Average Salary in France in 2024

According to the French National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies (INSEE), as of 2024, the average annual salary in France is €39,800 gross per year, leading to €3,316 per month.

In this article, I’ll explain how the average salary in France varies by industry, region, company size, and gender to provide a comprehensive overview of earnings in the country.

Key points

• As of 2024, the average gross annual salary in France is €39,800. However, there are significant variations between industries, experience levels, and geographic regions (Source: INSEE).
• The median annual salary in France is €42,800 per year, which means that 5% of the population earns below €42,800, while the other half earns above the mentioned amount. (Source: INSEE).
• France’s minimum wage (SMIC) in 2024 is €1,398.69 after deducting CSG and CRDS for 35 hours per week.
• Paris and the Île-de-France region have the highest average salaries in the country, while more rural regions like Centre-Val de Loire have lower average wages (Source: INSEE).

Average salary in France

The average gross annual salary in France in 2024 is €39,800, according to INSEE, France’s national statistics bureau. This figure accounts for salaries across all industries, experience levels, and regions. However, the average annual wage varies considerably between different sectors, just as there are disparities between someone working in the private sector and someone working in major companies from the corporate sector.

High-paying industries like banking, technology, and consulting tend to have average monthly net salaries well above the national average. For example, professionals in the banking/insurance sector, such as investment bankers, earn an average of around €56,200 annually.

Geographic location also plays an important role in salary variations across France, and unsurprisingly, according to Glassdoor, Parisians earn substantial salaries compared to the rest of the country. For example, a banker’s estimated pay is €110,891 per year, with an average salary of €67,906 per year.

Meanwhile, entry-level positions have lower average yearly salaries, typically around €28,000-€32,000 gross, according to INSEE. More experienced workers, especially those with over ten years of experience, can earn significantly more, often €45,000+ per year on average.

Median Salary

The median salary provides a clearer picture of the typical earnings in France, as it represents a middle point of salary distribution. In other words, it represents the middle value if all salaries were sorted from lowest to highest.

The median salary in France is €42,800 per year, according to salaryexplorer.com, which means that 5% of the population earns below €42,800, while the other half earns above the mentioned amount.

According to INSEE, the median standard of living by age in France in 2022 was:

• Under 18 years: €22,010 per year
• Between 18-28 years: €23,630 per year
• Between 30-39 years: €25,040 per year
• Between 40-49 years: €25,360 per year
• Between 50-64 years: €27,190 per year
• Between 65-74 years: €24,560 per year
• 75 years or over: €23,230 per year

Therefore, the median living standard of the population in the metropolitan areas of France in 2022 was €24,330 per year. This leaves a single person with a disposable income of 2,028 euros per month, while a couple with two children would have 4,258 euros per month.

At the same time, INSEE reveals that in 2022, the poorest 10% had a disposable income below 12,970 euros per year, while the wealthiest 10% had a standard of living 3,4 times higher for a total of 43,840 euros.

Source: INSEE

Source: INSEE

Minimum wage (SMIC)

France has a national minimum wage known as the SMIC (Salaire Minimum Interprofessionnel de Croissance). This minimum wage ensures a base level of compensation for everyone in the working field and ensures basic economic well-being.

The net minimum wage in France is currently €1,398.69, according to INSEE, after deducting CSG and CRDS for 35 hours per week. The CSG refers to “The General Social Contribution,” and the CRDS refers to the Social Debt Repayment Contribution. In France, the SMIC is revalued each year on January 1st by the French Government based on inflation and purchasing power. It applies to all employees aged 18 and over, including part-time, temporary, and seasonal employees. You’ll find exceptions, however, which apply to apprentices and interns.

While the SMIC provides a starting base, most employees have a net salary higher than the minimum, with a specific amount depending on factors like industry, qualifications, and experience. Nonetheless, the SMIC is an important benchmark that helps combat working poverty.

Regional salary differences

As in many countries, average salaries in France differ considerably between regions based on the economic development of a region, cost of living, and industry concentration.

As expected, the Paris region (Île de France) has the highest average salaries in France. The salaries in this region are 30% bigger than the national average, as Paris is home to many multinational corporations that work as the economic engine of France, according to Statista.

Other regions with above-average salaries include Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes (driven by the major city, Lyon) and Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur in the southeast (which includes Marseille and the French Riviera). In contrast, more rural regions like Centre-Val de Loire and Bourgogne-Franche-Comté have average salaries 10-15% below the national average, reflecting their lower population density and different economic makeup.

Check the regional salary disparities, with salaries ranging from €46,200 in Bordeaux to €55,200 in Paris:

Also, there are clear disparities between the public and the private sector, which can influence salaries. While the average salary in the private sector is €48,400, in the public sector, there is a 5% higher increase, which leads to an €50,900 average salary in a year.

Salary by occupation

Occupation is one of the biggest factors influencing salary levels in France. Some sectors, like technology and finance, tend to pay above-average wages.

