Pay in Ireland: sector averages and construction minimum rates

CSO earnings: compare sectors on the same basis

These CSO figures cover all employees in each listed sector. They are unadjusted means and include irregular earnings. The newest quarter is preliminary and may be revised. The construction row combines many occupations and grades, so it describes the sector as a whole. An electrician's or a carpenter's pay can differ.

Scroll sideways to see all columns.

Source: Central Statistics Office, Ireland. NACE Rev. 2.1. Dataset updated 2026-08-25. Means describe the average employee in each sector and give no median or occupation-level rate.

• CSO EHQ53: earnings and paid hours

Reading the table

The all-sector row includes sectors such as information and communication, education and financial services, where hourly pay is higher than in construction. Average paid hours also differ between rows, so a sector can rank differently on hourly pay and on weekly pay.

Use the hourly column to compare pay per hour and the weekly column to compare pay per week. Paid hours explain the gap between them.

Construction minimum hourly rates

For employers covered by the construction Sectoral Employment Order, the WRC publishes these gross basic hourly minima from 1 August 2026. They are pay floors, and an employer may pay more.

Craftspersons are qualified tradespeople such as bricklayers, carpenters, plasterers, painters, floor layers, glaziers, tilers and slaters. Category A covers skilled general operatives with four years in the sector and an Advanced Scaffolding Card, plus banks operatives, steel fixers, crane drivers and heavy machine operators. Category B covers skilled general operatives with more than two years in the sector. A new entrant is over 18 and new to the sector, for two years. Coverage also depends on the employer's activities, so use the WRC definitions to find the class that applies.

• WRC: construction sector pay and conditions
• S.I. No. 620 of 2024: Sectoral Employment Order (Construction Sector) 2024 (PDF)

Overtime, hours, pension and sick pay

The order sets working time and extras for covered workers. A contract may offer more.

• WRC: construction sector pay and conditions
• S.I. No. 620 of 2024: Sectoral Employment Order (Construction Sector) 2024 (PDF)

Which rate applies to your trade

The CSO average measures every employee in a sector. The order's rates apply to defined classes of covered workers, so occupation, seniority and paid hours all move the average.

For an offer, start with the minimum that covers the job and compare the employer's basic rate with it. Use the sector mean as background. Electricians and plumbers are not among the WRC's examples of craftspersons. For those trades, ask which agreement or contract sets the rate. Collective agreements appear on the Labour Court register.

• WRC: sectoral employment orders
• Labour Court: register of employment agreements

Convert hourly and annual offers

Hourly rate multiplied by paid hours per week gives weekly gross pay. Multiply by the number of paid weeks for an annual equivalent. A covered craftsperson on the minimum earns EUR 23.74 x 39 hours = EUR 925.86 a week, or EUR 48,144.72 over 52 paid weeks, before deductions and overtime.

Hours change the hourly equivalent of a salary. EUR 40,560 a year at 39 hours a week is EUR 20.00 an hour; at 45 hours it is EUR 17.33. Put the hours beside the salary before comparing. Keep overtime, bonuses and allowances on separate lines, with their conditions.

Read the offer as a package

Ask for the basic gross pay, guaranteed hours, overtime terms, pension arrangements, work locations and travel expenses. For construction work, add the worker category and which sectoral order or agreement applies.

Gross pay is before deductions, and take-home pay depends on your tax position, so the CSO table shows gross earnings only. A contractor's invoice rate has to cover costs and unpaid time that an employee's hourly rate does not, so compare the two separately.