How much does a software engineer earn in France? This guide uses two kinds of data. The first is Apec, the French body that supports and surveys managerial and professional staff (cadres), whose 2025 salary study is the most detailed public source for tech roles. The second is our own job data: salary ranges that employers post in English-speaking job ads on this board.
We don’t estimate or guess salaries. Every figure below comes from a named source.
The short answer
- Apec’s median pay for software development roles is €50,000 gross a year (fixed pay plus variable). 80% of people in these roles earn between €38,000 and €74,000.
- In Île-de-France (Paris and its region) the median for development roles is €55,000, against €46,000 in the other regions.
- Pay rises with age and experience: the median is €44,000 under 35 and €57,000 over 45.
- Security, big data and IT management roles have higher medians than general development.
Salaries by role (Apec 2025)
Apec’s study Les rémunérations des cadres dans 111 familles de métiers (December 2025) gives annual gross pay, fixed plus variable (bonuses and performance pay, but not profit-sharing). It covers cadres in the private sector and combines Apec’s surveys from 2021 to 2025. About 26,000 cadres were surveyed in 2025 (Apec, 2025 edition).
| Apec job family | Lowest 10% earn less than | Median | Top 10% earn more than |
|---|---|---|---|
| Software development (développement informatique) | €38,000 | €50,000 | €74,000 |
| Networks and telecoms | €38,000 | €51,000 | €76,000 |
| Big data | €40,000 | €54,000 | €98,000 |
| IT project management | €41,000 | €57,000 | €79,000 |
| IT production and maintenance (infrastructure, operations) | €37,000 | €58,000 | €99,000 |
| IT security | €43,000 | €60,000 | €99,000 |
| IT management (direction informatique) | €49,000 | €77,000 | €130,000 |
| All cadres, all fields | €38,000 | €55,000 | €95,000 |
The software development family includes Apec’s “developer”, “development architect” and “IT studies and development engineer” job profiles.
Paris and the regions
Apec splits each job family between Île-de-France and other regions. It doesn’t publish separate figures for Lyon, Toulouse or other cities.
| Job family | Île-de-France median | Other regions median |
|---|---|---|
| Software development | €55,000 | €46,000 |
| Big data | €58,000 | €48,000 |
| IT security | €63,000 | €57,000 |
| IT management | €91,000 | €65,000 |
For software development, 80% of people in Île-de-France earn between €43,000 and €77,000. In the other regions the range is €36,000 to €67,000 (Apec).
For Lyon, Toulouse and other cities, the best current guide is the salary ranges in real job ads. See our own data below, and the Lyon and Toulouse job pages.
Salaries by age
For software development roles, Apec gives these medians by age:
| Age | Lowest 10% | Median | Top 10% |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 35 | €36,000 | €44,000 | €60,000 |
| 35 to 45 | €41,000 | €52,000 | €74,000 |
| Over 45 | €42,000 | €57,000 | €85,000 |
Managing a team also makes a difference. Development cadres who manage people have a median of €58,000, against €49,000 for those who don’t.
Salaries in English-speaking jobs on our board
The table below is generated from jobs on this board where the employer posted a salary. It only uses salaries stated by employers; we never estimate. It updates every time the site is deployed.
Live data from the jobs and companies on this board, as of 27 September 2026.
Yearly salaries stated in active job ads on this board. The median uses the middle of each ad's range. Groups with fewer than 5 salaries are not shown.
By city
| City | Jobs with salary | Median | Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paris | 74 | €84,000 | €40,000 – €250,000 |
By role
| Role | Jobs with salary | Median | Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Other tech | 21 | €95,000 | €40,000 – €250,000 |
| DevOps & SRE | 20 | €80,375 | €50,000 – €130,000 |
| Product | 15 | €100,000 | €50,000 – €280,000 |
| Machine learning & AI | 10 | €95,000 | €55,000 – €174,600 |
| Engineering management | 6 | €112,500 | €70,000 – €164,500 |
| Design | 5 | €75,000 | €59,000 – €110,000 |
Only some employers publish a salary range, so treat these figures as a sample, not a survey. For the latest jobs with a posted salary, browse the Paris, Lyon and Toulouse pages, or search by technology, such as Python, Java or TypeScript.
