Breaking: Ireland’s Gender Pay Gap Persists as Men Outearn Women by 17% — And Confidence Gap Widens Divide

Dublin, Ireland — As the world prepares to mark International Women’s Day, new data from IrishJobs and The Stepstone Group has laid bare the stubborn reality of Ireland’s gender pay gap — a chasm that continues to undermine workplace equality despite mounting pressure for reform.

The numbers are stark: men expect a median salary of €64,000 for roles matching their skills and experience, while women anticipate just €53,000 — a 17% disparity that reflects not just pay inequality but also a deeper cultural divide in how men and women perceive their own market value.

But the gap isn’t just about salary expectations. It’s about confidence, negotiation, and the invisible barriers that still shape career trajectories in Irish workplaces.

The Confidence Divide: Men Ask, Women Hesitate

Perhaps the most revealing statistic in the report is how differently men and women approach salary negotiations. A striking 67% of men say they feel confident negotiating a pay rise, compared to just 47% of women. This confidence gap translates directly into pay packets: last year, men received average pay rises of over 6%, while women saw increases of roughly 5%.

The disparity extends to satisfaction levels. Nearly four in five men (79%) report being satisfied with their salary, compared to 71% of women. And when women do receive raises, 44% say the increase didn’t fully reflect their performance — a sentiment shared by only 30% of men.

“This isn’t just about numbers on a payslip,” says Christopher Paye, Country Director of The Stepstone Group Ireland. “It’s about the lingering cultural and structural barriers that create these gaps in the first place. When women aren’t empowered to feel confident about their market value, it reinforces the very inequalities we’re trying to dismantle.”

The Transparency Tipping Point

The timing of this report is critical. With the EU Pay Transparency Directive set to take effect in June 2025, Ireland stands at a crossroads. The landmark legislation will require employers to publish salary ranges in job adverts and regularly report on gender pay gaps within their organizations.

Yet despite growing awareness and shifting attitudes, progress remains painfully slow. Only 38% of Irish job advertisements currently display salary ranges — a figure that jumps to 61% among large businesses, suggesting that bigger companies are already adapting to the inevitable transparency requirements.

The data suggests this lack of transparency is costing companies more than just public goodwill. Nearly 40% of recruiters report losing qualified applicants because salary information was provided too late in the hiring process. In today’s competitive labor market, where attracting top talent is increasingly challenging, this opacity may be actively harming recruitment efforts.

Jobseekers Demand Transparency — Or Walk Away

The message from jobseekers is clear: they want transparency, and they’re willing to act on it. A remarkable 72% of candidates say they would abandon a job application if salary information wasn’t provided upfront. This represents a fundamental shift in power dynamics, with candidates increasingly unwilling to invest time in opaque processes.

“We’re seeing a generational change in expectations,” Paye notes. “Today’s workforce, particularly younger professionals, expect transparency as a baseline. They’re not just asking ‘what’s the job?’ but ‘what’s the compensation?’ and ‘how does this compare to market rates?’”

The Cost of Inaction

The implications of maintaining the status quo extend beyond individual paychecks. The report indicates that attracting high-calibre talent is becoming more challenging for companies that choose not to display up-to-date salary information. In a labor market already grappling with skills shortages and rising salary expectations, this opacity could become a competitive disadvantage.

Moreover, the gender pay gap has broader economic implications. When women consistently earn less than their male counterparts for comparable work, it affects everything from pension contributions to career advancement opportunities, creating a compounding disadvantage that can last decades.

A Call for Cultural Change

While the EU directive represents a significant regulatory step forward, Paye emphasizes that legislation alone won’t solve the problem. “The directive is crucial, but we also need a cultural shift. We need to empower women to negotiate confidently, to understand their market value, and to advocate for themselves effectively.”

This cultural change requires action from multiple stakeholders. Employers must commit to transparent pay structures and regular pay equity audits. Recruitment platforms need to prioritize salary transparency in their listings. And most importantly, organizations must create environments where all employees — regardless of gender — feel empowered to discuss compensation openly.

The Path Forward

As Ireland approaches the implementation of the EU Pay Transparency Directive, the data from IrishJobs and The Stepstone Group serves as both a wake-up call and a roadmap. The 17% pay expectation gap, the confidence divide in salary negotiations, and the persistent lack of transparency in job advertisements all point to systemic issues that require systemic solutions.

The good news is that awareness is growing, and attitudes are shifting. More companies are recognizing that pay transparency isn’t just about compliance — it’s about attracting and retaining the best talent, fostering trust, and building more equitable workplaces.

But as Paye concludes, “There’s still much work to be done. Until we address the cultural and structural barriers that create these gaps, we’ll continue to see talented women undervalued and underpaid. And that’s not just bad for women — it’s bad for business, bad for the economy, and ultimately, bad for Ireland.”

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