Female earnings in Irish pharma and med sector 'similar to males in 2019' 

CSO data from 2019 to 2025 shows significant gender pay gap exists 

A significant gender pay gap exists in Ireland's pharmaceutical and medical manufacturing sector, with median annual earnings for males 20.5% higher than that of females. Picture: Pexels

A significant gender pay gap exists in Ireland's pharmaceutical and medical manufacturing sector, with median annual earnings for males 20.5% higher than that of females.

Data from the Central Statistics Office published on Thursday analysed the sector in Ireland over seven years, from 2019 to 2025. It found total employment earnings in the pharmaceutical and medical technology sectors stood at €7.9bn in 2025, up from €4bn in 2019.

Median annual earnings for the sector stood at €68,591 in 2025, 22.4% higher than in 2019. However, the median annual earnings for males was €73,970 while the median annual earnings for women was €61,398. The female earnings in 2025 were similar to male earnings in 2019, according to the CSO.

The report also emphasises how important overseas firms have become as employers. Overall, employment in the pharmaceutical and medical technology sector has grown from 60,537 workers in 2019 to 96,848 in 2025 - an increase of 60% - 55,610 males and 41,238 females. Of these workers, 83,317 persons (86%) worked for enterprises whose ultimate owner was located outside of Ireland, with the remaining 13,531 (14%) working for Irish-owned enterprises.

"The highest percentage of those employed in the pharmaceutical and medical technology sectors lived in Co. Cork (17.3%), followed by Co. Dublin (15.6%) and Co. Galway (15.1%). Interestingly, there were people employed in these sectors who were living in every county in Ireland," said CSO statistician Clare Sullivan. 

Employees living in Cork had median weekly earnings of €1,395 in 2022, the most recent year for which data was available. "Employees living in Dublin and Galway, which had similar employee counts, differed greatly in terms of their median weekly earnings. Median weekly earnings in 2022 for employees in Co. Dublin were €1,316 and €831 in Co. Galway, a difference of €485 (58.4%) per week," the CSO data analysis said. "The lowest median weekly earnings were with employees living in Co. Donegal of €721, less than half the value of the median weekly earnings in the highest earning Co. Carlow (€1,486)."

While the bulk of employees in the sector are from Ireland (72,784 in 2025), the sector growth has also resulted in an increase in the proportion of persons of other nationalities working in the sector, starting at 20.9% in 2019 and increasing to 24.8% in 2025.

The total sale of goods in the Pharmaceutical and Medical Technology sectors doubled from €105bn in 2019 to €211bn in 2025, the CSO said. "Within this, international trade exports grew from €88.2bn in 2019 to €164.2bn in 2025. The exports in 2025 were largely dominated by sales to the US," said Ms Sullivan. "Total financial and non-financial assets owned by the Pharmaceutical and Medical Technology sectors at the end of 2025 stood at €436bn, owned largely by enterprises with their ultimate owner based in the US at 85%.”