2027 Salary Guide: Nearly 800 roles analysed across 29 sectors
Twenty years of recruitment assignments, thousands of remuneration packages negotiated every year, twenty-five offices on the ground: this is what enables us today to publish the first
Alphéa Conseil Salary Guide
.
791 roles analysed
,
29 sectors
, from the French minimum wage (SMIC) to general management. What is your role really worth in 2027? Here are the key findings, along with the full guide to download.
The average salary across the 791 roles in the Alphéa Conseil 2027 salary grid stands at €35,700 gross per year , or approximately €2,975 gross and €2,320 net per month . This national benchmark conceals considerable differences: from €22,405 for a forklift truck driver to €107,500 for a managing director.
That is the problem with the averages published every year: they reassure everyone and help no one. There is no single French labour market, but dozens of markets that follow different rules. The 2027 Salary Guide was designed to move beyond this approximation.
Key salary figures for 2027:
The average salary across the 791 roles in the Alphéa Conseil 2027 salary grid stands at €35,700 gross per year , or approximately €2,975 gross and €2,320 net per month . This national benchmark conceals considerable differences: from €22,405 for a forklift truck driver to €107,500 for a managing director.
That is the problem with the averages published every year: they reassure everyone and help no one. There is no single French labour market, but dozens of markets that follow different rules. The 2027 Salary Guide was designed to move beyond this approximation.
Key salary figures for 2027:
- Median salary across all functions: €35,700 gross per year, or approximately €2,975 gross per month
- Lowest point in the grid: €22,405, the annualised French minimum wage (SMIC), which 16 roles are aligned with
- Highest point in the grid: €107,500 in general management
- Île-de-France premium compared with the national median: + 15%
- Premium for a group with more than 250 employees compared with an SME: + 13%
- Median salary increase budget anticipated for 2027: between 2.5% and 3%
- Scope: 791 roles, 29 sectors, data collected in August 2026
Contents
What the 2027 Salary Guide contains: 791 roles and 29 sectors
The data covers the
major sectors of the French economy
: retail and distribution, industry and manufacturing, maintenance and engineering, construction and building trades, transport and logistics, automotive, food manufacturing and agriculture, energy and environment, hospitality, catering and tourism, banking, insurance, property, consulting and audit, healthcare, medico-social care, social services and inclusion, education and training, early years and personal services, cleaning and security. It also includes functions found across all businesses:
sales
,
marketing
and
communications
,
digital
,
accounting
and
finance
,
payroll
and
human resources
,
procurement
,
quality
,
IT
and
data
,
legal
,
general management
.
Each salary by role is expressed as annual gross pay, with its negotiation range: the format used in job adverts, and therefore the benchmark used in real-world discussions.
Each salary by role is expressed as annual gross pay, with its negotiation range: the format used in job adverts, and therefore the benchmark used in real-world discussions.
Also read
:
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The 10 structural trends shaping businesses in 2026
2027 salaries by sector: median pay across seven major industries
Median salaries in 2027 range from
€22,405 to €107,500 gross
per year depending on the sector and level of responsibility. A single figure tells you very little: what matters is the industry's dynamics, recruitment pressure and the gap between levels. Here are seven perspectives, based on median annual gross pay.
2027 salaries in retail and distribution: the most compressed sector
Cashiers and sales advisers are on
€22,405
,
department managers on €29,300
,
store managers on €34,200
. The first level of management is now only
€7,000
above the team they manage, despite unsociable hours and responsibility for a profit-and-loss account. Successive increases in the French minimum wage have eroded the gap without any deliberate adjustment, and this is now the leading reason for internal promotions being declined in our experience.
“ In practice, the issue is almost never the starting salary. It is the gap with the person who is already there. When a department manager learns that a new starter is joining on the same pay, the question is no longer whether they are well paid: it is why they should stay. Many companies look at their salary grid when recruiting, whereas the real issue emerges in the six months that follow ”, says Rachida Tata , Managing Director of Alphéa Conseil.
