Average Principal Salary in Ireland for 2024

In this article, we will look at the average Principal salary for 2024 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 โ‚ฌ.

How Much Does a Principal Make in Ireland?

A Principal working in Ireland will typically earn around 51,500 EUR per year, and this can range from the lowest average salary of about 25,400 EUR to the highest average salary of 79,600 EUR.

Average Annual Salary
51,500 EUR
Average Monthly Salary
4,291 EUR

Lowest Annual Salary
25,400 EUR
Lowest Monthly Salary
2,116 EUR

Highest Annual Salary
79,600 EUR
Highest Monthly Salary
6,633 EUR

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

Principal 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 Principal Salaries in Ireland

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

Salary ranges

We already know that a Principal can earn between 25,400 EUR and 79,600 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 a Principal in Ireland is 51,100 EUR. This is the middle value in the distribution of salaries.

What this means is that approximately 50% of the population earn less than 51,100 EUR, and 50% of the population earn more than 51,100 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 Principal salary in Ireland, 25% of the population are earning less than 35,400 EUR while 75% of the population earn more than 35,400 EUR.

75% of the population earn less than 64,400 EUR, and 25% of the population earn more than 64,400 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.

Principal 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 principal 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. A Principal in Ireland that has less than two years of experience can expect to earn somewhere in the region of 27,300 EUR.
  • 2 - 5 Years Experience. With two to five years of experience the average Principal salary would increase to 38,700 EUR.
  • 5 - 10 Years Experience. From five to ten years of experience as a Principal, the average salary would be 52,000 EUR.
  • 10 - 15 Years Experience. Once you have more than ten years of experience the average salary reaches around 64,500 EUR.
  • 15 - 20 Years Experience. A Principal with 15 to 20 years of experience can earn an average of 68,900 EUR.
  • 20+ Years Experience. For a Principal with more than 20 years, the expected average salary increases to 72,000 EUR.

Average Salary by Experience Chart

0-2 Years
27,300 EUR
2-5 Years +29%
38,700 EUR
5-10 Years +38%
52,000 EUR
10-15 Years +24%
64,500 EUR
15-20 Years +7%
68,900 EUR
20+ Years +7%
72,000 EUR

Principal 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 a Principal in Ireland based on the education level of the employees in order to find out whether a better education level would increase your salary.

  • Master's Degree. A Principal in Ireland with a master's degree education can earn an average salary of 30,600 EUR.

  • PhD. A Principal in Ireland with a phd education can earn an average salary of 59,000 EUR.

Average Salary by Education Chart

Master's Degree
30,600 EUR
PhD +85%
59,000 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.

Principal 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 principal will earn an average of 49,700 EUR, while a female principal will earn around 46,900 EUR.

This means that a male principal earns approximately 6% more than a female principal for performing the same job.

Average Salary by Gender Chart in Ireland

Male
49,700 EUR
Female -6%
46,900 EUR

Principal 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 a Principal in Ireland is around 12% every 18 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 = ( 12 ÷ 18 ) × 12  = 8%

What this means is that a Principal in Ireland can expect to receive an average pay raise of around 8% every 12 months.

Annual Pay Raise by Industry in Ireland for 2024

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%

Principal 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.

A Principal is a high bonus based job, with 82% of employees reporting at least one bonus in the last 12 months.

18% 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 5% to 9%.

Received Bonus
82%
No Bonus
18%

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 a Principal

In the table below, we have salary information for jobs that are similar to a Principal in Ireland.

