consulting professionals tend to earn the highest salaries, while scientific research and architectural roles, despite requiring equivalent education levels, often pay less due to different market dynamics and funding structures.
Relative to national trends, this sector has seen steady, above-average salary growth driven by strong demand for compliance, regulatory, and advisory services — particularly from multinational firms navigating Ireland's complex tax and regulatory landscape. The sector benefits from Ireland's role as a European headquarters location: global firms need local professional services at scale, creating sustained demand for qualified Irish professionals.
Dublin dominates employment in this sector, with a heavy concentration in the city centre and the IFSC area. However, the shift toward remote and hybrid working has allowed some professional services firms to recruit from a broader geographic base. Career progression typically follows a partnership or directorship model, with significant salary jumps at the associate-to-partner transition. Graduate entry salaries are above the national average, but the gap between entry and peak earnings is wider than in most sectors, rewarding long tenure and client relationship development.
Quick Answers
Latest median pay in Professional, Scientific and Technical Activities is €51,750. The strongest county is Dublin at €58,846.
If you are benchmarking alternatives, compare this with Education or run the direct sector comparison.
The full county breakdown below links into narrower salary pages, while salary trends and sector rankings show where this sector sits nationally.
Median Salary
€51,750
per year · CSO 2024
Mean Salary
€67,848
per year · CSO 2024
Salary Analysis
+3.2%
Annual growth rate (CAGR) since 2011
+21.8%
Real growth (inflation-adjusted) since 2011
+15%
vs national median (€44,816)
55%
County pay spread (€37,881 – €58,846)
In 2011 prices, today's median of €51,750 is worth €41,636 — a real increase. CPI data from the CSO.
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Professional, Scientific and Technical Activities salary trend
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Next Step
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| County | Median Salary | |
|---|---|---|
| Dublin | €58,846 | |
| Kildare | €56,327 | |
| Wicklow | €53,625 | |
| Cork | €52,953 | |
| Meath | €50,411 | |
| Limerick | €50,140 | |
| Kilkenny | €49,904 | |
| Clare | €49,282 | |
| Galway | €47,835 | |
| Kerry | €47,070 | |
| Louth | €45,877 | |
| Laois | €45,524 | |
| Westmeath | €45,152 | |
| Sligo | €45,000 | |
| Offaly | €44,980 | |
| Carlow | €44,100 | |
| Waterford | €44,094 | |
| Roscommon | €43,916 | |
| Mayo | €43,444 | |
| Longford | €43,000 | |
| Tipperary | €42,100 | |
| Cavan | €41,250 | |
| Leitrim | €41,146 | |
| Wexford | €40,435 | |
| Monaghan | €40,345 | |
| Donegal | €37,881 |
People Also Check
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Dublin leads this sector
Dublin has the highest county median for Professional, Scientific and Technical Activities at €58,846.
Check the next-best county
Kildare is another strong county for Professional, Scientific and Technical Activities salaries.
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