“ In practice, the issue is almost never the starting salary. It is the gap with the person who is already there. When a department manager learns that a new starter is joining on the same pay, the question is no longer whether they are well paid: it is why they should stay. Many companies look at their salary grid when recruiting, whereas the real issue emerges in the six months that follow ”, says Rachida Tata , Managing Director of Alphéa Conseil.
2027 salaries in industry, maintenance and construction: shortages support skilled roles
Maintenance technician: €32,100; site manager: €34,900; construction project manager: €39,800. According to the 2026 Workforce Needs survey published by France Travail, 65.9% of recruitment projects are considered difficult in metalworking and 65% in construction. This pressure is visible in the figures, but only for
skilled technical roles
: a bricklayer remains at €24,000 and an electrician at €24,450.
The market pays for scarce skills
, not for arduous working conditions.
2027 salaries in food manufacturing and agriculture: two worlds within one sector
Food production operative: €25,300; agricultural mechanic: €26,200; cellar master: €32,000; oenologist: €36,900; food industry engineer: €40,800; food-sector sales professional: €47,500. The gap between production and technical or commercial roles exceeds €20,000 within the same sector. Regulatory constraints and traceability requirements are pushing up
quality and laboratory roles
, while production remains at the lower end of the industrial pay scale. It is also one of the sectors where farm succession is creating a lasting shortage of agricultural management profiles.
2027 salaries in hospitality and catering: salary is no longer the main selling point
Kitchen assistant: €23,300; waiter: €23,800; cook: €25,300. Front-of-house and much of the kitchen sit within a €2,000 band. In this sector, competition between employers is no longer about
pay but about split shifts
, consecutive days off and predictable rotas.
2027 salaries in healthcare and personal services: pressure that salary scales are not keeping pace with
Home care assistant: €23,300; healthcare assistant: €28,600; nurse: €33,900. This is one of the most recruitment-constrained sectors in France: more than one recruitment project in two is considered difficult according to
the 2026 Workforce Needs survey
by
France Travail
. Pay nevertheless remains constrained by
public funding
and
sector-wide collective agreements
. The pressure is real, but it does not automatically translate into higher salaries.
2027 salaries in property, banking and insurance: variable pay makes the difference
Property negotiator: €44,700; property adviser: €50,600; estate agency manager: €52,900. In banking, wealth manager: €49,100; bank branch manager: €59,100. These figures show base pay: in
property transactions
as in
wealth management
,
actual remuneration
depends on commission, which can double the pay gap between two professionals in the same role. This is the sector where comparing gross salaries makes the least sense without examining the remuneration structure.
2027 salaries in digital, IT and support functions: specialisation pays
Accountant: €36,000; developer: €39,100; management accountant: €41,100; IT project manager: €46,000; systems architect: €49,100. This is where internal differences are greatest: between a communications officer on €31,400 and an e-commerce manager on €42,100, the difference comes down to specialisation rather than length of service.
Cybersecurity
and
data remain the strongest
segments, with an IT security engineer on €44,700.
The guide covers all 791 roles, with a market benchmark, negotiation range and sector analysis for each one.
The guide covers all 791 roles, with a market benchmark, negotiation range and sector analysis for each one.
Pay transparency: why 2027 salary grids need to be reviewed
EU Directive 2023/970
on pay transparency was due to be transposed into
French law by 7 June 2026
. It has not yet been transposed: in June 2026, the French Government stated that the transposition process was under way and that the bill would be submitted to the
Conseil d'État and then Parliament
. The
French timetable
has therefore slipped, but the substance of the European text has been finalised.
Three obligations change the way a salary grid should be built:
This is why this guide publishes ranges rather than isolated figures. A defensible salary grid in 2027 is one in which each boundary can be explained by the scope of the role , rather than by the negotiating history of the person who holds it.
Three obligations change the way a salary grid should be built:
- The pay range will have to be communicated to the candidate before the interview, either in the job advert or before pay discussions begin.
- Employers will no longer be able to ask candidates about their current salary, a practice that mechanically reproduced existing pay gaps from one employer to another.
-
Employees will be able to request average remuneration levels for their category of role, broken down by sex.
