Average CNC Programmer Salary in Ireland for 2026

In this article, we will look at the average CNC Programmer salary for 2026 in Ireland and how that compares to other countries and professions. We'll also look at interesting salary data points like median salary, 25th and 75th percentile salaries, salary amounts based on experience, bonus ranges and more!

The data in this article has been compiled using official government salary data, salary surveys, and other sources such as job postings which contain salary information.

All salary information is in the local currency, which is the Euro. To keep things simple, we are using the EUR currency code instead of the currency symbol .

How Much Does an CNC Programmer Make in Ireland?

An CNC Programmer working in Ireland will typically earn around 25,800 EUR per year, and this can range from the lowest average salary of about 13,600 EUR to the highest average salary of 41,900 EUR.

Average Annual Salary25,800 EUR
Average Monthly Salary2,150 EUR
Average Lowest Salary13,600 EUR
Lowest Monthly Salary1,133 EUR
Average Highest Salary41,900 EUR
Highest Monthly Salary3,491 EUR

These are average salaries for an CNC Programmer in Ireland and include benefits such as housing and transport. It's also possible for an CNC Programmer to earn more or less than the average salaries shown above.

CNC Programmer salaries will vary a lot based on your experience, location, skills, and gender. Keep reading below to research more data on each of these areas.

Distribution of CNC Programmer Salaries in Ireland

So we've looked at the average salaries an CNC Programmer will earn in Ireland. The next interesting data point is the distribution of salaries.

Salary ranges

We already know that an CNC Programmer can earn between 13,600 EUR and 41,900 EUR on average in Ireland. This is known as the range in statistics.

The difference between the maximum and minimum values is a good indicator of variability in salaries, and can be used by employers to figure out how much they can expect to pay, and for employees to know how much they can earn.

Median salary

The median salary for an CNC Programmer in Ireland is 25,800 EUR. This is the middle value in the distribution of salaries.

What this means is that approximately 50% of the population earn less than 25,800 EUR, and 50% of the population earn more than 25,800 EUR.

If you are earning more than the median salary, that's a good indicator that you are being paid well.

If you're not earning more than the median salary, your objective should be to increase your earnings to be at least as high as the median salary (which you can do by asking for a pay rise, looking for a better paying job, etc).

Percentiles

Percentiles are similar to the median salary, but instead of looking at the middle value, they look at the values in the top and bottom half of the distribution.

For the average CNC Programmer salary in Ireland, 25% of the population are earning less than 19,300 EUR while 75% of the population earn more than 19,300 EUR.

75% of the population earn less than 31,700 EUR, and 25% of the population earn more than 31,700 EUR.

Like the median salary, the 25th and 75th percentile salaries can be used to determine which quartile you fall into so that you know whether you are being paid well enough compared to others in your profession and location.

The difference between a median and an average salary

The median and average salary are both indicators you can use to see if you are being paid fairly based on the overall population.

  • If your salary is higher than the average and the median salary, you are earning well compared to others.
  • If your salary is lower than the average and the median salary, it could indicate you are not being paid well enough.
  • If you are somewhere in between then it's tricky to determine if you are being paid well enough and you might need to research more closely.

CNC Programmer Salary by Experience Level in Ireland

The most important factor in determining your salary after the specific profession is the number of years experience you have. It stands to reason that more years of experience will result in a higher wage.

We have researched the average CNC Programmer salary based on years of experience to give you an idea of how the average changes once you've worked for a certain amount of time.

  • 0 - 2 Years Experience. An CNC Programmer in Ireland that has less than two years of experience can expect to earn somewhere in the region of 15,100 EUR.
  • 2 - 5 Years Experience. With two to five years of experience the average CNC Programmer salary would increase to 21,700 EUR.
  • 5 - 10 Years Experience. From five to ten years of experience as an CNC Programmer, the average salary would be 29,600 EUR.
  • 10 - 15 Years Experience. Once you have more than ten years of experience the average salary reaches around 32,600 EUR.
  • 15 - 20 Years Experience. An CNC Programmer with 15 to 20 years of experience can earn an average of 35,300 EUR.
  • 20+ Years Experience. For an CNC Programmer with more than 20 years, the expected average salary increases to 38,000 EUR.