How to read a French salary
- Salaries are quoted gross per year (brut annuel). Social contributions and income tax come off before you are paid. The official URSSAF simulator converts gross to net. Our tax basics guide explains the deductions.
- Offers often split fixed and variable pay. Apec’s figures include variable pay. Only about a third (34%) of development cadres had a variable part, with a median of €3,000.
- Some pay is not in the salary. By law, you get 5 weeks of paid holiday a year (Service-Public). Your employer pays at least half of your company health cover (Service-Public) and half of your public transport pass (Service-Public). Profit-sharing, meal vouchers and equity (such as BSPCE in startups) vary by company.
Salary and your work permit
If you need a work permit, your salary decides which Talent route you can use (Service-Public):
- Talent – qualified employee and Talent – employee of an innovative company: at least €39,582 gross a year.
- Talent – EU Blue Card: at least €59,373 gross a year.
Apec’s median for development roles in Île-de-France (€55,000) is above the first threshold and below the Blue Card threshold. See our French Tech Visa and Talent permit guide for the other conditions.
Limits of this data
- Apec covers salaried cadres in the private sector. Most software engineers in France have cadre status, but the data doesn’t cover freelancers or public-sector jobs.
- The figures combine surveys from 2021 to 2025, adjusted for changes in pay. They describe the market as a whole, not English-speaking jobs in particular.
- Big international tech companies and well-funded startups may pay above these ranges. Many don’t publish salaries, so no public source measures them reliably.
Frequently asked questions
What is the average software engineer salary in Paris?
Apec’s median for software development roles in Île-de-France, which includes Paris, is €55,000 gross a year, and 80% earn between €43,000 and €77,000. Big international tech companies and well-funded startups may pay above these ranges, but many don’t publish salaries. Compare offers with the ranges employers post on our Paris page.
How much do software engineers earn in Lyon or Toulouse?
Apec doesn’t publish figures for individual cities outside Paris. For development roles in the regions other than Île-de-France, its median is €46,000 gross a year, and 80% earn between €36,000 and €67,000. For Lyon and Toulouse, the best current guide is the salary ranges employers post in real job ads.
How much does a junior developer earn in France?
The closest official figure is Apec’s median for software development roles among people under 35: €44,000 gross a year. The lowest 10% of that group earn less than €36,000 and the top 10% more than €60,000. Pay rises with age and experience, reaching a median of €57,000 for people over 45.
Are French salaries quoted gross or net?
Gross. French salaries are quoted gross per year (brut annuel), and social contributions and income tax come off before you are paid. Offers often split fixed and variable pay too. To see your take-home pay, use the official URSSAF simulator, and read our tax basics guide for the deductions.
Is a typical developer salary enough for an EU Blue Card in France?
Often not. The EU Blue Card needs at least €59,373 gross a year, which is above Apec’s €55,000 median for development roles in Île-de-France. The Talent qualified employee and innovative company routes need at least €39,582, which that median clears. Our Talent permit guide explains the other conditions.
What benefits come on top of a French salary?
By law you get 5 weeks of paid holiday a year, and your employer pays at least half of your company health cover and half of your public transport pass. Profit-sharing, meal vouchers and equity, such as BSPCE in startups, vary by company, so ask about them when you compare offers.
Related guides and jobs
- Cost of living in Paris for tech workers
- Tax basics for tech workers in France
- Companies in France that hire English speakers
- Browse English-speaking jobs and visa sponsorship jobs
Apec figures are from the 2025 edition of its study, published in December 2025. We check for a new edition each quarter.