Job Title Category Salary
Academic Advisor Teaching / Education 45,000 EUR
Academic Assistant Teaching / Education 30,600 EUR
Academic Coach Teaching / Education 45,200 EUR
Academic Librarian Teaching / Education 30,000 EUR
Academic Manager Teaching / Education 45,900 EUR
Academic Specialist Teaching / Education 34,300 EUR
Academic Staff Teaching / Education 29,100 EUR
Accompanist Teaching / Education 36,800 EUR
Achievement Coach Teaching / Education 40,300 EUR
Admissions Specialist Teaching / Education 38,100 EUR
Agricultural Sciences Teacher Teaching / Education 32,900 EUR
Anthropology Teacher Teaching / Education 34,000 EUR
Arabic Language Teacher Teaching / Education 29,600 EUR
Archeology Teacher Teaching / Education 37,200 EUR
Architecture Teacher Teaching / Education 38,000 EUR
Archivist Teaching / Education 26,300 EUR
Art Teacher Teaching / Education 30,200 EUR
Assistant School Principal Teaching / Education 44,700 EUR
Assistant Teacher Teaching / Education 29,300 EUR
Biochemistry Professor Teaching / Education 60,600 EUR
Biology Teacher Teaching / Education 33,300 EUR
Bursary Scheme Manager Teaching / Education 41,900 EUR
Business Teacher Teaching / Education 33,000 EUR
Careers Advisor Teaching / Education 40,200 EUR
Careers Consultant Teaching / Education 38,000 EUR
Chemistry Teacher Teaching / Education 33,500 EUR
Child Care Coordinator Teaching / Education 33,800 EUR
Child Care Worker Teaching / Education 26,400 EUR
Childcare Worker Teaching / Education 26,200 EUR
Classroom Assistant Teaching / Education 26,100 EUR
Clinical School Psychologist Teaching / Education 47,400 EUR
College Aide Teaching / Education 42,300 EUR
College and Career Readiness Specialist Teaching / Education 45,400 EUR
College Dean Teaching / Education 80,700 EUR
College President Teaching / Education 72,400 EUR
Communications Teacher Teaching / Education 34,300 EUR
Community Education Officer Teaching / Education 29,300 EUR
Computer Science Teacher Teaching / Education 29,600 EUR
Computer Teacher Teaching / Education 30,100 EUR
Creative Writing Trainer Teaching / Education 39,800 EUR
Credit Counselor Teaching / Education 39,300 EUR
Cultural Studies Teacher Teaching / Education 30,300 EUR
Curriculum Coordinator Teaching / Education 39,000 EUR
Curriculum Developer Teaching / Education 42,800 EUR
Curriculum Specialist Teaching / Education 41,500 EUR
Dean of Faculty Teaching / Education 71,600 EUR
Demonstrator Teaching / Education 30,800 EUR
Deputy Controller of Examinations Teaching / Education 42,500 EUR
Director of Learning Technology Teaching / Education 45,600 EUR
Distance Learning Coordinator Teaching / Education 38,100 EUR
Economics Lecturer Teaching / Education 55,500 EUR
Economics Teacher Teaching / Education 33,600 EUR
Education Administrator Teaching / Education 36,200 EUR
Education Assistant Teaching / Education 29,600 EUR
Education Assistant Director Teaching / Education 44,500 EUR
Education Assistant Librarian Teaching / Education 22,400 EUR
Education Assistant Principal Teaching / Education 36,800 EUR
Education Assistant Professor Teaching / Education 47,400 EUR
Education Associate Teaching / Education 29,400 EUR
Education Consultant Teaching / Education 42,400 EUR
Education Consultant Teaching / Education 44,500 EUR
Education Coordinator Teaching / Education 34,400 EUR
Education Counselor Teaching / Education 38,000 EUR
Education Director Teaching / Education 58,200 EUR
Education Program Specialist Teaching / Education 38,900 EUR
Education Researcher Teaching / Education 45,000 EUR
Education Resource Specialist Teaching / Education 34,300 EUR
Education Services Facilitator Teaching / Education 35,600 EUR
Educational Psychologist Teaching / Education 51,300 EUR
EFL Teacher Teaching / Education 33,000 EUR
eLearning Trainer Teaching / Education 32,200 EUR
Elementary School Teacher Teaching / Education 25,500 EUR
Engineering Lecturer Teaching / Education 57,900 EUR
Engineering Teacher Teaching / Education 44,500 EUR
English Teacher Teaching / Education 30,800 EUR
ESL Teacher Teaching / Education 33,600 EUR
Faculty Assistant Teaching / Education 43,500 EUR
Foreign Language Teacher Teaching / Education 29,100 EUR
GED Teacher Teaching / Education 27,400 EUR
Geography Teacher Teaching / Education 29,100 EUR
Head of Mathematics Department Teaching / Education 47,500 EUR
Head of School Teaching / Education 51,100 EUR
High School Teacher Teaching / Education 38,700 EUR
History Teacher Teaching / Education 33,600 EUR
Infant Teacher Teaching / Education 22,800 EUR
Instructional Assistant Teaching / Education 36,400 EUR
Instructor Teaching / Education 35,000 EUR
Kindergarten Teacher Teaching / Education 27,600 EUR
Language Instructor For Expatriate Teaching / Education 27,000 EUR
Law Teacher Teaching / Education 48,200 EUR
Learning Designer Teaching / Education 40,300 EUR
Lecturer Teaching / Education 57,000 EUR
Librarian Teaching / Education 27,000 EUR
Library Assistant Teaching / Education 23,800 EUR
Library Director Teaching / Education 42,000 EUR
Library Specialist Teaching / Education 27,300 EUR
Library Technician Teaching / Education 27,600 EUR
Life Sciences Teacher Teaching / Education 33,300 EUR
Math Lecturer Teaching / Education 63,200 EUR
Math Teacher Teaching / Education 36,400 EUR
Mathematics Teacher Teaching / Education 36,400 EUR
Mentor Teaching / Education 38,000 EUR
Middle School Teacher Teaching / Education 36,800 EUR
Music Teacher Teaching / Education 31,200 EUR
Nursery Manager Teaching / Education 51,400 EUR
Nursery Worker Teaching / Education 21,100 EUR
Paraprofessional Teaching / Education 45,300 EUR
Physical Education Specialist Teaching / Education 37,100 EUR
Physical Education Teacher Teaching / Education 27,300 EUR
Physics Teacher Teaching / Education 36,600 EUR
Political Science Teacher Teaching / Education 36,500 EUR
Post Doctoral Researcher Teaching / Education 51,900 EUR
Preschool Education Administrator Teaching / Education 35,300 EUR
Preschool Teacher Teaching / Education 26,400 EUR
Primary School Teacher Teaching / Education 31,200 EUR
Product Specialist Teaching / Education 35,500 EUR
Professor - Accounting Teaching / Education 59,700 EUR
Professor - Architecture Teaching / Education 58,700 EUR
Professor - Biology Teaching / Education 58,500 EUR
Professor - Business Administration Teaching / Education 58,600 EUR
Professor - Chemical Engineering Teaching / Education 63,700 EUR
Professor - Chemistry Teaching / Education 63,200 EUR
Professor - Civil Engineering Teaching / Education 56,400 EUR
Professor - Communication Teaching / Education 57,200 EUR
Professor - Computer Science Teaching / Education 60,100 EUR
Professor - Dentistry Teaching / Education 64,300 EUR
Professor - Drama Teaching / Education 58,200 EUR
Professor - Economics Teaching / Education 64,300 EUR
Professor - Education Teaching / Education 63,000 EUR
Professor - Electrical Engineering Teaching / Education 66,900 EUR
Professor - English Teaching / Education 60,900 EUR
Professor - Environmental Engineering Teaching / Education 64,300 EUR
Professor - Foreign Languages Teaching / Education 60,900 EUR
Professor - Geological Sciences Teaching / Education 61,600 EUR
Professor - History Teaching / Education 61,800 EUR
Professor - Industrial Engineering Teaching / Education 55,500 EUR
Professor - Law Teaching / Education 62,500 EUR
Professor - Legal Support Teaching / Education 54,700 EUR
Professor - Liberal Arts Teaching / Education 55,300 EUR
Professor - Marketing Teaching / Education 58,000 EUR
Professor - Mathematics Teaching / Education 61,200 EUR
Professor - Mechanical Engineering Teaching / Education 63,200 EUR
Professor - Medical Administration Teaching / Education 63,000 EUR
Professor - Medicine Teaching / Education 68,500 EUR
Professor - Music Teaching / Education 52,300 EUR
Professor - Nursing Teaching / Education 54,600 EUR
Professor - Pharmaceutical Sciences Teaching / Education 60,500 EUR
Professor - Philosophy Teaching / Education 58,800 EUR
Professor - Physical Therapy Teaching / Education 61,400 EUR
Professor - Physics Teaching / Education 66,900 EUR
Professor - Psychology Teaching / Education 58,000 EUR
Professor - Rehabilitation Teaching / Education 54,900 EUR
Professor - Social Work Teaching / Education 55,700 EUR
Professor - Sociology Teaching / Education 60,200 EUR
Professor - Special Education Teaching / Education 59,900 EUR
Psychology Teacher Teaching / Education 51,800 EUR
Public Management Assistant Professor Teaching / Education 47,400 EUR
School Counselor Teaching / Education 45,600 EUR
Science Educator Teaching / Education 35,100 EUR
Science Laboratory Assistant Teaching / Education 29,900 EUR
Science Teacher Teaching / Education 31,700 EUR
Secondary Mathematics Teacher Teaching / Education 31,700 EUR
Secondary School Teacher Teaching / Education 35,100 EUR
Special Education Teacher Teaching / Education 33,000 EUR
Special Needs Assistant Teaching / Education 29,000 EUR
Statistics Lecturer Teaching / Education 60,400 EUR
Student Accounts Coordinator Teaching / Education 32,200 EUR
Student Development Specialist Teaching / Education 40,500 EUR
Student Employment Specialist Teaching / Education 36,800 EUR
Student Services Teaching / Education 31,200 EUR
Student Services Coordinator Teaching / Education 31,300 EUR
Student Support Manager Teaching / Education 38,700 EUR
Substitute Teacher Teaching / Education 26,100 EUR
Teacher Teaching / Education 30,200 EUR
Teacher Aide Teaching / Education 27,000 EUR
Teacher Trainer Teaching / Education 38,000 EUR
Teaching Assistant Teaching / Education 23,700 EUR
TEFL Teacher Teaching / Education 35,300 EUR
Training and Development Specialist Teaching / Education 45,200 EUR
Training Coordinator Teaching / Education 29,100 EUR
Tutor Teaching / Education 30,200 EUR
University Teacher Teaching / Education 54,500 EUR
Vocational Education Teacher Teaching / Education 31,700 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.

City Average Salary
Cork 50,000 EUR
Dublin 53,600 EUR
Galway 46,700 EUR
Limerick 46,000 EUR
Waterford 44,900 EUR

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