Average wage in France?

[Paul Bradford]

Hi,

I wonder if anyone can help with my question. I would like to know what the average net wage is in France. I am in a position where I receive a medical pension and would like to have an idea of how far this might go. We have a holiday home in the Lot et Garonne and plan to move there next year. It would be useful to have this information in order that we can arrange our finances suitably.

Thank you

Paul Bradford

[SaligoBay]

From INSEE (Institut National de la Statistique et des Etudes)

http://www.insee.fr/en/ffc/Liste_theme.asp?theme_id=4

In 2003, the average monthly full-time wage in private and semi-public firms stood at €2,377 gross and €1,811 net of all withholdings at source. Given the average 2.1% increase in consumer prices in 2003, the purchasing power of the average net wage fell 0.3% from 2002 to 2003 following a 0.6% rise from 2001 to 2002. As with previous years, the net monthly minimum wage rose more than the average wage, with a purchasing power gain of 1.3% compared with 2002. The slight shortening of the average working week in 2003 meant that the purchasing power of the average net hourly wage did not decrease, unlike that of the average monthly wage. This said, it only increased 0.1% in constant euros for full-time wage earners.



N° 1007 - mar 2005

Someone did quote this before, with extra details about the difference between Paris and les provinces (that's the rest of us second-class citizens!), but I can't remember where.   These figures quoted above are probably pre-tax, btw, because French salaries aren't taxed at source.   I wouldn't want to try to live on 1811 euros a month, it may well be possible, but it wouldn't be pleasant.  

[Alexis]

I would say that around here, where most people work in factories or in agriculture, the most per week would be £200 before tax.  I can never remember what SMIC is. 7,70€/hour?  Times 35 hours.....

Saligo Bay is lucky enough (hem hem!) to live in the rich South.  She pays a great deal more in property taxes etc., than us poor folk up here.  She paid about fifteen times more than I did for my house for example.  This house here being four times the size. 

Don't worry, she is so rich she can afford it

[Coco]

And she must have some pretty steep outgoings compared to us because I'm trying to get us down to 1200€ per month.  At the moment I'm overspending by between 200-300€ per month but then we do like to eat out in quite nice restaurants when we don't have B&B guests in.  That still means we're spending 300€ per month less than the 1800€ that SB thinks it would be pretty awful to have to live on!!  Oh well, just shows that all these Normandy grey clouds do have silver linings

[Mysfloss]

1800€ Brut will give about 1400€ net by month there are many many people who earn less then this.

SB I think your disenchantment with France is showing again!!!!

[SaligoBay]

1800€ Brut will give about 1400€ net by month there are many many people who earn less then this.

Yes, I know there are, but just because it's possible doesn't mean it's desirable.

I talked to my friend about this today, between them they can bring in about 1900 euros a month if she really goes for it with her cleaning job.

She said 1400 a month is "pauvre", tu te prives de beaucoup de choses.  You don't eat magret de canard, you eat cheap steak haché and Netto big-bag pasta all the time, you don't go out in the car unless absolutely necessary because you can't afford to waste petrol for fun.   Foreign holidays just don't exist.   A dishwasher is a distant dream.   The thought of ever owning their own house is just completely laughable.

I admit that we could be talking about different situations.  I'm talking about people who have no savings to fall back on, no house in England to sell, no vineyards to sell to property developers.

I know it's easy to imagine from a position of comfort that there's something noble in poverty, but there ain't!     

  

[Mysfloss]

surface habitable?

[Paul Bradford]

Thank you to everyone that replied. I didn't expect to get so much detail! This does give us an idea of how far our money will go. We are fortunate that the French property is my father in law's. The plan is, that if everything works out and the children are happy, (ages 4 & 6 so shouldn't be too much of a problem we hope!) we believe that within two years we will know if it is the right move. If so, we'll sell up at home (the house will be rented out until then) and use our equity to buy another house outright.

Here's hoping and thanks again!

Paul 

[0BRIAN WOODHEADI,m here in franceddMMyyyy0Falseen-USI,m here in franceTrue]

Never had SB down as a posh bird,700m2,more like lady SB(the old joke, thats no lady thats my wife no no no)

 

[SaligoBay]

[quote]surface habitable?[/quote]

In my dreams! 

As for outcast, you're welcome any time, but you have to call me Madam.   Really, these lorry drivers, they get a bit above their station sometimes.  

 

[0BRIAN WOODHEADI,m here in franceddMMyyyy0Falseen-USI,m here in franceTrue]

Madam now is it oh er,you know how us rough type love a bit of posh.

[Gaskinsrus]

[quote]And she must have some pretty steep outgoings compared to us because I'm trying to get us down to 1200€ per month. At the moment I'm overspending by between 200-300€ per month but then we do like to ...[/quote]

The message gives us a bit of hope because we will be living on the proverbial shoe-string when we arrive in France for the first year or two!! Will have to avoid the South!!