France Minimum Salary 2026: What Is the SMIC and How Much Is It?

Updated: September 16, 2026 – France Minimum Salary (SMIC), salary thresholds and foreign workers

The France minimum salary, officially known as the SMIC (Salaire Minimum Interprofessionnel de Croissance), is the statutory minimum wage that an adult employee must receive in France.

The SMIC is expressed as a gross hourly amount and also as a monthly amount based on the legal working time of 35 hours per week.

In 2026, the SMIC has been revalued twice.

From January 1, 2026, it increased to:

• €12.02 gross per hour
• €1,823.03 gross per month for a full-time employee working 35 hours per week.

Then, following an additional statutory revaluation, the SMIC increased again on June 1, 2026 to:

• €12.31 gross per hour
• €1,867.02 gross per month for 35 hours per week.

These June 2026 amounts apply in metropolitan France as well as Guadeloupe, French Guiana, Martinique, Réunion, Saint-Barthélemy, Saint-Martin and Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon. Mayotte has a separate SMIC of €9.56 gross per hour, or €1,449.93 gross per month.

France minimum salary	From January 1, 2026	From June 1, 2026
Gross hourly SMIC	€12.02	€12.31
Gross monthly SMIC	€1,823.03	€1,867.02
Legal working time	35 hours/week	35 hours/week
Mayotte hourly SMIC	€8.98	€9.56
Mayotte monthly SMIC	€1,361.97	€1,449.93

The June 2026 revaluation was 2.41%.

For employees and employers, the applicable amount depends on the date concerned. A salary calculation for a period before June 1, 2026 should not automatically use the June rate.

Why the France Minimum Salary Matters Beyond Low-Paid Jobs

The SMIC is obviously important for employees paid at or close to the legal minimum, but its significance goes further.

It can affect:

• employment contracts;
• payroll calculations;
• employer social-security reductions;
• certain statutory compensation calculations;
• work authorization requirements;
• immigration procedures;
• residence-permit applications;
• salary conditions attached to certain immigration categories;
• and the cost of employing workers in France.

For foreign employees, however, an important distinction must be made: not every French immigration salary threshold is calculated directly from the SMIC.

Some residence permits have their own fixed salary requirements or specific formulas.

What Is the Minimum Salary in France in 2026?

As of June 1, 2026, the standard SMIC in metropolitan France is:

€12.31 gross per hour

For a standard 35-hour working week, this corresponds to:

€1,867.02 gross per month.

The SMIC is a gross salary, meaning that employee social contributions and other applicable deductions are normally deducted before the employee receives their net salary.

The actual net amount can vary depending on the employee’s circumstances and the applicable payroll rules.

The official French administration gives a 2026 net monthly reference amount of approximately €1,443.11 for the January 2026 SMIC, but net salary is not a fixed legal amount and should not be treated as universal for every employee.

Does the SMIC Apply to Every Employee in France?

The SMIC generally applies to adult employees working in France, regardless of nationality.

The employee may be paid according to different remuneration structures — for example:

• hourly remuneration;
• monthly salary;
• performance-based remuneration;
• commission;
• piecework;
• or other forms of remuneration.

However, specific rules apply to certain categories, including some young workers and employees in Mayotte.

An employer cannot normally agree with an adult employee on a salary below the applicable statutory minimum.

There is also another important rule: if the applicable collective agreement provides a higher minimum salary than the SMIC, the employer must respect the higher amount.

In other words, the SMIC is a statutory floor, not necessarily the minimum salary applicable to every job.

France Minimum Salary and Part-Time Employment

The SMIC also applies to part-time employees.

A part-time employee’s monthly salary is generally calculated according to the number of hours worked.

For example, an employee working approximately half of the legal full-time schedule would normally have a contractual monthly salary corresponding to roughly half of the full-time SMIC, subject to the precise working-time arrangements and applicable collective agreement.

The hourly minimum of €12.31 gross remains the key reference from June 1, 2026 for the standard SMIC in the territories covered by the June 2026 decree.

What Happens If an Employer Pays Below the SMIC?

An employer cannot simply agree with an employee to pay less than the applicable statutory minimum.

Service-Public states that an employer paying a salary below the SMIC can be subject to sanctions, including a fine of €1,500.

Employers must therefore verify both:

1. the applicable SMIC; and
2. the minimum salary required by the applicable collective agreement.

For foreign workers, the salary must also comply with the relevant immigration rules where applicable.

France Minimum Salary and Foreign Workers

The SMIC is particularly important for companies recruiting international employees.

A non-EU employee generally needs appropriate authorization to work in France unless their residence status provides an exemption.

For an ordinary work authorization application, Service-Public confirms that the remuneration cannot be lower than the SMIC or the applicable collective-agreement minimum when the latter is higher.

This means that an employer recruiting a foreign employee should not look only at immigration paperwork.

The company should first check:

• the employee’s position;
• the applicable collective agreement;
• the contractual gross salary;
• the SMIC applicable on the employment date;
• the employee’s residence status;
• and whether a work authorization is required.

Does the SMIC Automatically Determine Talent Residence Permit Salaries?

Not necessarily.

The French Talent residence-permit system covers several different situations, including certain highly qualified employees, international professionals, company founders and other categories.

Each category has its own eligibility requirements.

Therefore, using a simple rule such as “Talent Passport = 1.5 × SMIC” or “Talent Passport = 2 × SMIC” can be misleading.

The relevant salary threshold depends on the particular Talent category and the legal conditions applicable to the application.