Average Salary by Experience Chart

0-2 Years-
15,100 EUR
2-5 Years+32%
21,700 EUR
5-10 Years+34%
29,600 EUR
10-15 Years+19%
32,600 EUR
15-20 Years+8%
35,300 EUR
20+ Years+7%
38,000 EUR

CNC Programmer Salary by Education Level in Ireland

As well as experience in a job, your education plays a big role in how much you can earn. A lot of higher paying positions require a high level of education, but how much can a degree increase your salary?

In our research we have compared the salaries of employees in the same job and career level with different levels of education to see how much more you can earn at each education level.

The salary you can earn based on your education is very specific to both your location and the career path you choose.

In our research, we looked at the average salary for an CNC Programmer in Ireland based on the education level of the employees in order to find out whether a better education level would increase your salary.

  • Certificate or Diploma. An CNC Programmer in Ireland with a certificate or diploma education can earn an average salary of 23,500 EUR.
  • Bachelor's Degree. An CNC Programmer in Ireland with a bachelor's degree education can earn an average salary of 36,400 EUR.

Average Salary by Education Chart

Certificate or Diploma-
23,500 EUR
Bachelor's Degree+56%
36,400 EUR

How Much is a Master's Degree or MBA Program?

The approximate cost of a master's degree or post-graduate program like an MBA in Ireland is around 16,000 to 48,100 EUR and takes two years to complete.

As you can see above, there are financial benefits from reaching master's degree level, but don't expect to see much of a salary increase until you have completed the degree.

It's common for people to pursue an MBA or other post-graduate program in order to switch to a a job that pays more. On average, you can expect to earn around 10% more when switching to a new company.

Whether you decide to pursue a master's degree depends on many factors. If you are able to afford it, the numbers suggest that the return on investment is worth it and you could recover the costs in a few years from the salary increase you would receive.

CNC Programmer Salary Compared by Gender

In the modern age, we know that there should never be a pay gap between men and women. Unfortunately, in many professions, there is still a significant difference between the salaries earned by men when compared to the salary of women in the same job.

In Ireland, a male cnc programmer will earn an average of 27,100 EUR, while a female cnc programmer will earn around 27,600 EUR.

This means that a male cnc programmer earns approximately 2% less than a female cnc programmer for performing the same job.

Average Salary by Gender Chart in Ireland

Male-
27,100 EUR
Female+2%
27,600 EUR

CNC Programmer Average Pay Raise in Ireland

In many countries, an annual pay raise is often given to employees to reward their service with a salary increase.

From our research, we can see that the average pay raise for an CNC Programmer in Ireland is around 10% every 17 months.

The national average pay raise across all professions and industries in Ireland is around 9% every 16 months.

In this case, we can see that the number of months between the average pay raise is higher than the typical 12 months.

To make the data more meaningful, we can calculate what the approximate annual pay raise would be using a simple formula:

Annual Increase = ( Increase Rate ÷ Months ) × 12

So for this example, it would be:

Annual Increase = ( 10 ÷ 17 ) × 12  = 7%

What this means is that an CNC Programmer in Ireland can expect to receive an average pay raise of around 7% every 12 months.

Annual Pay Raise by Industry in Ireland for 2026

In the chart below, you can see the average annual pay raise percentages for each of the major industries in Ireland.

You will see that companies in bigger and more lucrative industries tend to have the higher annual pay raises.

Banking-
5%
Energy-
1%
Information Technology-
6%
Healthcare-
2%
Travel-
7%
Construction-
3%
Education-
8%

CNC Programmer Bonus and Incentive Rates in Ireland

Another part of your overall compensation in a job is how much bonus you receive. Some job roles will be more likely to pay a bonus than others and also more likely to have higher bonus rates.

Generally speaking, jobs that are more involved with direct revenue generation will receive higher bonuses based on the performance towards revenue goals.

An CNC Programmer is a low bonus based job, with 30% of employees reporting at least one bonus in the last 12 months.

70% reported that they had not received any bonuses in the previous 12 months.

For the employees that did receive a bonus in the previous 12 months, the reported bonuses ranged from 0% to 3%.

Received Bonus-
30%
No Bonus-
70%

What are the Types of Bonus?

