Minimum Wage in Ireland 2018

UpdateMinimum Wage Increase in 2020 for Ireland

See the figures on the  2019 Minimum Wage in Ireland here

The Minimum Wage rate in Ireland for 2018  was €9.55 an hour – but there were lower rates for younger and less experienced workers.

 These are the hourly minimum rates of pay that were in force in Ireland from  January 1st 2018  until Dec 31st 2018.

  • Experienced adult worker €9.55 per hour
  • Over 18 and less than 2 years since first job  €8.60
  • Over 18 and less than 1 years since began first  job  €7.64 
  • Aged under 18   €6.69

(An experienced adult worker –  for the purposes of the National Minimum Wage Act –  is an employee who has an employment of any kind in any 2 years over the age of 18.)


For example:  A 19 year old gets his first job on June 1st 2018 – he is entitled to €7.64 an hour. He won’t be entitled to €8.60 an hour until June 1st 2019 – the first anniversary of his first job. He won’t be entitled to €9.55 an hour until June 1st 2020 – the second anniversary of his first job.  It doesn’t matter how long he worked in each job or if there were gaps in employment.

minimum wage ireland 2016

Minimum Wage for Trainees 2018 :

(Employee aged over 18, in structured training during working hours)

1st one third of course  €7.16

2nd third of course €7.64 

3rd part of course €8.60

According to the Central Statistics Office, around 73,000 workers – or  4.7% of the Irish workforce – were being paid the adult minimum wage  in June 2014.

See some more Irish Take Home Pay calculations

If you think your employer is not paying you the minimum wage you can contact  the Workplace Relations Commission, O’Brien Road, Carlow.
Tel –  (059) 917 8990

Top Tip:  If possible try and get a job of some sort as soon as you are 18 – even if it is only for a week or two. That way –  two years later you will be classed as “an experienced adult” and  you will be eligible for the higher rate of the minimum wage (€9.55 an hour)

Living Wage – there is a campaign for employers to adopt a “Living Wage” in Ireland – you can read more about the Living Wage here

53 thoughts on “Minimum Wage in Ireland 2018

  1. does it mean that the employer is obligated to increase the other wages by 50 c per hour too?

    • No – as long as the pay is at or above 9.15 it is legal. Some employers will probably raise other pay – bu they don’t have to.

  2. Ive been getting €9 an hour for the last 2 years, i work 34 hours per week, im 24 years old, should I be entitled to the payrise to €9.15

    • Hi David – if this is your first job and you have been in it for less than 2 years then the employer does not have to give you €9.15. Otherwise – you should be getting €9.15 per hour since Jan 1st.

  3. Hi, I am currently on €9.15p/h which in my job is “senior wages” a temp started with us the other day and is not fully qualified yet and started on 9.15. Should my wages not have to be increased since its a “senior position?

    • Hi Stephanie – you should be able to negotiate a pay rise , but your employer is not obliged to pay more.

  4. Hi?it’s me edgar I’m working more than 5 year’s in dunlaghaire but I check my pay sleep last week I don’t get 9.15minimum wages I’m steal 8.65 please give advice in help thank you.

    • Edgar – you should first ask your employer if they are going to increase your pay to the new minimum wage of €9.15 and backdate it to Jan 1st. If they refuse you should contact Workplace Relations Commission on (059) 917 8990

  5. Hi there…
    Is not my first job, but i been in it less than 2 years
    what should be my minimum wages? I m an adult worker.

    • If you have worked a total of more than 2 years in all jobs – then you should be on 9.15 per hour.

  6. I have recieved two payslips since Jan 1st of this year but my pay has not risen to €9.15. Has the minimum wage not meant to have risen on Jan1st?

  7. Hi, Im with the same company for 5 years and on minimum wage of 9-15 per hr, As im a qualified carpenter joiner with 25 years experience is this legal?

    • It’s legal – but maybe it’s time to ask for a rise or look for a better paying employer or maybe go self employed?

