Average pay by sector in Ireland, Q2 2026, and what it takes home

Headline figure

Average weekly earnings across all sectors were €1,046.88 in Q2 2026, up 3.9% on a year earlier. Information and communication was highest at €1,730.61 a week and accommodation and food service lowest at €506.78. Annualised, the all-sector average is €54,438 a year, which a single PAYE employee would take home as about €41,929 after income tax, USC and PRSI on 2026 rates.

Earnings by sector, Q2 2026

Sector	Weekly, Q2 2026	Change on Q2 2025	Hourly, Q2 2026	Weekly x 52	Estimated take-home a year	Estimated take-home a month
Information and communication	€1,730.61	+3.4%	€46.88	€89,992	€59,650	€4,971
Financial, insurance and real estate	€1,499.23	+3.3%	€42.05	€77,960	€53,917	€4,493
Professional, scientific and technical	€1,294.65	+5.4%	€37.31	€67,322	€48,712	€4,059
Public administration and defence	€1,256.79	+3.8%	€34.75	€65,353	€47,676	€3,973
Industry	€1,171.84	+4.0%	€30.82	€60,936	€45,350	€3,779
Construction	€1,089.21	+4.3%	€29.88	€56,639	€43,088	€3,591
Education	€1,077.36	+2.7%	€44.38	€56,023	€42,763	€3,564
Transportation and storage	€1,017.32	+3.2%	€27.76	€52,901	€41,119	€3,427
Human health and social work	€980.94	+3.3%	€31.15	€51,009	€40,123	€3,344
Administrative and support services	€838.79	+5.6%	€27.02	€43,617	€36,155	€3,013
Wholesale and retail trade	€775.16	+3.1%	€24.63	€40,308	€33,751	€2,813
Arts, sports, recreation and other services	€679.73	-4.7%	€24.21	€35,346	€30,146	€2,512
Accommodation and food service	€506.78	+7.7%	€18.08	€26,353	€23,589	€1,966
All sectors	€1,046.88	+3.9%	€31.96	€54,438	€41,929	€3,494

Arts, sports, recreation and other services was the only sector where average weekly earnings fell, down 4.7% to €679.73, although its hourly rate rose from €23.69 to €24.21, which suggests fewer hours worked rather than lower pay rates. Hourly pay rose in all 13 sectors.

How to read these figures

Weekly and hourly earnings are the CSO's figures for average earnings per employee, taken from the Q2 2026 preliminary estimates. Q2 2025 values are the unadjusted figures shown in the same release.
Weekly x 52 is our arithmetic, not a CSO estimate. The CSO does not publish annual pay. The weekly figure averages all employees whatever their hours, so it reflects hours worked as well as pay rates.
Estimated take-home runs the annualised figure through the same calculation as our take-home pay calculator: single person, PAYE employee, 2026 rates, 4.35% PRSI, no pension and no other credits. It is an illustration of how the tax system treats an average, not what any individual takes home.

For salary-level answers see the take-home pay table by salary, and for how the deductions stack up see marginal and average tax rates. These are estimates, not tax advice.

Use the chart on your site

Copy the code below. The image is a plain SVG file, so it stays sharp at any size, and the caption keeps the credit and the link.

<figure style="margin:0">
  <img src="https://www.salarycalculator.ie/charts/average-pay-by-sector-ireland.svg" alt="Bar chart of average pay by sector in Ireland, Q2 2026, with estimated take-home pay" width="900" style="max-width:100%;height:auto">
  <figcaption>Source: <a href="https://www.salarycalculator.ie/average-pay-by-sector-ireland">SalaryCalculator.ie</a></figcaption>
</figure>

Cite this page

Suggested citation

SalaryCalculator.ie (29 October 2026). Average pay by sector in Ireland, Q2 2026, and what it takes home. https://www.salarycalculator.ie/average-pay-by-sector-ireland

Link to this page: https://www.salarycalculator.ie/average-pay-by-sector-ireland. You are welcome to quote figures and use the chart with attribution and a link. Corrections: conor@thedomainery.com.

Frequently asked questions

What is the average weekly wage in Ireland in 2026?

The CSO put average weekly earnings per employee at €1,046.88 in the second quarter of 2026, up 3.9% from €1,007.58 a year earlier. That is a mean across all employees, including part-time workers.

Which sector pays the most in Ireland?

Information and communication had the highest average weekly earnings in Q2 2026 at €1,730.61, followed by financial, insurance and real estate at €1,499.23.

Which sector pays the least?

Accommodation and food service had the lowest average weekly earnings at €506.78. Average hourly earnings in the sector were €18.08, so the gap to other sectors is wider in weekly pay than in hourly pay, which reflects hours worked as well as pay rates.

Is the annual figure a salary?

No. The CSO publishes weekly and hourly earnings, not annual pay. We multiply weekly earnings by 52 for illustration. The result mixes full-time and part-time work, so it is not what a full-time employee in the sector would be paid.

Sources, as read on 29 October 2026