This is why this guide publishes ranges rather than isolated figures. A defensible salary grid in 2027 is one in which each boundary can be explained by the scope of the role , rather than by the negotiating history of the person who holds it.
Gross, net, median: how to convert an annual gross salary into monthly net pay
The salaries in this guide are expressed as annual gross pay, as medians, and correspond to salaries offered at the point of recruitment.
Three points need to be clarified before making any comparison.
The figures are annual gross amounts. To estimate monthly net pay, divide by 12 and then deduct employee social contributions: approximately 22% for a non-managerial employee and closer to 25% for a managerial employee , whose supplementary pension and unemployment insurance contributions are higher. Some useful conversions:
These are medians, not averages. Half of open roles sit below this figure and half above it. The median salary is less distorted than the average salary, which can be pulled upwards by a small number of very high earners.
These are salaries offered at the point of recruitment , excluding bonuses and variable pay.
The figures are annual gross amounts. To estimate monthly net pay, divide by 12 and then deduct employee social contributions: approximately 22% for a non-managerial employee and closer to 25% for a managerial employee , whose supplementary pension and unemployment insurance contributions are higher. Some useful conversions:
- €25,000 gross per year : approximately €1,625 net per month for a non-managerial employee
- €30,000 gross per year : approximately €1,950 net per month for a non-managerial employee
- €35,000 gross per year : approximately €2,275 net per month for a non-managerial employee
- €40,000 gross per year : approximately €2,500 net per month for a managerial employee
- €50,000 gross per year : approximately €3,125 net per month for a managerial employee
- €60,000 gross per year
: approximately €3,750 net per month for a managerial employee
These are medians, not averages. Half of open roles sit below this figure and half above it. The median salary is less distorted than the average salary, which can be pulled upwards by a small number of very high earners.
These are salaries offered at the point of recruitment , excluding bonuses and variable pay.
Why a starting salary is lower than the salary of someone already in the role
For the same job title, the gap between the salary offered to a candidate and the remuneration of an employee already in post commonly reaches 20% to 25%
. A management accountant is currently recruited at around
€41,100
. Management accountants already in post earn
€54,000
as a median, according to Apec's 2025 executive remuneration barometer. Thirteen thousand euros separate the cost of a new hire from what someone established in the same function earns. For executive assistants, the gap reaches 26%.
The mechanism is simple: a starting salary is an entry price, whereas the remuneration of an employee already in post reflects length of service , successive pay rises and variable pay . The gap reverses at the top of organisations, where an executive appointment is negotiated on entry rather than through annual pay reviews. It sheds light both on a company's difficulty retaining staff and on an employee's decision to look elsewhere.
The mechanism is simple: a starting salary is an entry price, whereas the remuneration of an employee already in post reflects length of service , successive pay rises and variable pay . The gap reverses at the top of organisations, where an executive appointment is negotiated on entry rather than through annual pay reviews. It sheds light both on a company's difficulty retaining staff and on an employee's decision to look elsewhere.
Why two people in the same role do not earn the same salary
For the same occupation, three factors explain most of the difference: location, company size and the actual scope of the role.
The size effect actually reflects three things. First, resources . A start-up and an established company do not operate on the same basis: the former often offsets a lower starting salary with greater autonomy, equity participation or faster progression, while the latter offers a higher level immediately but with more structured progression.
Second, the importance of the function within the business . The same function does not carry the same weight everywhere. A quality manager in a food-sector SME is central to the business model: without certification, there are no customers. The same profile in an organisation where quality is primarily an administrative requirement will be paid substantially less. Pay follows how critical the role is, not its title.
Finally, financial health . A profitable company pays better, but above all it pays differently: variable pay, profit-sharing and employee participation become meaningful components, whereas a business under pressure concentrates everything on fixed pay and keeps it as tight as possible. For commercial and management roles, this difference often represents several thousand euros a year that are invisible in the headline gross salary.
- Location: Based on the differences observed in the Alphéa Conseil 2027 salary grid , Île-de-France sits around 15% above the national median for an equivalent role.