  8. Hi there I am working in Ireland since Sep this is my second job I just started on Christmas but I still paid 8.65 as rate increased to 9.15 what I have to do? Do I am eglible for 9.15? Thanks.

  9. I work shifts and get minium wage plus shift should my flat pay not b increased to new rate pkus shift

  10. Last year I had €8.85 and my Basic Pay was €345.15. Now I have €9.15p/h and my Basic Pay is €352 but 39h x €9.15 is 356.85. Why???

  11. I was been paid minmum wage(€8.65)until last September where my employer gave me a 2.5% pay rise(€8.86)
    With the new minmum wage, am I still entitled to the 2.5% pay rise.?

    • They have to pay you at least 9.15 per hourfrom Jan 1st. It would be nice if they paid the extra 2.5% on top – but they are not obliged to.

  12. Hi I working for the same company for the last 20 years . In 2011 we took a 20% cut and we negotiated a pay of 8.71 for old staff and New staff to get 8.65 per hour now that the 50 cent rise came in to effect we are all on 9.15 per hour when we were on 8.71 should we not have gone to 9.21 per hour as we are 6 cents short from the rise . Thanks

  13. Hi im in a part time cleaning job cleaning a school its 14 hours a week and we get paid every 2 weeks our hourly pay is 9.75 is that right or should we be paid more.

    • As long as you get at least 9.15 an hour – then it’s legal. The pay agreed between an employer and an employee is negotiable . If you can get higher pay elsewhere – maybe change jobs?

    • minimum wage for cleaner in a school is now legally €10.25 from 1st of January as per dept of education for staff paid by grants.

  14. hi I am starting a job after job bridge. I am trying to discuss wages and a pay scale with my employer. I am wondering dose he have to give me a pay rise every year. He will pay 9.15. if not how can I discuss the issue. Cheers

  15. I’m 19 years old and have been working in my current job for over 2 and a half years but am still only getting €8.66/hr. Am I entitled to a pay rise?

  16. Hi,
    In current place of work, i was on 8.65 an hour plus commission. Since the new rate of pay came in, i am still on 8.65 an hour and they are using my commission to bring me up to the minimum pay of 9.15. Can they legally use my commission to bring up my minimum wage without me agreeing to this, when it was never a factor before?

    • It seems the employer can do this – as long as they have given you notice in writing.
      According to the Workplace Relations Commission .. ” – An employer can pay an employee according to his/her output/productivity. The national minimum hourly rate of pay is expressed as an hourly rate of pay, not a piece or productivity rate. Therefore at the end of a pay reference period (which must not extend beyond one calendar month), an employer must ensure that such an employee’s reckonable pay divided by the employee’s hours of work is not less than the employee’s statutory minimum hourly rate of pay entitlement under the Act.

  17. I came in Ireland 16month’s ago and am working at my current job for the last 14month’s, my wages is 8,65€ per hour, on my payslip is still 8,65€, am I eligible to get the 9,15€ /h!?thank you.

    • The minimum wage for someone in their second year of work (like you) is now €8.24 an hour. If you are getting 8.65 – you are getting more than the minimum. The pay should increase to 9.15 per hour when you have been in work for 24 months.

  18. I work part time with the same employer for more than 3 years now, I’m 32 years.
    I noticed on my P60 that I commenced work June last year. Could you please shed more light to this for me. Thanks

    • You should get a P60 at the end of every year. Maybe your employer was not paying your tax and prsi to Revenue ?? This would be an offence. If your employer does not give you a P60 at the end of each year you should contact your local tax office. Revenue can contact your employer to obtain your P60 for you. Only an employer can issue a P60. It can be provided to you either in electronic format or in hard copy. However, Revenue can provide you with details of the pay and tax for the year in question as returned by your employer, which Revenue has on file.

  19. Hi i am currently working on a salary basis (when broken down hours/pay its 7.35ph.. im 25 working since im 16) im wondering was the raise to minimum wage meant to effect salaries also?

