Software engineer salary in France
Average monthly net salary in full-time equivalent in the French private sector, according to INSEE (occupation group “Ingénieurs et cadres d'étude, recherche et développement en informatique”).
- Average net per month
- €4,029
- full-time equivalent, 2024
- Estimated monthly gross
- €5,084
- estimate with 2026 executive contributions
- Gap to the average
- +47%
- compared with all private-sector employees (€2,733 net)
- Compared with the SMIC
- 2.7 × 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 | €3,717 |
|---|---|
| Men | €4,138 |
By age
| Under 30 | €2,867 |
|---|---|
| 30 to 39 | €3,903 |
| 40 to 49 | €4,744 |
| 50 to 59 | €5,174 |
| 60 and over | €5,555 |
Working as a software engineer in France
Software engineering is not a regulated profession, but the title "ingénieur diplômé" is reserved for graduates of CTI-accredited schools, and many large employers recruit primarily from engineering schools or university master's programmes. ESNs (IT services companies) are a major entry point and place engineers with clients. Defence and some aerospace positions can require security clearance and may be limited by nationality. English is common in product teams, less so in banks and public sector projects. Search for "ingénieur logiciel", "ingénieur informatique", "ingénieur études et développement", "ingénieur backend", "ingénieur logiciel embarqué" or "software engineer".
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 software engineer?
According to INSEE, a software engineer employed in the private sector earns on average €4,029 net per month in full-time equivalent (2024), about €5,084 gross based on our estimate with 2026 contributions.
Do women and men earn the same as a software engineer?
According to INSEE (2024), the average full-time equivalent net salary is €3,717 for women and €4,138 for men in this occupation. The gap can come from the positions held, seniority or actual working time.
Does a software engineer earn more than the minimum wage?
The average net salary for the occupation (€4,029, INSEE 2024) is 2.7 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.