Last updated: 7 November 2026 | Information verified: 7 November 2026 against the CSO’s Earnings Analysis using Administrative Data Sources 2025 (released 6 October 2026) and Earnings and Labour Costs Q2 2026, preliminary (released 25 August 2026).
The average salary in Ireland was €58,127 a year in 2025, according to the Central Statistics Office (CSO). The median, which is the middle salary and a better guide to a typical wage, was €46,305. This page shows the latest official figures by sector, county and age, so you can check how your pay compares.
The numbers come from two CSO surveys. The annual one covers 2025 and the quarterly one runs to the second quarter of 2026. We explain what each measures, because mixing them up is the most common mistake.
Quick answer
- Average (mean) salary, 2025: €58,127 a year.
- Median salary, 2025: €46,305 a year. Weekly: median €759.21, mean €974.08.
- Latest quarter (Q2 2026, preliminary): average weekly earnings €1,046.88 and average hourly earnings €31.96.
- Highest-paying sector: information and communication, €104,948 a year (mean).
- Highest county: Dublin, €848.06 median weekly. Lowest: Donegal, €635.29.
Key Facts at a Glance
| Measure | Figure | Source and period |
|---|---|---|
| Mean annual earnings | €58,127 | CSO, 2025 (2024: €56,356) |
| Median annual earnings | €46,305 | CSO, 2025 (2024: €44,816) |
| Median weekly earnings | €759.21 (up 3.9%) | CSO, 2025 |
| Mean weekly earnings | €974.08 (up 3.3%) | CSO, 2025 |
| Average weekly earnings | €1,046.88 (up 3.9% on a year earlier) | CSO quarterly survey, Q2 2026 (preliminary) |
| Average hourly earnings | €31.96 (up 3.8%) | CSO quarterly survey, Q2 2026 (preliminary) |
| Average weekly paid hours | 32.8 | CSO quarterly survey, Q2 2026 (preliminary) |
What Is the Average Salary in Ireland?
There are two answers, and both are correct. The mean is €58,127 a year. The median is €46,305. The mean is higher because a smaller number of very high salaries pull it up.
Both annual figures only count employments that were active for at least 50 weeks of 2025. The CSO excludes shorter ones from its annual earnings calculations. That is why you cannot multiply the weekly figure by 52: weekly pay includes part-time and part-year work, so it gives a lower number (€759.21 a week is about €39,500 over 52 weeks, our own arithmetic).
Latest Quarterly Figures: Q2 2026
The CSO’s quarterly Earnings and Labour Costs survey is more recent. For the second quarter of 2026 (preliminary estimates), it reports:
| Measure | Q2 2026 | Q2 2025 | Annual change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average weekly earnings | €1,046.88 | €1,007.58 | +3.9% |
| Average hourly earnings | €31.96 | €30.79 | +3.8% |
| Average weekly paid hours | 32.8 | 32.7 | +0.3% |
| Average hourly total labour costs (employer cost) | €37.73 | €36.26 | +4.1% |
These are unadjusted averages for all employees. They are a different survey from the annual figures above, so the two sets of numbers are not directly comparable.
Average Salary in Ireland by Sector
Pay varies hugely by sector. These are mean annual earnings for 2025, from the CSO annual release.
| Sector | 2024 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information and communication | €102,445 | €104,948 | +2.4% |
| Financial, insurance and real estate | €77,313 | €81,185 | +5.0% |
| Professional, scientific and technical | €67,848 | €68,932 | +1.6% |
| Industry | €62,791 | €65,808 | +4.8% |
| Public administration and defence | €62,620 | €64,676 | +3.3% |
| Education | €58,056 | €59,842 | +3.1% |
| Transportation and storage | €50,909 | €53,260 | +4.6% |
| Construction | €51,065 | €53,086 | +4.0% |
| Human health and social work | €50,438 | €52,248 | +3.6% |
| Administrative and support services | €48,931 | €50,236 | +2.7% |
| Wholesale and retail trade | €42,454 | €43,598 | +2.7% |
| Arts, entertainment, recreation and other services | €35,904 | €37,013 | +3.1% |
| Accommodation and food services | €27,639 | €28,690 | +3.8% |
Information and communication pays more than three times as much as accommodation and food services. If you are comparing jobs, see our guide to the highest-paying jobs in Ireland.