- Company size and maturity: A group with more than 250 employees pays around 13% more than an SME for the same function.
- The actual scope of the role:
This is the most decisive and least visible factor. A quality manager overseeing three sites and a certification system is not doing the same job as a quality manager responsible for a single site, even if the job title and collective agreement are identical.
The size effect actually reflects three things. First, resources . A start-up and an established company do not operate on the same basis: the former often offsets a lower starting salary with greater autonomy, equity participation or faster progression, while the latter offers a higher level immediately but with more structured progression.
Second, the importance of the function within the business . The same function does not carry the same weight everywhere. A quality manager in a food-sector SME is central to the business model: without certification, there are no customers. The same profile in an organisation where quality is primarily an administrative requirement will be paid substantially less. Pay follows how critical the role is, not its title.
Finally, financial health . A profitable company pays better, but above all it pays differently: variable pay, profit-sharing and employee participation become meaningful components, whereas a business under pressure concentrates everything on fixed pay and keeps it as tight as possible. For commercial and management roles, this difference often represents several thousand euros a year that are invisible in the headline gross salary.
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French minimum wage (SMIC) 2026: sixteen roles in the grid are paid at the minimum wage
The
SMIC
rose to
€12.31 gross
per hour on 1 June 2026, equivalent to
€1,867.02 gross per month for a 35-hour week and €22,405 gross per year, following a 2.41% increase
announced by the Government.
In the 2027 grid, sixteen different roles are offered exactly at this level: cashier, sales adviser, shelf-stacking assistant, forklift truck driver, kitchen porter, school supervisor, among others . These roles have completely different requirements, working hours and responsibilities, yet the same starting salary.
This is one of the clearest findings from this edition. Across a significant part of the market, pay has ceased to differentiate jobs, and attractiveness is determined elsewhere: work organisation , consecutive days off , predictable rotas .
In the 2027 grid, sixteen different roles are offered exactly at this level: cashier, sales adviser, shelf-stacking assistant, forklift truck driver, kitchen porter, school supervisor, among others . These roles have completely different requirements, working hours and responsibilities, yet the same starting salary.
This is one of the clearest findings from this edition. Across a significant part of the market, pay has ceased to differentiate jobs, and attractiveness is determined elsewhere: work organisation , consecutive days off , predictable rotas .
The limitations of a salary guide: collective agreements, total remuneration and local labour markets
These benchmarks do not replace sector-wide collective minimum rates, total remuneration or knowledge of the local labour market.
Three limitations should be made clear.
They do not override sector-wide collective minimum rates, which may be higher than market rates and remain mandatory.
They do not measure total remuneration: health insurance, protection benefits, employee savings, profit-sharing and meal vouchers often represent several thousand euros that are not reflected in the headline gross salary.
Finally, these are national medians. In a tight local labour market or for a rare profile, the market rate can be negotiated significantly higher.
They do not override sector-wide collective minimum rates, which may be higher than market rates and remain mandatory.
They do not measure total remuneration: health insurance, protection benefits, employee savings, profit-sharing and meal vouchers often represent several thousand euros that are not reflected in the headline gross salary.
Finally, these are national medians. In a tight local labour market or for a rare profile, the market rate can be negotiated significantly higher.
Methodology: how the 2027 salary figures were established
A remuneration guide is only as good as its methodology. This one combines salaries advertised on the French market, collected in 2026, with what our consultants observe on assignments, and each sector concludes with their analysis of the recruitment pressures they see. Around forty values were removed because they were inconsistent with job hierarchies: we explain why rather than filling in the gaps.
“ Poorly informed salary negotiations fail on both sides. The professional undersells themselves or asks for a level the role will never support, while the company discovers too late that its salary grid has fallen several thousand euros behind without anyone making a conscious decision. We prefer everyone to come to the table with the same figures: that is why we published this guide rather than keeping the data for our own assignments ”, explains Ludovic D'HOOGHE, Founder and CEO of Alphéa Conseil - Groupe Aquilion.
Download the 2027 Salary Guide - free, 791 roles, 29 sectors.