There are a number of difference types of bonus you can receive in a job. Including:

  • Individual performance bonus - This is a bonus that is awarded to an individual employee for general performance in the job. It's the most common type of bonus.
  • Company performance bonus - This is a bonus that is awarded to a company employees to share profit with the staff.
  • Goal based bonus - This is a bonus that is awarded to an individual employee (or a team) for achieving specific goals, objectives, or milestones.
  • Holiday bonus - This type of bonus is usually paid around the holidays, often the end of the year, and is a token of appreciation for the hard work throughout the year.

Government vs Private Sector Salaries

Another commonly asked question is whether you get paid a higher salary working in the public (government) sector or the private sector.

Public sector employees in Ireland earn approximately 12% more than private sector employees in the same role.

Public Sector-
40,900 EUR
Private Sector-12%
36,400 EUR

Salaries for Jobs Similar to an CNC Programmer

In the table below, we have salary information for jobs that are similar to an CNC Programmer in Ireland.

Job TitleCategorySalary
Assembly ForemanFactory and Manufacturing9,900 EUR
Assembly Line WorkerFactory and Manufacturing12,100 EUR
Assembly SupervisorFactory and Manufacturing16,800 EUR
Assistance Maintenance ManagerFactory and Manufacturing40,300 EUR
Assistant Shipping ManagerFactory and Manufacturing33,800 EUR
CNC MachinistFactory and Manufacturing22,400 EUR
CNC OperatorFactory and Manufacturing23,800 EUR
Chemical Equipment ControllerFactory and Manufacturing26,200 EUR
Chemical Technican ApprenticeFactory and Manufacturing20,200 EUR
Colour TechnologistFactory and Manufacturing12,400 EUR
Contracts ManagerFactory and Manufacturing46,200 EUR
Data Collection CoordinatorFactory and Manufacturing19,200 EUR
Demand PlannerFactory and Manufacturing16,100 EUR
Derrick OperatorFactory and Manufacturing10,800 EUR
Director of ManufacturingFactory and Manufacturing68,300 EUR
Dock WorkerFactory and Manufacturing11,900 EUR
Drying TechnicianFactory and Manufacturing11,900 EUR
Equipment OperatorFactory and Manufacturing11,000 EUR
Export Sales CoordinatorFactory and Manufacturing34,000 EUR
Factory SuperintendentFactory and Manufacturing19,100 EUR
Factory WorkerFactory and Manufacturing12,800 EUR
Failure Analysis TechnicianFactory and Manufacturing19,400 EUR
Fiberglass LaminatorFactory and Manufacturing13,900 EUR
Food TechnologistFactory and Manufacturing19,100 EUR
Forklift DriverFactory and Manufacturing13,200 EUR
Forklift OperatorFactory and Manufacturing12,800 EUR
Forming Machine OperatorFactory and Manufacturing12,200 EUR
Furnace OperatorFactory and Manufacturing11,900 EUR
Gas Appliance RepairerFactory and Manufacturing10,300 EUR
General Warehouse AssociateFactory and Manufacturing19,200 EUR
HSE ManagerFactory and Manufacturing48,600 EUR
Heavy Equipment OperatorFactory and Manufacturing15,200 EUR
Industrial EngineerFactory and Manufacturing35,500 EUR
Industrial Machinery MechanicFactory and Manufacturing23,700 EUR
Industrial Production ManagerFactory and Manufacturing64,900 EUR
Industrial Safety and Health EngineerFactory and Manufacturing36,600 EUR
Intake OperatorFactory and Manufacturing15,200 EUR
Key Account ManagerFactory and Manufacturing50,600 EUR
Lift Truck OperatorFactory and Manufacturing10,000 EUR
Loading SupervisorFactory and Manufacturing17,800 EUR
Logistic CoordinatorFactory and Manufacturing29,300 EUR
Logistics ClerkFactory and Manufacturing13,900 EUR
Machine OperatorFactory and Manufacturing12,100 EUR
MachinistFactory and Manufacturing10,000 EUR
Maintenance ManagerFactory and Manufacturing44,900 EUR
Maintenance Store ClerkFactory and Manufacturing13,400 EUR
