Painter and decorator salary in France
Average monthly net salary in full-time equivalent in the French private sector, according to INSEE (occupation group “Peintres et ouvriers qualifiés de pose de revêtements sur supports verticaux”).
- Average net per month
- €1,930
- full-time equivalent, 2024
- Estimated monthly gross
- €2,438
- estimate with 2026 non-executive contributions
- Gap to the average
- -29%
- compared with all private-sector employees (€2,733 net)
- Compared with the SMIC
- 1.3 × 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 | €1,801 |
|---|---|
| Men | €1,937 |
By age
| Under 30 | €1,732 |
|---|---|
| 30 to 39 | €1,911 |
| 40 to 49 | €1,965 |
| 50 to 59 | €2,033 |
| 60 and over | €2,049 |
Working as a painter and decorator in France
Search for peintre en bâtiment, peintre décorateur, peintre finition, peintre applicateur or, for exterior work, peintre façadier. The job is not regulated and some painters start without a diploma, but employers recognise the CAP Peintre applicateur de revêtements, the Brevet Professionnel of the same name and the Bac Pro Aménagement et finition du bâtiment. French specifications distinguish finish levels (élémentaire, courante, soignée), so expect clients and site managers to talk in those terms. Temp agencies place many painters on new-build sites. Work on buildings constructed before 1949 can involve lead paint, which calls for specific precautions during preparation.
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 painter and decorator?
According to INSEE, a painter and decorator employed in the private sector earns on average €1,930 net per month in full-time equivalent (2024), about €2,438 gross based on our estimate with 2026 contributions.
Do women and men earn the same as a painter and decorator?
According to INSEE (2024), the average full-time equivalent net salary is €1,801 for women and €1,937 for men in this occupation. The gap can come from the positions held, seniority or actual working time.
Does a painter and decorator earn more than the minimum wage?
The average net salary for the occupation (€1,930, INSEE 2024) is 1.3 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.