“ Poorly informed salary negotiations fail on both sides. The professional undersells themselves or asks for a level the role will never support, while the company discovers too late that its salary grid has fallen several thousand euros behind without anyone making a conscious decision. We prefer everyone to come to the table with the same figures: that is why we published this guide rather than keeping the data for our own assignments ”, explains Ludovic D'HOOGHE, Founder and CEO of Alphéa Conseil - Groupe Aquilion.
Download the 2027 Salary Guide - free, 791 roles, 29 sectors.
How to use a salary benchmark to prepare for a negotiation
Comparing yourself with the market is not about reassurance; it is about making decisions
. A salary close to the benchmark shifts the question: what matters then is what the role enables you to do next. A significant gap calls for a discussion, and that discussion should be prepared with figures rather than impressions.
To prepare for an interview, our consultants have compiled the 10 questions most frequently asked of managers in job interviews.
To prepare for an interview, our consultants have compiled the 10 questions most frequently asked of managers in job interviews.
FAQ
1. What is the average salary in France in 2027?
The average salary across the 791 roles in the 2027 grid stands at €35,700 gross per year, or approximately €2,975 gross and €2,320 net per month. This benchmark relates to salaries offered at the point of recruitment across all sectors. It varies significantly by role, from €22,405 for jobs aligned with the French minimum wage (SMIC) to more than €100,000 for general management.
2. What is the difference between an average salary and a median salary?
The average salary adds up all remuneration and divides it by the number of people: a small number of very high salaries can pull it upwards. The median salary divides the population into two equal halves, one above and one below. That is why this guide publishes medians: they better reflect the reality of a particular occupation.
3. What does €35,000 gross work out to net per month?
An annual gross salary of €35,000 corresponds to approximately €2,275 net per month for a non-managerial employee, before income tax is deducted at source. The calculation consists of dividing annual gross pay by 12 and then deducting employee social contributions: around 22% for a non-managerial employee and closer to 25% for a managerial employee, whose supplementary pension contributions are higher.
4. What is the French minimum wage (SMIC) in 2026?
The SMIC has been set at €12.31 gross per hour since 1 June 2026, equivalent to €1,867.02 gross per month for a full-time 35-hour week and €22,405 gross per year. This 2.41% increase was announced by the Government. On the basis of a 39-hour week, including the overtime premium, the minimum is around €2,130 gross per month.
5. How can you tell whether a salary is in line with the market?
Carry out three checks, in this order. First, use the benchmark for the precise role rather than the broader job family. Next, factor in region and company size: around 15% for Île-de-France and 13% for a group with more than 250 employees. Finally, consider the actual scope: number of people managed, budget responsibility and number of sites. A gap of less than 10% falls within the normal negotiation range.
6. What salary increase is realistic in 2027?
Converging sector barometers place the median salary increase budget between 2.5% and 3% for 2027, with a growing share of individual increases at the expense of general increases. This budget will not correct a market gap in a single year. Beyond that, the relevant argument is no longer length of service, but an increase in scope, a scarce skill in the local labour market or a documented gap with the market.
7. How do you build a salary grid for your company?
Two benchmarks are needed for each role: the salary offered on the recruitment market, which helps attract candidates, and the remuneration of people already in post, which helps retain them. Location and company-size adjustments are then applied, followed by a check of vertical consistency: when the gap between a management role and its team falls below 15%, internal promotion ceases to be attractive.
8. What does pay transparency change for salaries in 2027?
EU Directive 2023/970 requires employers to communicate a remuneration range to candidates before the interview, prohibits asking candidates about their current salary, and gives employees the right to information on average remuneration levels for their category of role, broken down by sex. It was due to be transposed into French law by 7 June 2026 and the process is still under way. In practical terms, every level in a salary grid will need to be justified using objective criteria.
Get a personalised salary benchmark for your key roles
This guide provides national medians. A real-world situation depends on the sector, local labour market, collective agreement and the history of the organisation's salary grids. We offer a personalised benchmark for your key roles and region, presented back to you by video call.
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