Hourly earnings by sector, Q2 2026
The quarterly survey gives average hourly earnings, which is useful if you are paid by the hour.
| Sector | Average hourly earnings, Q2 2026 | Change on Q2 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Information and communication | €46.88 | +4.8% |
| Education | €44.38 | +1.8% |
| Financial, insurance and real estate | €42.05 | +4.5% |
| Professional, scientific and technical | €37.31 | +5.6% |
| Public administration and defence | €34.75 | +3.5% |
| Human health and social work | €31.15 | +4.7% |
| Industry | €30.82 | +3.5% |
| Construction | €29.88 | +3.3% |
| Transportation and storage | €27.76 | +3.8% |
| Administrative and support services | €27.02 | +5.0% |
| Wholesale and retail trade | €24.63 | +2.4% |
| Arts, sports, recreation and other services | €24.21 | +2.2% |
| Accommodation and food service | €18.08 | +3.3% |
Average Salary by County
Dublin has the highest median weekly earnings at €848.06, which the CSO says is 11.7% above the State figure. Donegal has the lowest at €635.29. The CSO groups employees by the county where they live, not where they work.
| Rank | County | Median weekly | Mean weekly |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dublin | €848.06 | €1,149.74 |
| 2 | Kildare | €831.42 | €1,051.71 |
| 3 | Meath | €799.89 | €992.23 |
| 4 | Cork | €795.81 | €999.47 |
| 5 | Wicklow | €783.25 | €1,035.90 |
| 6 | Limerick | €773.01 | €953.85 |
| 7 | Galway | €764.59 | €942.53 |
| 8 | Laois | €755.83 | €888.62 |
| 9 | Kilkenny | €755.68 | €900.73 |
| 10 | Westmeath | €748.76 | €902.16 |
| 11 | Clare | €746.46 | €911.83 |
| 12 | Sligo | €730.97 | €884.69 |
| 13 | Waterford | €730.77 | €890.05 |
| 14 | Offaly | €728.44 | €857.27 |
| 15 | Louth | €728.06 | €884.21 |
| 16 | Tipperary | €727.14 | €866.01 |
| 17 | Roscommon | €726.94 | €862.71 |
| 18 | Cavan | €722.47 | €845.72 |
| 19 | Carlow | €707.54 | €841.22 |
| 20 | Mayo | €700.00 | €837.59 |
| 21 | Leitrim | €693.97 | €818.29 |
| 22 | Longford | €690.15 | €809.44 |
| 23 | Wexford | €682.64 | €822.16 |
| 24 | Monaghan | €679.84 | €793.19 |
| 25 | Kerry | €662.39 | €800.64 |
| 26 | Donegal | €635.29 | €758.84 |
| State total | €759.21 | €974.08 |
Higher pay in Dublin comes with higher costs. Read our cost of living in Ireland guide before you compare salaries between counties, and see our jobs in Dublin guide for what is hiring.
Average Salary by Age and Gender
Median weekly earnings in 2025 were highest for people aged 40 to 49 (€925.54) and lowest for 15 to 24 (€384.07). Overall, the median for men was €832.71 and for women €681.01. In the 40 to 49 group, the median for men was 25.6% higher than for women.
| Age group | All employees | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15 to 24 | €384.07 | €432.63 | €335.75 |
| 25 to 29 | €708.39 | €732.98 | €679.75 |
| 30 to 39 | €878.61 | €931.89 | €817.22 |
| 40 to 49 | €925.54 | €1,027.67 | €818.06 |
| 50 to 59 | €889.09 | €1,013.17 | €766.24 |
| 60 and over | €672.89 | €777.49 | €563.08 |
| All ages | €759.21 | €832.71 | €681.01 |
Public Sector and Private Sector Pay
In 2025 the median weekly earnings were €1,051.48 in the public sector and €684.00 in the private sector. In the quarterly survey for Q2 2026 (preliminary), average hourly earnings were €39.31 in the public sector and €29.69 in the private sector. Average weekly earnings were €1,261.16 and €978.71.
