Nursery nurse salary in France
Average monthly net salary in full-time equivalent in the French private sector, according to INSEE (occupation group “Auxiliaires de puériculture”).
- Average net per month
- €1,675
- full-time equivalent, 2024
- Estimated monthly gross
- €2,116
- estimate with 2026 non-executive contributions
- Gap to the average
- -39%
- compared with all private-sector employees (€2,733 net)
- Compared with the SMIC
- 1.1 × 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 | €1,675 |
|---|---|
| Men | €1,651 |
By age
| Under 30 | €1,570 |
|---|---|
| 30 to 39 | €1,688 |
| 40 to 49 | €1,735 |
| 50 to 59 | €1,841 |
| 60 and over | €2,037 |
Working as a nursery nurse in France
Search for auxiliaire de puériculture, the regulated title, in crèches, maternity wards, neonatal and paediatric units and PMI centres. You need the Diplôme d'État d'auxiliaire de puériculture (DEAP), prepared in an IFAP training school or through VAE, and the vaccinations required by the Public Health Code. EU qualifications go through an authorisation procedure; others usually require French training. Related but different roles include the CAP Accompagnant éducatif petite enfance (AEPE), common in crèches, and the éducateur de jeunes enfants (EJE), who holds a higher diploma. Municipal crèches may hire you as a contract worker or through the local civil service.
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 nursery nurse?
According to INSEE, a nursery nurse employed in the private sector earns on average €1,675 net per month in full-time equivalent (2024), about €2,116 gross based on our estimate with 2026 contributions.
Do women and men earn the same as a nursery nurse?
According to INSEE (2024), the average full-time equivalent net salary is €1,675 for women and €1,651 for men in this occupation. The gap can come from the positions held, seniority or actual working time.
Does a nursery nurse earn more than the minimum wage?
The average net salary for the occupation (€1,675, INSEE 2024) is 1.1 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.