With a net salary of 1,500 euros per month in 2024, you are one of the private sector employees the least well paid, as indicated by the Observatory of Inequalities. As retirement approaches, it is natural to worry about the amount of the pension, especially when the gap with salary is often significant. Several factors come into play: the starting age, the number of validated quarters, your income throughout your career and your family situation.
The Sapiendo retirement firm took a concrete example: a person born in January 1963, who accumulated 170 quarters now required since the 2023 reform. If you are in this case, a new stage is emerging for you. From the legal age, set at 62 years and 9 months, you can
leave working life and enjoy your retirement from October 1, 2025.
Data to identify to understand the calculation of your retirement
To calculate the amount of your pension
(gross and net), several steps must be taken into account, as recalled Our Time. First of all, your gross pension is made up of two parts: the basic pension and the supplementary pension. The total amount of your full pension depends on your average salary 25 best yearsthe number of quarters validated, and the rate applied (often 50% for the basic pension).
If your net salary at the end of your career is 1,500 euros, your gross annual pension (basic + supplementary) at full rate would amount to 15,711 euros, or approximately 1,309 euros gross per month. Then come the social security contributions. These contributions include the CSG (Generalized social contribution), the CRDS (Contribution for the repayment of the social debt) and the CASA (Additional solidarity contribution for autonomy). Once these contributions are deducted, your monthly net pension would be 1.186 eurosbefore taxes, which represents approximately 79% of your salary current net.
photo credit: Shutterstock The amount of the pension depends in particular on the average of the best 25 years and the number of quarters validated
The minimum contribution, a boost for modest pensions
In France, under certain conditions, your retirement pension cannot fall belowa minimum thresholdwhich varies depending on the diet. In the general regime and aligned regimes (craftsmen, traders, agricultural employees), this threshold is ensured by the minimum contribution (Mico). This system applies to people who have validated all their quarters for a full-rate pension, but whose basic pension is less than 733.03 euros gross per month (or 876.13 euros gross/month for those who have contributed 120 quarters ).
This minimum cannot, however, cause the total pension (basic and supplementary) to exceed 1,367.51 euros gross per month. For example, if your basic pension is 942.33 euros gross per month, you are not eligible for Mico, even if your total gross pension remains slightly below the overall threshold. It is important not to confuse the
minimum contribution with thesolidarity allowance for the elderly (Aspa). As Valérie Batigne, founder of the Sapiendo retirement firm, recalls, the Mico improves the basic pension for people with modest incomes throughout their career, while the Aspa, formerly called minimum old age, is an allowance intended for people aged 65 and over, having few resources.
Supplementary pension: the impact of points and quarters on your pension
The supplementary pensionon the other hand, works differently. Here, every salary received over the years has allowed you toaccumulate points. These, multiplied by their current value, give the amount of the supplementary pension. If you start with a deficit of quarters, a reduction coefficient then comes into play, slightly reducing your supplement.
photo credit: Shutterstock A supplementary pension which is calculated based on the points accumulated
But everything is not set in stone. Certain situations allow you to significantly improve your pension. Having raised at least three children grants you 10% increasea significant boost. You can also decide to
extend your career beyond the legal age, each additional quarter increasing the pension. A strategy of patience and calculation which, for many,
makes the difference between a modest retirement and a more comfortable one.
