Insee Focus · March 2025 · n° 350

In 2022, average gross hourly wage varied by a factor of two between basic tertiary employees and managers

In 2022, in France excluding Mayotte, in private and public companies with 10 or more employees, the average regular gross hourly wage (excluding exceptional or irregular bonuses and employee savings schemes) stood at 19.9 euros, that is 9.1 euros more than the minimum wage. This gross hourly wage varied significantly with socio-professional category: managers earned an average of 33.5 euros an hour, more than twice as much as basic tertiary employees (14.6 euros). Disparities were also acute according to diploma and, to a lesser extent, according to age, gender and sector of activity. One in two employees earned a gross hourly wage of no more than 16.4 euros (median wage).

Within the European Union, the median gross hourly wage varied by a ratio of 1 to 7, but only by 1 to 3 when price level differences were taken into account. France ranked 10th for the highest median hourly wages.