Average salary · Ireland · 2026
The average salary in Ireland, and what it really means
Full-time workers in Ireland earn a median of about €48,900 a year in 2026. Across all earners it is closer to €41,500, and the mean is higher again at around €53,500. Here is the figure by sector, county and age — and what it leaves you after tax.
Average vs median: which is the "real" figure?
The median is the midpoint — half of earners are above it, half below. The mean adds everyone's pay and divides by the number of people, so a small group of very high earners drags it upward. For "what does a typical person earn", the median is the honest figure; the mean (€53,500) sits well above what most people actually take in.
Average salary by county
Dublin leads; the regions trail. These are 2026 estimates, uprated from CSO data:
| County | Median earnings |
|---|---|
| dublin | €53,800 |
| kildare | €52,900 |
| wicklow | €50,800 |
| cork | €50,700 |
| meath | €50,500 |
| longford | €42,400 |
| monaghan | €41,400 |
| donegal | €40,400 |
Average salary by sector
The gap between the top and bottom sectors is wide — tech and finance pay roughly three times accommodation and food:
| Sector | Median earnings |
|---|---|
| Information & Communication | €87,500 |
| Finance, Insurance & Real Estate | €64,500 |
| Public Administration & Defence | €62,000 |
| Arts & Entertainment | €31,100 |
| Accommodation & Food Service | €28,400 |
The gender gap
Among full-time workers, the male median is about €53,400 against €44,100 for women — roughly 21% higher. New pay transparency rules aim to narrow that gap.
How many earn over €50,000?
About 39% of earners take in more than €50,000 a year. So while €50,000 is above the median, it is far from rare — and the very top of the distribution sits much higher again.
Is your salary above average?
The average is only a starting point. To see exactly where you stand, check your income percentile, or see what a given level realistically covers: