What carpenters earn in Ireland
Carpentry is one of the hardest trades to fill in Ireland, and rates have held firm as a result. What you earn depends mostly on the type of carpentry rather than the county.
Last reviewed 10 November 2026 by the O'Neill & Brennan team
Rates by type of work
Typical agency rates on Irish sites:
- First fix carpentry: €24 to €27 an hour
- Second fix and finishing: €25 to €29 an hour
- Shuttering and formwork: €27 to €30 an hour
- Foreman or finishing foreman: €280 to €360 a day
What lifts the rate
Shuttering carpenters working on insitu concrete frames sit at the top of the range, because the work is more technical and the programme pressure is higher. Those packages also tend to carry regular Saturday overtime, which makes a significant difference to weekly earnings.
Being able to set out from drawings, rather than only working to someone else’s marks, is the other thing that moves a carpenter up the range quickly.
Where the work is
Dublin and Kildare carry the largest volume of carpentry work, driven by the residential programme and the data centre fit out packages. Cork and Galway both have steady demand, with less competition for roles.
Common questions
What is the hourly rate for a carpenter in Ireland?
Between €24 and €30 an hour depending on the type of work. Shuttering carpenters earn the most, first fix the least.
Do carpenters get overtime in Ireland?
Frequently. Shuttering and frame packages often run Saturdays, and finishing work picks up overtime as a scheme approaches handover.