Manufacturing EngineerFactory and Manufacturing33,600 EUR
Manufacturing Engineering ManagerFactory and Manufacturing55,400 EUR
Manufacturing Engineering TechnologistFactory and Manufacturing39,800 EUR
Manufacturing ManagerFactory and Manufacturing61,300 EUR
Manufacturing OperativeFactory and Manufacturing19,200 EUR
Manufacturing Production TechnicianFactory and Manufacturing15,800 EUR
Manufacturing SupervisorFactory and Manufacturing29,100 EUR
Manufacturing TechnicianFactory and Manufacturing13,500 EUR
Materials ManagerFactory and Manufacturing49,400 EUR
Materials SupervisorFactory and Manufacturing32,200 EUR
Mechanical Fitter EngineerFactory and Manufacturing35,600 EUR
Mechanical ForemanFactory and Manufacturing13,200 EUR
Merchandise PlannerFactory and Manufacturing17,900 EUR
Metrology EngineerFactory and Manufacturing33,000 EUR
Operations EngineerFactory and Manufacturing34,000 EUR
Operations ManagerFactory and Manufacturing57,100 EUR
Order Management CoordinatorFactory and Manufacturing29,300 EUR
Order Processing ManagerFactory and Manufacturing49,400 EUR
Order SelectorFactory and Manufacturing13,900 EUR
Package HandlerFactory and Manufacturing12,200 EUR
Packaging ManagerFactory and Manufacturing36,900 EUR
PackerFactory and Manufacturing13,000 EUR
Packing Deputy SupervisorFactory and Manufacturing30,800 EUR
Planning ManagerFactory and Manufacturing48,300 EUR
Plant ManagerFactory and Manufacturing59,700 EUR
Precision Instrument RepairerFactory and Manufacturing16,800 EUR
Process TechnicianFactory and Manufacturing14,900 EUR
Product ManagerFactory and Manufacturing57,900 EUR
Production AnalystFactory and Manufacturing51,800 EUR
Production DirectorFactory and Manufacturing71,400 EUR
Production EngineerFactory and Manufacturing35,000 EUR
Production Engineering SupervisorFactory and Manufacturing52,800 EUR
Production InspectorFactory and Manufacturing38,000 EUR
Production LaborerFactory and Manufacturing11,900 EUR
Production ManagerFactory and Manufacturing67,600 EUR
Production OperatorFactory and Manufacturing17,100 EUR
Production SchedulerFactory and Manufacturing26,900 EUR
Production SupervisorFactory and Manufacturing37,200 EUR
Production TechnicianFactory and Manufacturing13,500 EUR
Production WorkerFactory and Manufacturing14,500 EUR
Quality Control AnalystFactory and Manufacturing46,200 EUR
Quality Control InspectorFactory and Manufacturing36,500 EUR
Quality Control ManagerFactory and Manufacturing53,300 EUR
SHEQ OfficerFactory and Manufacturing16,400 EUR
Service TechnicianFactory and Manufacturing14,000 EUR
Shipping ManagerFactory and Manufacturing52,300 EUR
Small Engine MechanicFactory and Manufacturing22,000 EUR
Spray PainterFactory and Manufacturing10,000 EUR
Sterile Processing TechnicianFactory and Manufacturing13,600 EUR
Structural WelderFactory and Manufacturing11,300 EUR
Supply Chain OperativeFactory and Manufacturing32,900 EUR
Technical OperatorFactory and Manufacturing15,200 EUR
Technology Development ManagerFactory and Manufacturing61,400 EUR
Testing TechnicianFactory and Manufacturing24,800 EUR
ToolmakerFactory and Manufacturing15,700 EUR
Warehouse Forklift OperatorFactory and Manufacturing12,500 EUR
Warehouse OperativeFactory and Manufacturing11,400 EUR
Warehouse WorkerFactory and Manufacturing12,800 EUR
Warranty HandlerFactory and Manufacturing22,000 EUR
WelderFactory and Manufacturing10,000 EUR
Workshop ManagerFactory and Manufacturing41,700 EUR

Salary Comparison by City

If you want to compare salaries with different cities in Ireland, you can use the links below to explore the data for each specific city we have researched.

CityAverage Salary
Cork29,300 EUR
Dublin29,600 EUR
Galway24,800 EUR
Limerick28,800 EUR
Waterford23,300 EUR

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