Earnings by Nationality
The CSO’s 2025 release gives median weekly earnings of €792.89 for Irish nationals and €862.14 for Indian nationals. Indian nationals have the highest median of the nationalities the CSO lists, though their figure fell 1.6% from 2024.
How to Compare Your Own Pay
- Use the median, not the mean, as your benchmark for a typical salary.
- Compare like with like. Check your sector in the table above, then your age group and your county.
- Convert correctly. The annual figures cover full-year employments, so compare them only with a full-time, full-year salary. Weekly figures include part-time work.
- Check your take-home pay with our salary calculator for Ireland, because tax, USC and PRSI come off a gross salary.
Average Salary and Work Permits
Employment permits have their own salary thresholds. In 2026 the General Employment Permit minimum is €36,605 (€32,691 for healthcare assistants and some defined roles), and the Critical Skills Employment Permit minimum is €40,904 for a role needing a degree. Both sit below the median annual salary of €46,305. Read our guides to the General Employment Permit and the Critical Skills Employment Permit.
For comparison, a full-time worker on the minimum wage (€14.15 an hour in 2026) earns €551.85 gross for a 39-hour week, which is about €28,696 over 52 weeks (our own arithmetic). See our minimum wage guide for 2026 and 2027 rates.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average salary in Ireland?
The CSO’s latest annual figures, for 2025, are a mean (average) of €58,127 a year and a median of €46,305 a year. They cover employments that were active for at least 50 weeks of the year.
What is the difference between the mean and the median?
The mean adds up all salaries and divides by the number of earners, so very high salaries pull it up. The median is the middle salary: half of earners are paid more and half are paid less. The median is usually the better guide to a typical wage.
What is the average weekly wage in Ireland?
In 2025 the CSO reports median weekly earnings of €759.21 and mean weekly earnings of €974.08. For the second quarter of 2026 (preliminary), its separate quarterly survey gives average weekly earnings of €1,046.88. The two surveys measure different things, so do not compare them directly.
Which sector pays the most in Ireland?
Information and communication, with mean annual earnings of €104,948 in 2025. Financial, insurance and real estate comes second at €81,185.
Which sector pays the least?
Accommodation and food services, with mean annual earnings of €28,690 in 2025.
Which county has the highest average pay?
Dublin, with median weekly earnings of €848.06 in 2025. Donegal is lowest at €635.29. The CSO groups people by the county where they live, not where they work.
How much do people in their twenties and thirties earn?
Median weekly earnings in 2025 were €708.39 for ages 25 to 29 and €878.61 for ages 30 to 39. The highest median, €925.54 a week, is for ages 40 to 49.
Why can I not just multiply the weekly figure by 52?
Weekly figures include part-time and part-year work. The CSO’s annual figures only count employments active for at least 50 weeks, so they are higher than 52 times the weekly median.
Related Guides
- Rent in Dublin 2026
- Salary Calculator Ireland
- Top 10 Highest-Paying Jobs in Ireland
- Minimum Wage Ireland 2026 and 2027
- Cost of Living in Ireland
- Jobs in Dublin
- General Employment Permit Ireland
Official Sources
- CSO: Earnings Analysis using Administrative Data Sources 2025
- CSO: Earnings and Labour Costs Q1 2026 (final), Q2 2026 (preliminary)
Figures are CSO statistics and may be revised. Averages describe groups, not what you will be paid in a particular job.
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