Average annual salary falls to €40,775
According to the latest figures from the CSO, the average annual salary fell from €41,226 in 2010 to €40,775 last year — a drop of 1.1%.
This figure includes other labour costs such as PRSI, tax and the pension levy introduced in the public sector in Mar 2009. If such costs are not included, the average annual earnings amounted to €35,905 last year, down from €36,117 in 2010.
This drop is somewhat smaller than the decrease of 1.9% recorded between 2009 and 2010.
The highest annual wage last year, excluding costs, was €50,985 and was in the financial, insurance and real estate sector. The lowest was in the accommodation and food services sector at €16,910.
A TD’s basic salary is in the region of €93,000 while Taoiseach Enda Kenny is paid €200,000.
The total wage bill in the State last year, excluding costs, was €54.9bn, a fall of 2% compared to the €56bn earned in 2010 and almost 15% lower than the €64.5bn in 2008.
Across the economic sectors, average earnings fell in eight of the 13 sectors recorded by the CSO, when compared with 2010.
The largest fall in average earnings, excluding labour costs, was recorded in the arts, entertainment, recreation, and other service activities sector, which fell by 6.5% from €25,043 to €23,404.
In the three years up to 2011, this sector had seen just under a 10% drop in annual average earnings.
The largest increase was recorded in the education sector, which saw an increase in average annual earnings of 1.7% between 2010 and 2011 from €44,606 to €43,868. However, in the three years up to 2011, this sector saw a fall of 1.4%.
The only sector to see an increase in annual average earnings between 2008 and 2011 was industry, growing by just over 1% from €41,361 to €41,832.
