The short answer
A newly qualified lecturer (technological university and institute of technology) starts on €47,572 a year. After 10 years of service you reach the top of the scale on €64,372. Allowances for promoted posts and, for some teachers, qualifications are paid on top of these figures.
Figures from Circular 002/2026, effective 1 June 2026. Take-home is for a single person with standard credits, after income tax, USC, PRSI and ASC.
What point of the scale am I on?
This is where most salary pages get it wrong. Your point is not always the same as your years of service, because one of the two scales carries incremental skips. Pick your situation:
The full pay scale, every point
Assistant Lecturer (new entrant)
Ten points. The new entrant scale starts two points below the older Assistant Lecturer scale but converges with it from point 3 onward, where the figures become identical.
| Point | Gross / year | Take-home / year | Take-home / month |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | €47,572 | €38,124 | €3,177 |
| 2 | €50,099 | €39,408 | €3,284 |
| 3 | €52,181 | €40,465 | €3,372 |
| 4 | €54,097 | €41,439 | €3,453 |
| 5 | €56,109 | €42,461 | €3,538 |
| 6 | €57,728 | €43,283 | €3,607 |
| 7 | €59,383 | €44,124 | €3,677 |
| 8 | €61,045 | €44,968 | €3,747 |
| 9 | €62,717 | €45,815 | €3,818 |
| 10 | €64,372 | €46,654 | €3,888 |
Take-home assumes a single person with the personal and employee tax credits, no other income, and ASC at Single Public Service Pension Scheme rates. Your main superannuation contribution is deducted separately and depends on your scheme.
Assistant Lecturer
Eight points, identical to the last eight of the new entrant scale.
| Point | Gross / year | Take-home / year | Take-home / month |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | €52,181 | €40,465 | €3,372 |
| 2 | €54,097 | €41,439 | €3,453 |
| 3 | €56,109 | €42,461 | €3,538 |
| 4 | €57,728 | €43,283 | €3,607 |
| 5 | €59,383 | €44,124 | €3,677 |
| 6 | €61,045 | €44,968 | €3,747 |
| 7 | €62,717 | €45,815 | €3,818 |
| 8 | €64,372 | €46,654 | €3,888 |
Two things to read carefully. These are the scales for Technological Universities and Institutes of Technology. The traditional universities are covered by a separate circular with their own scales, so a lecturer in UCD or Trinity is not on these figures. And the Lecturer scale as printed jumps from €72,831 at point 2 to €84,009 at point 3, a gap of €11,178 where the surrounding steps are around €2,900. That is what the source document shows and we reproduce it rather than smoothing it, but it is worth confirming your own placement with your HR department.
What you earn in each year of your career
On the assistant lecturer (new) scale you move up one point for each year of satisfactory service, with no skipped points. That means 10 years of service to reach the top.
| Years of service | Your point | Gross salary |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | Point 1 | €47,572 |
| Year 2 | Point 2 | €50,099 |
| Year 3 | Point 3 | €52,181 |
| Year 4 | Point 4 | €54,097 |
| Year 5 | Point 5 | €56,109 |
| Year 6 | Point 6 | €57,728 |
| Year 7 | Point 7 | €59,383 |
| Year 8 | Point 8 | €61,045 |
| Year 9 | Point 9 | €62,717 |
| Year 10 | Point 10 | €64,372 |
Progression is automatic on your incremental date as long as your service is satisfactory. Time spent on a career break or otherwise out of service pushes your incremental date back.
What comes off your salary
Four deductions apply before your pay reaches your account, and one of them is specific to the public service.
Income tax, USC and PRSI
The same as any employee. Income tax at 20% up to €44,000 for a single person and 40% above, USC in bands from 0.5% to 8%, and PRSI at 4.2%.
ASC, the public service extra
The Additional Superannuation Contribution. Nothing on the first €34,500, then 3.33% to €60,000 and 3.5% above for Single Scheme members. Pre-2013 scheme members pay 10% and 10.5% on the same bands. It reduces your income tax but not your USC or PRSI.
One thing to be aware of: the take-home figures on this page include ASC but not your main superannuation contribution, which is charged separately and depends on which pension scheme you joined. Your actual net pay will be somewhat lower. We show ASC because its rates are published and identical for everyone, while the main contribution varies.
Questions people ask most
How much does a lecturer earn in Ireland?
What is the starting salary for an assistant lecturer in Ireland?
Do lecturers in universities earn the same as in Technological Universities?
Why is there such a big jump on the lecturer scale?
How much does a senior lecturer earn in Ireland?
How long does it take to reach the top of the lecturer scale?
How does lecturer pay compare to teaching in a school?
How much ASC does a lecturer pay?
Is there a part-time hourly rate for assistant lecturers?
When do higher education salaries increase next?
Where these figures come from
Every euro figure on this page is taken from the official circulars below, not from salary surveys or crowd-sourced averages. Last checked 2026-08-14.
- Circular 002/2026: Revision of Pay in the Higher Education Sector with effect from 1 June 2026, salary scales appendix, Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science
- Additional Superannuation Contribution (ASC): rates and thresholds, Department of Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation
More public sector pay: