Rise in Median Earnings – But Who Earns the Most?
Median weekly earnings in Ireland last year increased by 4.2%, reaching €699.28, according
to the Central Statistics Office (CSO). Despite this growth, the gender pay gap persisted,
with men earning a median of €770.52 per week, while women earned €623.22. The
increase in overall earnings reflects both sectoral performance and workforce distribution,
but the continued disparity between male and female wages highlights a key issue in the
Irish labour market.
Highest and Lowest Earning Sectors
Employees in the information and communication sector earned the highest median weekly
earnings at €1,356.59, covering roles in publishing, broadcasting, and telecommunications.
This sector far surpassed other industries, with financial services coming in second with
median weekly earnings of €977.34. In contrast, the accommodation and food sector had the
lowest earnings at €364.31 per week, followed closely by the arts and entertainment sector,
where workers earned a median of €426.66. These figures indicate that while some
industries are thriving, others continue to struggle with low wages.
Distribution of Earnings Across Jobs
The earnings landscape shows significant variation across different pay brackets. In 2023,
more than a fifth (21.7%) of all jobs paid less than €400 per week, while jobs earning
between €400 and €800 accounted for 36.4% of the workforce. Nearly a third (30.9%) of
jobs had weekly earnings between €800 and €1,600, with 11% earning over €1,600. Larger
enterprises with 1,000 or more employees paid the highest median weekly earnings at
€925.40, with men earning more than women in these roles. Small businesses with fewer
than ten employees had the lowest average pay at €594.92.
Regional and National Earnings Trends
Dublin had the highest median weekly earnings in the country at €793.71, which was 13.5%
higher than the national average. In contrast, Donegal recorded the lowest earnings at
€567.04. Longford saw the largest earnings increase, with a 5.4% rise, followed by Wexford
and Donegal. Interestingly, female Indian nationals working in Ireland had higher median
weekly earnings (€908.44) than male Indian nationals. The 40-49 age group earned the
highest wages overall, with median weekly earnings of €855.39, indicating a wage peak
during mid-career.
Summary
Overall, while Ireland experienced an increase in weekly earnings, stark differences remain
across industries, regions, and genders. High-paying sectors like information and
communication continue to thrive, while low-paying sectors like accommodation and food lag
behind. The Gender Pay Gap Information Act 2021 requires organisations to report on their
hourly gender pay gap across a range of metrics. From 2022, organisations with over 250
employees began reporting on their Gender Pay Gap and from 2024, organisations with over
150 employees must report this on an annual basis. In 2025, this requirement will be
extended to organisations with 50 employees or more.