    • You should have your number of hours worked per week or year in your contract .
      Some salaried workers’ contracts might not state the basic number of hours as an annual figure, but it must be possible to work this out. Workers and employers can then use this figure to make sure the hourly rate of pay is at least the minimum wage.
      Employers must pay at least the minimum wage for any hours worked in addition to what’s agreed in the worker’s contract.

  20. If I got my first job at the age of 24 and I’m now working full time is it still right that I’m only getting paid 7.36 an hour ?

    • It depends how long you have been in work. When did you start your first job? If it was over 2 years ago than you should be on €9.15 an hour.

      • If you are over 18 and in your first job for less than a year – then the minimum wage that is legally payable is just €7.32. Some employers will pay more than this if they want to – butthey are not obliged to pay more than that.

  21. Hello,
    I’m working in school like a cleaner, from 1th of March. When I had interview, manager said, that I’ll give 9.75€/hour. But on my payslip shows 9.15€. The women working with me said, that can not to be like this, because they are getting 9.75€/hour. So, I can not to understand now, how should be? And what to do for me?

    • You should have an employment contract showing your hourly wage. You should ask your employer to confirm the rate of pay. We cannot advise on disputes such as this.

  22. If I have worked part time for the same employer for eleven years, there are no full time staff. Should there be a pay scale, I get paid the same as brand new employees

    • There is no law about pay rates – other than the Minimum Wage. You could try asking for a pay rise.

  23. Hi I am in full time employment 17 years and my basic pay for 39 hours is 307 euro . I also get commission on top of this at an average of 200 euro per week . I have contested this with my employers many times in the past but they say both are combined so I have no arguments but can’t get approved any bank loans as the say commission is a non guaranteed income could you please clarify this as I think I’m owed a substantial amount of money thanks

    • Where pay is made up of basic pay plus performance related commission – the legislation just ensures that the average hourly pay (basic plus commission) is at least the minimum wage (€9.15 currently) . The bsic pay before commission does not have to meet the minimum wage level. (So – at the end of a pay reference period (which must not extend beyond one calendar month), an employer must ensure that an employee’s reckonable pay divided by the employee’s hours of work is not less than the employee’s statutory minimum hourly rate of pay entitlement under the Act.)

  24. I’m 18 and have recently started a part-time job while in college, I’m getting €7.48 an hour and I worked since 2014 full-time during the summer ( 6 months in total ) is this correct or should I be getting more ?

    • If you had a job when you hit 18 and have not yet reached 19 – then the min wage for you is €7.32. This is our interpretation of the rules which we believe to be correct. If you want to verify this you can check with the Workplace Relations Commission,Tel – (059) 917 8990

  25. Hi I moved to Ireland about a year ago and last week started my first job here with a minimum wage of 7.64 ph. I’m 29 years old and this is not the first job I’ve had. Does it count that I used to work in another country before coming here? Shouldn’t I be paid minimum wage as an experienced worker even though it wasn’t in Ireland?

  26. IV been on €9:50 for past two years IV seen two minimum wages now, which now I should be on 9:55 but should my employment not have to by law increase my wages as now I’m minimum wage getting the 9:55 but for for last 2 years I was higher than minimum.

    • Employers only have to pay the minimum wage – anything above that is up to them . Have you asked for a bigger rise?

  27. Hi! Does the increase of the minimum wage influence the amount of taxes paid? Thank you in advance

    • For some – the tax and usc will increase . For example , someone on minimum wage earning 18000 a year in 2017 will now earn 18584 – an increase before deductions of €584 . But income tax will rise by €117 and usc will rise by €19 and PRSI will rise by €166 . So overall – an increase of just €319 .

  28. im 18 years old and ive been working for about 4 years now, i was getting 7euro an hour and when i turned 18 i got a raise to 7.40, am i entitled to more or is this the correct amount???

  29. Hi there. Sorry my english is not very well. I am working at a company as a delivery guy. I am driving a van. But on my payslip my status is “kitchen porter”. Does it matter anything? Why the company do like this? They try to protect themselves. Sorry for my english i hope it is clear What i want to ask. Thank you so much

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