Here are some of the highest-paying industries in France in 2024 based on average gross annual salary, according to Salaryexplorer:

• Bank Branch Manager: €88,800
• Information Technology Manager: €82,500
• Aerospace Engineer: €63,500
• Pilot: €80,300
• Creative Director: €46,400
• Administrative Assistant: €25,500
• Internal Auditor: €46,900
• Financial Manager: €92,000
• Accountant: €33,200
• Architect: €58,400
• Teacher: €34,800
• Call Center Representative: €18,700
• Civil Engineer: €45,000
• Chief Executive Officer: €110,000
• Hotel Manager: €88,100
• Human Resources Officer: €29,400
• Police Officer: €30,100
• Attorney: €94,700
• Pharmacist: €63,200

Note that the above salaries are not on the same seniority levels. However, the differences between industries are notable. While banking, Information Technology&Consulting or Pharmaceuticals & Chemicals command high salaries, the average annual salaries in construction or customer service are considerably lower.

Salary by education level

As in many other countries, in France, higher levels of education translate into higher salaries, although the specific impact varies depending on industry, occupation, and location.

A study done by salaryexplorer.com found that professionals with a certificate or diploma earned 17% more on average than those with only a high school education. In comparison, Bachelor’s degree holders earned 24% more than those with certificates or diplomas.

Post-graduate education brought even higher salaries, with Master’s degree employees earning 29% more than those with a Bachelor’s degree in the same job (not necessarily the same company). Finally, PhD holders enjoy a 23% wage premium over Master’s graduates.

The gender gap

In 2022, women working in the private sector in France earned, on average, 23.5% less than men, according to INSEE (Fanny Godet, 2023). INSEE mentions that there are differences in work volume, too, with women more likely to work part-time or have disrupted employment. However, even for the same amount of work, women earned 14.9% less than men.

Occupational segregation is another key driver of the pay gap, with women concentrated in lower-paying jobs and sectors. What’s more, for the same job within the same company, the full-time equivalent wage gap was 4.0%. Another discovery made by INSEE is that the gender pay gap is noticeable between parents, with mothers working both reduced hours and lower wages, a penalty that increases with the number of children.

Since 1995, in France, the gender wage gap has fallen by 10%, but closing the remaining gap requires addressing issues like occupational segregation and the motherhood penalty.

Cost of living and purchasing power

The cost of living in France varies considerably based on location, with major cities like Paris, Lyon, and Marseille being significantly more expensive than the rural areas.

According to Numbeo, the largest cost of living database, the cost of living for a family of four in Paris is €3,962.9 without rent. A single person has estimated monthly costs of €1,116.6 without rent.

When assessing the costs according to the same platform in the Lyon region, a family of four spends €3,661 without rent, while a single person is expected to spend €1,028 monthly without rent.

Moving on to Montpellier, which is one of the cheaper cities in France, the cost of living is slightly lower. A family of four will spend €3,385.6 every month, while a single person will need €949. All costs mentioned are without rent included.

The costs for rent in France’s major cities are as follows:

While French salaries are generally lower than those in the UK or Germany, employees benefit from a range of social benefits and public services financed through taxes and social contributions. These include universal healthcare, free education, unemployment insurance, and generous paid leave policies.

Concluding, while the cost of living in France is not cheap, the average salary is higher than in most European countries, and as the salary changes proportionally to the cost of living, France’s cost of living is covered by the average salary with rent included.

For example, since the yearly average salary in Paris is €55,200, both the cost of living and rent in Paris are covered by the monthly salary.

Comparison with other countries

Comparing salaries across countries is a complex matter due to differences in cost of living, tax rates, social benefits, and other factors.

Nominal salaries in France are lower on average than in countries like the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, and Switzerland. However, French workers enjoy more generous social benefits and labor protections financed by employer contributions.

When adjusting for differences in total working hours, France’s labor productivity, which is the economic output per hour worked, is among the highest in the world and similar to Germany, the US, and the UK. This partly reflects France’s 35-hour legal workweek and the generous annual leave policies.

However, the easiest way to compare the living standards between countries is to assess their GPD per capita and the purchasing power.

Ultimately, while nominal French salaries may not match those in some other advanced economies, employees benefit from a strong social safety net, quality public infrastructure, and a good overall standard of living.

Conclusion

This data introduced in the article brings significant salary variations across the French workforce based on factors like occupation, region, or education level. While the average gross salary stands at €39,300 in 2024, actual earnings span a wide range.

Despite lower nominal salaries compared to some peer countries, the French social model offers employees important protections and benefits. Finding the right balance between competitiveness, job creation, and social cohesion is key to shaping the future of work in France.

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Sources:

https://www.insee.fr/en/statistiques/serie/000879878

https://www.insee.fr/en/outil-interactif/5543645/tableau/30_RPC/31_RNP

https://www.salaryexplorer.com/average-salary-wage-comparison-france-c74

https://www.insee.fr/en/statistiques/7942283#:~:text=Gender%20pay%20gap%20in%202022%20In%20the%20private%20sector%2C%20the,and%20job%20position%20in%202022&text=In%202022%2C%20women’s%20average%20wage,men’s%20in%20the%20private%20sector.