Butcher salary in France
Average monthly net salary in full-time equivalent in the French private sector, according to INSEE (occupation group “Bouchers (sauf industrie de la viande)”).
- Average net per month
- €2,038
- full-time equivalent, 2024
- Estimated monthly gross
- €2,575
- estimate with 2026 non-executive contributions
- Gap to the average
- -25%
- compared with all private-sector employees (€2,733 net)
- Compared with the SMIC
- 1.4 × the net SMIC
- 2026 net monthly minimum wage: €1,478
Source: INSEE, all-employees database 2024 (average net private-sector pay, full-time equivalent) · Data downloaded on 18 October 2026
Source: French minimum wage (SMIC) as of 1 June 2026 · Data downloaded on 18 October 2026
By sex
| Women | €1,908 |
|---|---|
| Men | €2,045 |
By age
| Under 30 | €1,911 |
|---|---|
| 30 to 39 | €2,050 |
| 40 to 49 | €2,080 |
| 50 to 59 | €2,153 |
| 60 and over | €2,111 |
Working as a butcher in France
In France, search for boucher or bouchère, ouvrier boucher, boucher désosseur (boner), boucher-traiteur, second boucher or boucher en grande surface. The usual diplomas are the CAP Boucher, the BP Boucher, the Bac pro Boucher Charcutier Traiteur and the Brevet de Maîtrise. Employees do not need a specific diploma by law, but opening your own butcher's shop requires a recognised professional qualification or proven experience. Expect to learn the French cutting style and its vocabulary, which differs from British or American butchery. The origin of beef must be displayed for customers, so traceability is part of daily work. Saturdays and the Christmas period are the busiest times.
How to read these figures
The salary shown is an average, not a median: a few high salaries pull the average up. It is net pay before income tax, converted to full time.
The gross figure is an estimate: it applies 2026 employee contributions for a private-sector worker to the net salary. It leaves out bonuses, overtime and health insurance.
Salaries are from 2024 while the minimum wage is the 2026 one, so the comparison gives an order of magnitude.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the average salary of a butcher?
According to INSEE, a butcher employed in the private sector earns on average €2,038 net per month in full-time equivalent (2024), about €2,575 gross based on our estimate with 2026 contributions.
Do women and men earn the same as a butcher?
According to INSEE (2024), the average full-time equivalent net salary is €1,908 for women and €2,045 for men in this occupation. The gap can come from the positions held, seniority or actual working time.
Does a butcher earn more than the minimum wage?
The average net salary for the occupation (€2,038, INSEE 2024) is 1.4 times the 2026 net monthly minimum wage (€1,478). Early in a career, pay is often closer to the minimum wage than to this average.