What's a "normal" salary in Ireland — and how much of it do you actually keep? Using the latest official earnings data from the Central Statistics Office (CSO) and the tax bands for 2026, this guide shows the average and median Irish wage and exactly what each takes home after PAYE, USC and PRSI.
The gross figures are from the CSO's Earnings Analysis using Administrative Data Sources 2024 (the most recent available). The take-home figures are calculated with the IrishPAYE calculator at 2026 rates, for a single worker with standard tax credits.
Average vs median: which is the "real" Irish salary?
There are two very different "average" wages, and the gap matters:
- Mean (average): €942.73 a week in 2024 — about €49,022 a year. This is the simple average, and it's dragged upward by a minority of very high earners.
- Median (typical): €730.89 a week — about €38,006 a year. This is the mid-point: half of workers earn more, half earn less. It's the better guide to what a typical worker actually earns.
What the average and median wage take home (2026)
| CSO wage (2024) | Gross / year | Take-home / year | Per month | Eff. rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Median (typical worker) | €38,006 | €32,121 | €2,677 | 15.48% |
| Mean (average) | €49,022 | €39,132 | €3,261 | 20.17% |
The gender pay gap in take-home terms
The CSO median for men was €802.14 a week in 2024, versus €654.07 for women. After tax the gap narrows a little in percentage terms — because the higher male salary is taxed slightly harder — but it's still substantial:
| Median worker | Gross / year | Take-home / year | Per month |
|---|---|---|---|
| Men (median) | €41,711 | €34,817 | €2,901 |
| Women (median) | €34,012 | €29,215 | €2,435 |
Where you live: Dublin vs the rest
Dublin has the highest median earnings of any region (€821.42 a week — 12.4% above the state average), while Donegal was the lowest. Here's the take-home difference:
| Region (median) | Gross / year | Take-home / year | Per month |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dublin (median) | €42,714 | €35,547 | €2,962 |
| Donegal — lowest (median) | €31,391 | €27,308 | €2,276 |
The widest gap: by industry
Sector makes the biggest difference of all. Information & Communication had the highest median earnings in 2024; Accommodation & Food Services the lowest. The take-home spread is dramatic:
| Sector (median) | Gross / year | Take-home / year | Per month | Eff. rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Information & Communication | €74,899 | €52,543 | €4,379 | 29.85% |
| Financial, insurance & real estate | €53,416 | €41,451 | €3,454 | 22.4% |
| Public administration & defence | €51,641 | €40,514 | €3,376 | 21.55% |
| Accommodation & food services | €20,364 | €19,482 | €1,624 | 4.33% |
How does your salary compare?
If you earn around the median, you're in the middle of the Irish workforce. To see your own take-home pay at any salary, use the take-home pay calculator, browse ready-made breakdowns for every salary or by job, or read how much tax you pay at every salary.
Notes and sources
Gross earnings: CSO, Earnings Analysis using Administrative Data Sources 2024 (data.cso.ie), reused under CC-BY 4.0. Figures are weekly earnings annualised over 52 weeks and cover all employees (including part-time), so they reflect the whole workforce rather than full-time-only pay. Take-home pay is calculated with the IrishPAYE engine at 2026 PAYE, USC and PRSI rates for a single worker with standard credits; married couples and other circumstances differ.
Frequently asked questions
What is a good salary in Ireland?
Anything above the median of about €38,000 puts you in the top half of earners. Around €49,000 (the mean) or above is comfortably above typical, and €75,000+ (the median for Information & Communication) is high by Irish standards.
Why is the average wage higher than the median?
Because a relatively small number of very high earners pull the simple average (mean) up. The median isn't affected by extremes, so it better reflects the typical worker — which is why the median sits about €11,000 below the mean.