In 2024, the best-paid professions in France will emerge from various sectors, creating one of the richest professional panoramas.
The average salary in France
Determining what a good salary is can be a subjective exercise. In France, INSEE figures generally serve as a reference: in 2024, the average salary reaches 2,630 euros net per month. However, this average varies considerably depending on socio-professional categories. For example, an executive earns on average 4,490 euros net per month, while an employee receives around 1,880 euros net and a worker around 1,940 euros net. Regarding the median salary, it stands at 2,010 euros in the private sector and 2,180 euros in the public sector. Thus, we could consider that remuneration exceeding 2,000 euros net per month is generally perceived as satisfactory in France.
A ranking of the best paid professions drawn up by the Observatory of Inequalities
In 2022, the Observatory of Inequalities unveiled its ranking of the highest paid professions, both in the private and public sectors, whether for employees or self-employed workers. Thus, managers of large companies with more than 500 employees earn on average 16,600 euros net per month, followed by staff executives with 10,500 euros.
Airplane pilots, traders, lawyers, dental surgeons and doctors employed in the private sector are also among the best paid professions, with monthly salaries around 8,900 euros, 8,400 euros, 6,000 euros and 5,900 euros respectively.
Within the top 1% of earners, business executives and senior executives predominate, while medical professionals, lawyers and employed artists represent a smaller share. Top athletes, for their part, constitute a tiny fraction of this group.
Ten professions with very high salaries from the first years of practice
In 2024, among the popular careers with attractive salaries are general practitioner or specialist, architect, financial director, pharmacy manager, lawyer, IT manager, product manager, marketing director, director of human resources and software designer.
With attractive salaries to boot, these professions are attracting keen interest. General practitioners or specialists earn on average 6,700 euros per month, architects around 6,000 euros, while financial directors earn on average 5,900 euros per month.
Doctors, at the top of the ranking
Doctors and surgeons, after having engraved their names on the university benches, reap salaries as impressive as their skills. Here is an overview of the annual remuneration for each medical profession: the anesthesiologist and the cardiologist, at 48,000 euros at the start of their career, the dental surgeon leading the procession with 78,000 euros, the general practitioner at 65,000 euros, and the pharmacist at 43,000 euros after three years of experience. The dental surgeon can aspire to gross annual earnings reaching up to 200,000 euros at the end of their career, depending on their reputation and location.
Finance professions that are not left out
In the finance and M&A arena, salaries are also substantial. Experts juggle head-turning figures, but often with a corresponding responsibilities. What gross annual amounts for these professions at the start of their career?
A financial analyst can expect to earn around 50,000 euros per year. An M&A (merger-acquisition) analyst generally earns around 45,000 euros per year. For an investment banker, the average remuneration is 70,000 euros per year. As for beginner financial controllers and asset managers, they earn around 45,000 euros per year. Portfolio managers can expect to earn around 50,000 euros per year, while novice risk managers can aim for around 60,000 euros per year.
If you work your way up to high-flying positions, such as trader, CFO or partner in investment funds, the figures can be dizzying: up to 400,000 euros per year, or 33,000 euros per month.
Various sectors renowned for their attractive salaries
In the consulting and auditing sectors, remuneration is also attractive, with salaries starting at around 55,000 to 65,000 euros gross per year for analysts. Likewise, legal professions offer interesting prospects, with beginner lawyers earning up to 39,000 euros gross per year, and magistrates earning up to 96,000 euros gross per month at the end of their career. Liberal professions, such as architect or accountant, are also well paid, with salaries reaching up to 8,000 euros per month.
Company bosses with particularly substantial salaries
Responsible professions, such as business leaders, also offer substantial remuneration, with CAC 40 CEOs earning several million euros per year on average. The report from the NGO Oxfam, published this Tuesday, April 30, reveals a disparity in remuneration within CAC 40 companies. In 2022, the CEOs of these companies earned on average 130 times more than their employees, a significant increase compared to 2019 when this gap was 111.
Senior officials, also singled out
In the panorama of remuneration, the civil service also reserves some surprises with high salaries. As in the private sector, the hierarchy of responsibilities plays a crucial role in determining earnings. In France, the salary of the President of the Republic is fixed, although it can be adjusted downward at the discretion of the head of state.
Currently, Emmanuel Macron receives 15,900 euros gross per month. The Prime Minister, Gabriel Attal, receives a salary identical to that of the president. Ministers, for their part, have remuneration capped at 10,647 euros gross per month. Parliamentarians receive approximately 7,493 euros per month for a deputy and 7,605 euros for a senator, with certain possibilities for additional compensation. Mayors also see their salaries capped, but remuneration depends on the size of the municipality and its population.
Professions that are increasingly emerging and which offer substantial salaries
Growing industries such as technology, renewable energy and cybersecurity offer career opportunities with attractive salaries. Digital guardians, specialists in cybersecurity, and clean energy engineers, creators of sustainable solutions, are particularly sought after. Likewise, software developers and data scientists, pioneers of the digital age, are in constant demand. These professions require expertise and training, but in return offer promising salaries, echoing the rapid evolution of the modern professional landscape.
