The minimum wage and average salary in France in 2025

If you’re hoping to find a job in France or perhaps negotiate your salary then it’s a good idea to learn more about how wages work in the country. You might also want to look into what collective agreements exist within your industry and ensure that your pay reflects the standard for your position and responsibilities.

This article outlines the following information:

What is the minimum wage in France in 2025?

The minimum wage in France is known as the le salaire minimum interprofessionnel de croissance (Smic), and those who earn this salary are often referred to as “smicards”. Around 17% of workers in France make the minimum wage.

The French government revalues the minimum wage each year and sets a new one, typically in January. It is indexed to inflation for the 20% of households with the lowest incomes.

On November 1, 2024, France’s gross minimum wage increased by 2%, setting the hourly rate at €11.88. For a standard 35-hour workweek, this equates to a gross monthly salary of €1,801.80.

This adjustment places France among European countries with a national monthly gross minimum wage exceeding €1,500, alongside Luxembourg, Ireland, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Germany.

The Smic can include the basic employee salary, as well as benefits in kind and productivity bonuses. However, other factors such as the reimbursement of expenses, overtime, and other bonuses do not contribute towards it.

Exceptions to the minimum wage in France

Young people

The Smic applies to workers who are over the age of 18. However, apprentices and young employees below this age can legally receive anywhere from 27–100% of the Smic, depending on the position. That said, young workers who are employed for more than six months in the same company must receive full minimum wage.

Apprentices

The minimum wage does not apply to apprentices, who instead receive a salary determined as a percentage of the Smic. The amount they will get varies depending on their age and their level within the training program that the apprenticeship covers.

Interns

As an intern in France, you do not receive a salary but rather financial compensation which is known as gratification minimale or a minimum bonus. The legal minimum for this bonus is set at €4.35 per hour in 2025. Notably, public organizations cannot offer more than this sum to interns.

Private organizations, on the other hand, may have a collective agreement that sets a higher sum. An online simulator allows employers to calculate the minimum amount due based on the intern’s actual hours of attendance.

Variations by sector

Depending on the sector of activity, collective agreements (conventions collectives), which are negotiated by trade unions, generally define an agreed minimum wage. These negotiated wages often reflect the position of the job within the company’s hierarchy. If the wage is higher than the state-defined Smic, then this is the sum that the employee must receive.

The labor law website DicoTravail provides a summary of collective agreements by sector, along with free downloadable PDFs. You can use these resources to check what rules apply to your own profession in France.

The average salary in France in 2025

According to the French National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies (INSEE), the average gross annual salary in France in 2024 was €39,800, which translates to approximately €3,316 per month.

What are the highest paying jobs in France?

Naturally, the average wage in France varies depending on the sector. For instance, public-sector jobs are not as well paid as private-sector jobs, even if they do provide greater job security. Indeed, management-level employees in the private sector can expect to earn average annual salaries of €48,903. Meanwhile, CEOs are the highest earners in the sector with average salaries of €64,875.

The average monthly net salaries in some of the best-paid sectors are as follows:

• Banking: €3,797
• Information Technology (IT): €4,308
• Law: €3,956
• Pharmaceuticals: €3,656
• Software development: €4,419
• Telecommunications: €4,001

French salary checker

You can use the Salary Data & Career Research Center for France to find out roughly what salary to expect to be paid according to your industry, position, degree, location, and years of experience.

The gender pay gap in France

In France, women employees earn, on average, about 20% less than their male counterparts. This percentage is slightly above the EU average.

In Paris, the difference is even more pronounced, with the pay gap reaching over 50% in some districts.

Salaries and wages for expats in France

According to the Interior Ministry, more than one in ten people working in France are immigrants or expats (2021). Out of the 3,173,900 active foreigners in the country, the majority (2,416,000) come from outside the EU, and 758,000 are from the EU. Furthermore, non-EU residents (58.6%) are more likely to be professionally active compared to EU residents (48.4%).

However, low income and poverty disproportionately affect those born in Africa. A 2015 study by the National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies (INSEE) highlights the difference between income depending on country of birth. And compared to Europeans, African households in France earn 25% to 30% less.

What to do if you’re not being paid the minimum wage

In France, employers can be fined €1,500 if they pay an employee less than the minimum wage. The employer may also have to pay damages: a sum intended to compensate the employee for the harm suffered. Furthermore, employees can receive back-pay for up to three years if they were underpaid. This period can cover up to five years if there is proof of discrimination.

If you believe that you should be getting paid more, you can reach out to your trade syndicate. However, if this is not possible, it is best to consult a labor lawyer (avocat en droit du travail) to find the best way to proceed. In France, the Conseil de prud’hommes (CPH) is the court responsible for settling workplace disputes.

Useful resources

• Service-Public.fr – the official website of the French government administration, with a developed section on working in France
• Interior Ministry – offers information for immigrants and expats in France
• Ministry of Labor – provides information on French labor law
• Welcome to France – a French government website for expats (in English) with information about employment and work permits
• Payscale – allows you to check average salaries in France by profession, industry, experience level, and location
• DicoTravail – provides information about French labor law and collective agreements