United Kingdom vs Ireland: net pay side by side
The two most tightly connected English-speaking economies in Europe, with more employment crossing between them than any comparable pair. Neither country simply wins. There is a real crossover point, and which side of it you sit on decides the answer.
The figures compared
Every number here is produced by the site's own tax engine for that country. Open the full calculator if you want to tune the assumptions to your own case.
| Gross salary | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom net/mo | 🇮🇪 Ireland net/mo |
|---|---|---|
| 40,000 | £2,693/mo (19.2%) | €2,830/mo (15.1%) |
| 60,000 | £3,780/mo (24.4%) | €3,761/mo (24.8%) |
| 80,000 | £4,746/mo (28.8%) | €4,593/mo (31.1%) |
| 100,000 | £5,713/mo (31.4%) | €5,391/mo (35.3%) |
Gross salary appears in each country's own currency at matching nominal values rather than converted, which is what you want when weighing up two offers quoted locally. The effective rate is in brackets.
The tipping point: Ireland takes the bottom, the UK takes the top
At 40,000 in either currency Ireland actually nets a little more than the UK. Irish personal tax credits, worth 3,750 euros combined, are generous at lower incomes, and the standard rate band of 20% up to 44,000 euros is comparable to the British basic rate. What changes things is the Universal Social Charge, a separate surcharge stacked on top of income tax, which accelerates faster than British National Insurance as income climbs. By 60,000 euros the two are near enough identical, and by 100,000 the UK has moved clearly ahead. Our full USC explainer lists the exact bands.
Why this particular comparison gets used so often
Britain and Ireland share a Common Travel Area that lets citizens live and work in either country without a visa, one of the most frictionless bilateral employment arrangements anywhere in Europe. Dublin's technology and finance sectors compete head-on with London for the same people, and salary negotiations routinely involve candidates holding offers in both currencies at once, which makes an accurate side-by-side genuinely useful rather than merely academic.
Questions readers ask
It turns on the salary. At 40,000 euros Ireland nets slightly more, 2,830 euros/month against £2,693/month. By 100,000 the UK is clearly in front, £5,713/month against 5,391 euros/month. The crossover happens because the Irish USC surcharge accelerates faster than British National Insurance as income rises.
The Universal Social Charge is a surcharge sitting on top of Irish income tax, climbing from 0.5% to 8% across four bands. It is the main reason the Irish take-home advantage at lower salaries erodes and eventually reverses higher up. Our dedicated USC guide lists the exact thresholds.
They can. The Common Travel Area predates the EU and lets British and Irish citizens live, work and use public services in either country with no visa or work permit, Brexit notwithstanding. It is one of the most open bilateral labour arrangements in Europe.
It does not. These are nominal take-home figures at matching amounts with no purchasing-power adjustment. Dublin has one of Europe's most expensive rental markets, frequently beating London for comparable properties, which can wipe out the Irish take-home advantage at lower salaries.