Key Facts: Guernsey vs Ireland Wages
- Guernsey Minimum Wage
- £12.60/hr ($16.97 USD)
- Ireland Minimum Wage
- €14.15/hr ($16.48 USD)
- Guernsey Avg. Gross Monthly Salary
- £3,556 /mo ($4,787.94 USD)
- Ireland Avg. Gross Monthly Salary
- €4,350 /mo ($5,065.80 USD)
- Data Sources
- States of Guernsey — Minimum Wage (2026-03-12), Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) (2026-03-02)
Guernsey 
Ireland
Updated 2026-03-12
Both high-income economies, Guernsey and Ireland set comparable minimum wage floors in USD terms. Average salaries are lower in Guernsey at $4,788/mo compared to $5,066/mo in Ireland.
Detailed Comparison
| Metric | Guernsey | Ireland |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum wage /hr | £12.60 $16.97 | €14.15 $16.48 |
| Minimum wage /mo | £2,184 $2,940.62 | €2,452.62 $2,856.20 |
| Minimum wage /yr | £26,208 $35,287.46 | €29,432 $34,275.07 |
| Avg. gross salary /mo | £3,556 /mo $4,787.94 | €4,350 /mo $5,065.80 |
| Avg. net salary /mo | N/A/mo | €3,100 /mo $3,610.11 |
| Median individual income /yr | £42,672 /yr $57,455.23 | €40,000 /yr $46,582.04 |
Percentage differences are based on USD equivalent values. Positive means Guernsey is higher.
Work Week
- Guernsey
-
40 hrs/wk standard
Max 48 hrs/wk
Overtime : 1.5x pay
Standard workweek is 40 hours. Employment law broadly follows UK principles with local variations.
- Ireland
-
39 hrs/wk standard
Max 48 hrs/wk
There is no single statutory standard workweek; 39 hours is the most common. The Organisation of Working Time Act 1997 limits average weekly hours to 48 over a 4-month reference period. There is no statutory overtime rate; overtime pay is determined by employment contract or collective agreement.
• WAGE TRAJECTORY (USD/hr)
What This Means for Workers
A minimum wage worker moving from Ireland to Guernsey would see a 3% increase in USD-equivalent hourly earnings. Standard work weeks differ: Guernsey mandates 40 hours while Ireland mandates 39 hours. A minimum wage worker's weekly earnings in Guernsey are $679 vs $643 in Ireland.
See this comparison from Ireland's perspective: Ireland vs Guernsey
Compare Guernsey with...
Guernsey vs United States $ 7.25 /hr 
Guernsey vs China ¥ 25 /hr 
Guernsey vs Germany € 13.9 /hr 
Guernsey vs United Kingdom £ 12.71 /hr 
Guernsey vs India ₹ 4,576 /mo 
Guernsey vs Japan ¥ 1,121 /hr 
Guernsey vs France € 12.02 /hr 
Guernsey vs South Korea ₩ 10,320 /hr 
Guernsey vs Canada C$ 18.1 /hr 
Guernsey vs Australia A$ 24.95 /hr 
Guernsey vs Brazil R$ 7.37 /hr 
Guernsey vs Russia ₽ 156.31 /hr 
Guernsey vs Mexico MX$ 9,583.52 /mo 
Guernsey vs Netherlands € 14.71 /hr 
Guernsey vs Saudi Arabia ﷼ 23.08 /hr 
Guernsey vs Turkey ₺ 164.94 /hr 
Guernsey vs Switzerland 
Guernsey vs Poland zł 31.4 /hr 
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Guernsey vs Israel ₪ 35.4 /hr Frequently Asked Questions
Is the minimum wage higher in Guernsey or Ireland?
In Guernsey, the minimum wage is £12.60/hr ($16.97 USD). In Ireland, it is €14.15/hr ($16.48 USD). Guernsey has the higher rate by 3% in USD terms. That nominal gap does not account for local prices; see the purchasing power comparison below for a cost-of-living-adjusted view. Workers in Ireland may retain a larger share of their earnings if prices there are lower.
How much less does the average worker earn in Guernsey compared to Ireland?
The average gross salary in Guernsey is £3,556/mo ($4,787.94 USD), compared to €4,350/mo ($5,065.80 USD) in Ireland. In USD terms, workers in Guernsey earn approximately 6% less. Average salaries reflect the full labor market, not just the minimum wage floor. The gap between Guernsey and Ireland is shaped by differences in industry composition, labor productivity, and the overall cost of living in each country. Workers in Ireland earn more in nominal terms, though how far that income stretches depends on local prices in Guernsey.
How do work hours compare between Guernsey and Ireland?
Guernsey has a longer standard work week at 40 hours, compared to 39 hours in Ireland. Workers in Guernsey work 40 hours per week by law. Longer mandatory hours can offset a nominally higher wage; a worker in Ireland working fewer hours may have comparable or better effective hourly earnings depending on the wage levels of each country. Total annual compensation depends on both the wage rate and the number of hours required.