For example, the European Blue Card is subject to specific salary and qualification requirements rather than simply using the ordinary SMIC as a universal multiplier.

Employers and foreign nationals should therefore identify the exact residence-permit category before calculating the required salary.

Talent Card and Highly Qualified Employees

Certain Talent categories are designed for highly qualified professionals.

For these applications, the administration examines the employment contract and the statutory requirements applicable to the relevant category.

The salary must therefore be sufficient not only to comply with ordinary French employment law but also to satisfy the conditions of the specific immigration status.

The official Service-Public documentation confirms that specific contractual information is required for Talent applications, including for the Talent – European Blue Card category.

This is why an employer should avoid using an outdated SMIC multiplier from an older immigration article when preparing a 2026 application.

Company Founders and International Entrepreneurs

Foreign entrepreneurs establishing a business in France may also use immigration routes designed for business creation or investment.

However, these routes should not automatically be treated as ordinary employee salary applications.

The eligibility criteria can instead concern:

• the nature of the business project;
• investment;
• economic viability;
• the applicant’s role;
• qualifications or experience;
• the structure of the French company;
• and the applicable Talent category.

Foreign entrepreneurs should therefore distinguish between:

being employed by a French company

and

coming to France to create or lead a business.

The immigration requirements can be substantially different.

What Employers Hiring Foreign Talent Should Check in 2026

A French company hiring an international employee should review the situation before the employee starts work.

Important points include:

• Verify the employee’s right to work in France.
• Check whether a work authorization is required.
• Identify the applicable collective agreement.
• Verify that the contractual salary is not below the SMIC.
• Check any specific salary threshold attached to the residence permit.
• Use the correct gross salary in the employment contract.
• Verify the employee’s residence document.
• Complete the required employer formalities.
• Check whether an employer tax applies to the particular immigration procedure.

For employees holding a Talent residence permit, the employer is generally exempt from making a separate work-authorization application for the activity covered by that permit.

The employer must nevertheless verify the authenticity of the residence document before the employment begins, subject to the applicable exceptions.

The 2026 SMIC Also Matters for Employer Contributions

The SMIC is not only relevant to employees.

It also plays an important role in calculating certain employer contribution reductions.

In 2026, France introduced the Réduction générale dégressive unique (RGDU), replacing the previous structure of general employer contribution reductions.

The reduction is:

• highest around the SMIC level;
• progressively reduced as remuneration increases;
• and no longer available once remuneration reaches 3 times the SMIC.

For the 2026 calculation, the reference SMIC used by the RGDU is based on the amount applicable on January 1, 2026, rather than automatically following the June revaluation for the annual calculation.

This is particularly relevant for employers budgeting the total cost of employing staff in France.

France Minimum Salary: Gross vs Net

A frequent question is whether the French minimum salary is expressed as gross or net.

The legal SMIC is expressed primarily as a gross salary.

As of June 1, 2026, the standard amount is:

€12.31 gross per hour

or:

€1,867.02 gross per month for 35 hours per week.

The employee’s actual net salary is lower because employee contributions and other payroll deductions are taken into account.

The precise net amount can vary, so employers should not simply subtract a fixed percentage from gross salary when preparing an accurate payroll calculation.

France Minimum Salary FAQ

What is the minimum salary in France in 2026?

From June 1, 2026, the standard SMIC is €12.31 gross per hour, corresponding to €1,867.02 gross per month for 35 hours per week.

Was there more than one SMIC increase in 2026?

Yes.

The SMIC increased to €12.02 per hour on January 1, 2026, then increased again to €12.31 per hour on June 1, 2026.

What was the SMIC in 2024?

The figures in the original version of this article — €11.65 per hour and €1,766.92 per month — applied from January 1, 2024.

They should no longer be used as the current France minimum salary figures.

Does the SMIC apply to foreign workers?

Yes. Foreign nationality does not by itself remove an employee from French minimum-wage rules.

However, foreign workers can also be subject to additional immigration requirements, including work authorization and specific residence-permit conditions.

Does the SMIC determine the salary required for every Talent residence permit?

No.

Different Talent categories have different eligibility requirements. The applicable salary threshold must be checked according to the precise residence-permit category.

Does a collective agreement matter?

Yes.

If the applicable collective agreement establishes a minimum salary higher than the SMIC, the employer must generally comply with the higher contractual minimum.

Can the SMIC increase during the year?

Yes.

In addition to the annual revaluation, French law provides for an automatic increase when the statutory conditions concerning inflation are met.

The June 1, 2026 increase is an example of such an additional revaluation.

France Minimum Salary 2026: What Employers and Foreign Professionals Should Remember

The France minimum salary in 2026 is no longer €11.65 per hour or €1,766.92 per month.

The current standard SMIC from June 1, 2026 is:

• €12.31 gross per hour
• €1,867.02 gross per month
• based on 35 hours per week

The SMIC affects much more than employees earning the minimum wage. It can influence payroll, employer contributions, employment contracts and certain immigration procedures.

For international employees and entrepreneurs, however, the SMIC should not be treated as a universal formula for calculating every residence-permit salary threshold. The exact immigration category, employment contract and applicable collective agreement must be reviewed.

For French companies hiring international talent, getting the salary and immigration requirements right from the beginning can help avoid delays, compliance issues and unnecessary administrative complications.

ESCEC International can assist international companies, founders and employees with French accounting, payroll, taxation and the financial aspects of setting up and working in France.