Where your salary sits in the Irish income distribution matters as much as the number itself. The median individual income in Ireland is €36,000 — but that figure includes part-time workers, retirees, and casual earners. For full-time PAYE employees, the median is closer to €40,000–€44,000. This hub covers income percentile data, salary benchmarks by sector, and detailed breakdowns of whether specific salary levels are genuinely good in an Irish context.

Ireland Income Percentile Table (2026)

Percentile Annual Gross Income Notes
10th ~€10,000 Casual and part-time workers
25th ~€24,200 First quartile
38th ~€32,000 Near effective income tax entry
50th €36,000 Median — all income earners
61st ~€44,000 Higher rate income tax threshold
70th ~€55,000 Top 30%
75th ~€62,500 Third quartile
80th ~€70,000 Top 20%
90th ~€95,000 Top 10%
95th ~€135,000 Top 5%
99th ~€225,000 Top 1%

Source: Revenue.ie Personal Taxes Statistics; CSO SILC 2024; CSO Earnings and Labour Costs Q4 2025.

Salary Guides: Is It a Good Income in Ireland?

Calculators and Data Articles

Ireland vs European Income Context

Ireland’s income distribution is unusual by European standards. The presence of Google, Meta, Apple, Microsoft, Pfizer, and other multinational headquarters creates a concentrated cluster of very high earners that pulls the mean significantly above the median. A salary that places you at the 70th percentile in Ireland (≈€55,000) would rank considerably higher in most other EU countries — but purchasing power in Dublin is substantially eroded by housing costs, which are among the highest in Europe.

The €44,000 higher-rate threshold is a key psychological and financial marker in Ireland. Once your income crosses that line, every additional euro of employment income is taxed at a combined marginal rate of approximately 52% (40% income tax + 8% USC + 4% PRSI). This makes pre-tax salary figures particularly misleading at higher incomes — always compare take-home pay figures when evaluating offers.

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WealthVieu researches and writes data-driven personal finance guides using primary sources including the IRS, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Federal Reserve, and Census Bureau.

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