The national minimum wage rises by 79 cent on 1 January 2027. Here is what that means by the hour, week and year, what younger workers get, and how it fits the plan for a living wage.
A full-time worker on the minimum wage will earn about €1,602 more in 2027 before tax. The rate rises by 79 cent to €14.94 an hour on 1 January 2027, up from €9.25 ten years earlier.
The new rate is €14.94 an hour
The national minimum wage is the lowest hourly pay most employers can legally give a worker aged 20 or over. It is €14.15 now. From 1 January 2027 it will be €14.94.
The figure came from the Low Pay Commission, a body that advises the Government on the rate each year. In its July 2026 report it recommended a rise of 79 cent, or 5.6%. The Government confirmed the rate in Budget 2027 on 6 October 2026.
The new rate still needs a legal order before it takes effect. Citizens Information notes that this has yet to happen.
What it means by the week and year
Most full-time jobs are around 39 hours a week. Here is what the new rate pays at that level, before tax.
| 2026 | 2027 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Per hour | €14.15 | €14.94 | +€0.79 |
| Per week | €551.85 | €582.66 | +€30.81 |
| Per year (52 weeks) | €28,696 | €30,298 | +€1,602 |
Part-time workers gain in proportion. Someone on 20 hours a week will get €15.80 more each week.
What a full-time worker takes home
Budget 2027 raised the top of the 2% USC band from €28,700 to €30,300. USC is the Universal Social Charge, a tax on income on top of income tax. The change means a full-time minimum wage worker stays in the 2% band.
We worked out take-home pay for a single person on 39 hours a week in 2027. We used the new tax credits of €2,125 each, today's PRSI rate of 4.35% and the USC bands announced so far.
That is after about €1,810 in income tax, €426 in USC and €1,318 in PRSI over the year. Your own figure will differ if you have other tax credits or work different hours. For pay at higher incomes, see our guide to salary after tax.
A rise in the minimum wage can push you into a higher tax band and leave you worse off.
The Budget moved the 2% USC band up to €30,300 so a 39-hour week at €14.94 (€30,298 a year) stays inside it. Employer PRSI thresholds also rise, from €552 to €600 a week, so there is no reason to cut full-time hours.
Younger workers get a lower rate
The law lets employers pay workers under 20 a share of the full rate. Under 18s get 70%. At 18 it is 80%, and at 19 it is 90%.
| Age | Share of full rate | 2026 | 2027 (worked out) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 18 | 70% | €9.91 | €10.46 |
| 18 | 80% | €11.32 | €11.95 |
| 19 | 90% | €12.74 | €13.45 |
| 20 and over | 100% | €14.15 | €14.94 |
Official 2027 youth rates have not been published yet. The figures above apply the same shares to €14.94.
Ten years of rises
The rate grew slowly from 2017 to 2022. Then came bigger jumps, with the largest in 2024, when it rose by €1.40.
Who earns the minimum wage
The Low Pay Commission counted 242,100 employees on the minimum wage or less in 2025. That is about 1 in 10 employees, and the highest number in ten years.
- 61.3% work part-time
- 51.4% are aged 15 to 24
- More women (135,800) than men (106,200)
- Shops and hospitality account for about 55% of minimum wage jobs
- In accommodation and food, 36.4% of staff are on it
share of workers in accommodation and food on the minimum wage or less in 2025
Source: assets.gov.ieA living wage is planned for 2029
The Government plans a national living wage to replace the minimum wage from 2029. It will be set at 60% of the median hourly wage. The median is the middle point: half of workers earn more, half earn less.
The target date was 2026. In April 2025 the Government moved it to 2029. The Low Pay Commission says the 2027 rate will reach about 58.27% of the median, up from about 57.4% now.
Views differ on the pace. The Commission says business groups raised concerns about costs and competitiveness, while worker groups raised concerns about poverty.
The Commission also weighed a labour market it calls strong but softening. It expects wages in general to grow by about 4%, and jobs growth to slow but stay positive.
What this means for you
- Check your first payslip in January 2027: the hourly rate should be at least €14.94 if you are 20 or over.
- Overtime, sick pay and holiday pay do not count towards the minimum wage. Basic pay, bonuses and commission do.
- If your employer gives you food or lodgings, set amounts can count towards your pay: €1.27 an hour for board.
- Unpaid wages can be reported to the Workplace Relations Commission, on 059 917 8990.
Who is not covered
Close relatives of a sole trader, such as a spouse or child, are not covered. Nor are craft apprentices. The Labour Court can let an employer in financial trouble pay less for three months to a year, but only once.
To get that exemption, the employer must apply, have the support of most of its staff, and show that paying the full rate would lead to job losses. Youth rates cannot be cut further this way.
Employers must keep pay records for three years. They must not treat you badly for asking to be paid the legal rate.
Government signs the legal order setting €14.94 from 1 January 2027
New minimum wage and youth rates take effect
Low Pay Commission makes its recommendation for 2028
Living wage at 60% of median hourly pay due to replace the minimum wage
- Citizens Information: Minimum wage
- Citizens Information: Budget 2027
- Low Pay Commission: 2026 Recommendations for the National Minimum Wage, July 2026
- Workplace Relations Commission: National Minimum Wage
- Workplace Relations Commission: Previous rates of pay under the National Minimum Wage
- Citizens Information: Universal Social Charge
- Citizens Information: Paying social insurance (PRSI)
