Every grade side by side
16 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| HSE administrative grades | €31,934 | €101,207 | 7 years |
| Paramedic | €36,251 | €70,386 | 9 years |
| Health Care Assistant | €36,651 | €45,939 | 9 years |
| Staff Nurse | €38,166 | €56,592 | 15 years |
| Audiologist | €40,920 | €80,470 | 6 years |
| Radiographer | €44,956 | €82,030 | 5 years |
| Physiotherapist | €45,514 | €94,350 | 7 years |
| Occupational therapist | €45,514 | €94,350 | 7 years |
| Speech and language therapist | €45,514 | €94,350 | 7 years |
| Dietitian | €45,514 | €100,131 | 7 years |
| Podiatrist | €45,514 | €94,350 | 7 years |
| Non-Consultant Hospital Doctor (NCHD) | €47,127 | €102,619 | 7 years |
| Pharmacist | €50,485 | €111,519 | 6 years |
| Social worker | €51,127 | €100,486 | 6 years |
| Psychologist | €63,222 | €135,950 | 11 years |
| Hospital consultant | €238,221 | €286,151 | 6 years |
HSE administrative grades, about €2,310 a month take-home.
Hospital consultant, reached after 6 years.
How pay works in this sector
Every grade here comes from the same source, the Health Sector Consolidated Salary Scales, which is read alongside Department of Health Circular 2/2026. The scales are national: the same point pays the same in a HSE hospital and in a Section 38 voluntary hospital, with no Dublin weighting.
Two things about that document shape these pages. Long service increments are marked only by being printed in bold, with nothing else to distinguish them from ordinary points, so we identify them from the font rather than by counting. And the health sector rule is that the first is paid after three years on the maximum, the second after three more, and the third after three more again. Note also that these are basic salary scales: overtime, on-call and premium payments sit outside them entirely, which matters most for doctors and for anyone working nights or weekends.
Pick a grade
Every grade in this sector, including any kept out of the table above because their pay is not a salary.