The data also shows that men are often more comfortable negotiating a pay rise than their female colleagues.
Ahead of International Women’s Day on Sunday (8 March), recruitment platform IrishJobs has released data highlighting issues of pay disparity and unequal expectations between men and women of similar skill in the workplace.
IrishJobs and parent company The Stepstone Group compiled the data using research related to salary and benefit trends from 1.3m job adverts, alongside survey insights from 470 recruiters and 670 candidates in Ireland, as well as using data from the UK and Germany.
The research found that, based on their role, skills and experience, men expect a median salary of €64,000. For comparison, women typically expect €53,000, which is a 17pc gap in pay expectations. According to the report, “the findings reflect the lingering structural and cultural barriers in the workforce that continue to shape attitudes around pay and real salaries”.
79pc of men said they are satisfied with their salary, compared to 71pc of women who contributed data.
Nearly half (44pc) of women who received a pay rise said the level of increase did not fully reflect their work performance, while 30pc of men said that the pay increase did not match their performance. The report also indicated that there are significant differences in how male and female employees approach conversations with their employer around pay.
More than two out of every three (67pc) men said that they feel confident negotiating a pay rise, compared to less than half (47pc) of participating women. Additional figures show that in 2025, the average pay rise for men was 6.5pc, compared to 5.4pc for women.
Increased awareness
With the EU Pay Transparency Directive coming into effect in June of this year, the report notes that there is potential to increase transparency around payment structures and help close the gender pay gap in Ireland.
The report noted: “The directive is a landmark set of new rules which aims to ensure equal pay for equal work. Among the new rules set out by the legislation, employers will be mandated to publish salary ranges for job adverts and report regularly on any gender pay gap in their organisation.”
Data from the report indicates that 72pc of participating jobseekers are prepared to walk away from job applications where the salary information is not provided. Furthermore, despite shifting attitudes amid the incoming changes and stronger expectations around salary transparency, only 38pc of job advertisements in Ireland currently display salary ranges.
The report said: “Transparency is highest among large businesses, with 61pc publishing salary ranges in job adverts. 30pc of Irish businesses expect to publish salary information ahead of the introduction of the pay transparency rules in June.”
The lack of transparency may also be slowing down hiring processes, as the report suggests that attracting high-calibre talent is becoming more challenging for companies that choose not to display up-to-date salary information. Almost 40pc reported losing applicants due to providing salary information too late in the recruitment process.
Commenting on the findings, Christopher Paye, the country director of The Stepstone Group Ireland with responsibility for IrishJobs, said: “Ireland’s labour market remains highly competitive, with employers navigating skills shortages, rising salary expectations and shifting worker demands.
“In this evolving environment, clear insights on pay and compensation are essential for understanding how candidates are navigating the jobs market and how employers can attract and retain high-calibre talent. IrishJobs’ new salary research provides an insight into these dynamics, highlighting the growing importance of transparency and the persistent gender disparities that continue to shape pay and progression in Ireland.”
He added it was clear from the findings that there is more work to be done in addressing the lingering cultural and structural barriers that create gender pay gaps.
He said: “When women are not empowered to feel confident about their market value, it reinforces inequalities that already exist in the labour market. With only 38pc of job adverts in Ireland currently displaying salary ranges, increasing transparency on salary ranges can help to address these inequalities and ensure that talent is rewarded fairly, regardless of gender.”
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