35-hour work week, 5 weeks vacation, strong worker protections — but also LVMH, Airbus, and a booming tech scene!
LVMH (#1 luxury in world!), Hermès, Chanel, L'Oréal, Kering (Gucci). Paris = fashion capital. €60K-120K+
Airbus (Toulouse), Dassault, Safran, Thales. France = #2 aerospace globally. €40K-80K+
Station F (world's largest startup campus!). BlaBlaCar, OVHcloud, Doctolib, Datadog. €40K-70K+
BNP Paribas, Société Générale, AXA, Crédit Agricole. La Défense = business district. €45K-90K+
| Profession | Entry | Mid | Senior |
|---|---|---|---|
| Software Engineer | €35K | €50K | €70K+ |
| Finance | €38K | €55K | €90K+ |
| Doctor | €40K | €70K | €120K+ |
| Teacher | €25K | €35K | €50K+ |
| SMIC (Minimum) | €21,200/year (€1,767/mo gross) | ||
Net = ~70-75% of gross (high social charges). 35hr work week + 5 weeks vacation + RTT days. Quality of life often prioritized over salary.