Every grade side by side
3 grades covered so far, ordered by starting salary. The ceiling column includes any long service increments, and the years column is how long it takes to get there.
| Grade | Starts on | Ceiling | Years to ceiling |
|---|---|---|---|
| Defence Forces enlisted personnel | €33,636 | €62,505 | 4 years |
| Garda | €39,194 | €60,333 | 8 years |
| Defence Forces officer | €39,858 | €125,371 | 4 years |
Defence Forces enlisted personnel, about €2,380 a month take-home.
Defence Forces officer, reached after 4 years.
How pay works in this sector
Two things set this sector apart. Both employers pay allowances that are not optional extras: Military Service Allowance for the Defence Forces, and shift and overtime payments for Gardai, where overtime runs at time and a half or double time on Sundays and public holidays. Basic pay alone understates both jobs.
Both are also on fast accrual pension schemes, reflecting earlier retirement ages. That makes the Additional Superannuation Contribution harsher than for other public servants: it exempts only the first €28,750 of pensionable pay rather than €34,500, and charges 10% above it rather than 3.33%. On a starting salary that difference is several hundred euro a year.
The two structures overlap more than the uniforms suggest. The most senior enlisted rank, Sergeant-Major, sits inside the officer Captain scale, and a newly commissioned Second-Lieutenant starts below the first point of Corporal.
Pick a grade
Every grade in this sector, including any kept out of the table above because their pay is not a salary.