What is the net and gross minimum wage in France in 2024?
The minimum wage is updated at least once per year
The minimum wage is known as the ‘Smic’ in French
fullempty | Shutterstock
France’s minimum wage, known as the Smic (salaire minimum interprofessionnel de croissance) is one of the highest in the EU.
The amount is used to provide a base level of financial security and prop up the purchasing power of lowest-income workers.
Despite this, there are frequent claims that the minimum wage in France is not high enough, and should be transformed into a higher ‘living wage’. Some also believe that these ‘living wages’ should be higher in cities where the cost of living is more expensive.
Read more: France’s minimum wage is too low says Michelin boss
In addition, there can be confusion around how much a worker on minimum wage truly earns, with some statistics measuring the amount before taxes are taken out of a person’s salary, and some after.
The Smic is re-evaluated annually, with the updated amount being introduced on January 1.
In exceptional circumstances it can be altered during the year.
Ad
What does the minimum wage correspond to?
All adult (18+) private-sector workers in France must receive at least the hourly minimum wage for their work in France. People aged 16 and 17 have a slightly lower hourly minimum wage.
It applies to people paid on an hourly, weekly or monthly basis, based on the level of their performance, or remunerated per job or task, or who are paid via commission.
Ad
The overall hourly rate a worker receives from any of these payment methods must not be below the hourly Smic level.
Base pay, performance-based bonuses, and other company advantages can be included in the amount that goes towards the salary of a worker earning the minimum wage.
However, additional components of a person’s salary such as overtime (for working more than 35 hours per week), seniority bonuses, and refunds for work-related activities such as travelling cannot be included, and must be paid on top of this.
Read more: What shops can open in France on Sundays and does it vary by region?
What are the amounts?
The Smic can be worked out either pre-tax (brut, or gross in English) or post-tax (net).
The brut amount corresponds to the overall pay a worker receives before social security payments and other levies are deducted at source.
The levels for 2024 are:
Gross
Hourly: €11.65
Monthly (for somebody on a full-time contract): €1,766.92
Net
Hourly: €9.23
Monthly (for somebody on a full-time contract): €1,398.70
In January 2023, the monthly net minimum wage was €1,353. In January 2020, it was €1,219.
Four countries in the EU have a gross minimum wage of above €2,000. These are Luxembourg (€2,570.93), Ireland (€2,146.30), Netherlands (€2,070.12) and Germany (€2,054)
Read more: SEE: How inflation in France compares with other EU countries
When is the minimum wage amount updated?
The Smic is updated every year on January 1, based on how inflation has affected the 20% of workers in France on the lowest incomes.
Around 17% of workers in France were earning the equivalent of the minimum age in January 2023 (figures for 2024 have not yet been released).
Additional re-evaluations can take place if the price of goods – excluding tobacco – on the monthly consumer price index (mensuel des prix à la consommation) rises more than 2% compared to the previous year, for those in the lowest earnings bracket.
