Hiring in France
Hiring in France: what US and UK companies should know
Contracts, salaries, notice periods and timelines work differently in France than in the US or the UK. Here is what changes, from a recruitment firm based in Paris.
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At a glance
France, the US and the UK side by side
| France | United States | United Kingdom | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard employment | Permanent contract (CDI) with no end date | At-will employment in most states | Permanent contract of employment |
| Trial period | Up to 4 months for managers, renewable once if the collective agreement allows it | No legal trial period | Probation set by the contract, usually 3 to 6 months |
| Notice when a candidate resigns | Often 3 months for managers | Two weeks by custom | Set by the contract, often 1 to 3 months for senior roles |
| Salary discussed as | Gross annual salary, variable pay stated separately | Annual base salary, plus bonus and equity | Gross annual base salary |
| Employer contributions | Around 40 to 45% of gross salary for a manager | 7.65% FICA, plus health insurance | 15% National Insurance above a threshold |
| Paid leave | 5 weeks by law | No legal minimum | 5.6 weeks by law, including bank holidays |
Standard employment
- France
- Permanent contract (CDI) with no end date
- United States
- At-will employment in most states
- United Kingdom
- Permanent contract of employment
Trial period
- France
- Up to 4 months for managers, renewable once if the collective agreement allows it
- United States
- No legal trial period
- United Kingdom
- Probation set by the contract, usually 3 to 6 months
Notice when a candidate resigns
- France
- Often 3 months for managers
- United States
- Two weeks by custom
- United Kingdom
- Set by the contract, often 1 to 3 months for senior roles
Salary discussed as
- France
- Gross annual salary, variable pay stated separately
- United States
- Annual base salary, plus bonus and equity
- United Kingdom
- Gross annual base salary
Employer contributions
- France
- Around 40 to 45% of gross salary for a manager
- United States
- 7.65% FICA, plus health insurance
- United Kingdom
- 15% National Insurance above a threshold
Paid leave
- France
- 5 weeks by law
- United States
- No legal minimum
- United Kingdom
- 5.6 weeks by law, including bank holidays
General rules, for information only. Check the details of each hire with an employment lawyer or your employer of record.
Cost calculator
Calculate the cost of your hire
Enter a gross annual salary to see the cost for your company, the net salary for the employee and the earliest realistic start date.
Cost for your company, per year
€112,000 to €116,000
Net salary for the employee: about €5,150 a month, before income tax.
Earliest first day
March 2027
If you brief us this week: 29 days on average to fill the role, then often 3 months of notice for a manager.
Talk to a consultant→Estimates for a manager (cadre) in Paris. Employer contributions and net salary vary with the salary level, the collective agreement and the company plans. Check each offer with your payroll provider.
The essentials
Five things to know before you hire in France
Permanent contracts are the norm
Most hires are made on a CDI, a permanent contract. For managers, the trial period lasts up to 4 months, renewable once if the collective agreement allows it.
Permanent recruitment →Salaries are quoted gross
Candidates discuss a gross annual salary, with variable pay stated separately. Employer contributions add around 40 to 45% for a manager.
Salaries in France →Plan for the notice period
Managers often have 3 months of notice. Expect a start date two to four months after the offer is signed.
No French entity needed
An employer of record (EOR) can sign the contract and run payroll for you. You can also register a branch or set up a subsidiary.
Hybrid work is expected
Remote days are common in Paris for tech, sales and product roles. State your policy in the job description.
Employment options
Three ways to employ someone in France
You do not need a French company to hire in France. You do need someone to act as the legal employer, or a contract that is not employment.
| Your own French entity | Employer of record | Freelancer or contractor | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who signs the contract | Your French subsidiary or branch | The employer of record (EOR), which employs the person for you | No employment contract. You sign a service agreement with the freelancer's business |
| Setup time | The longest: you register the company or the branch, then set up French payroll | No company to register. The EOR uses its own French entity | None on your side. The freelancer must already run a registered business |
| Typical use | Teams that plan to grow in France | First hires in France, or a test of the market | Projects with a clear scope and end date |
| What to watch | You run payroll, file a hiring declaration (DPAE) before each start and offer a company health plan | The EOR is the legal employer. Agree on who owns the work and what moving the employee to your entity later involves | If you direct the work as you would an employee's, a French court can reclassify it as employment |
Who signs the contract
- Your own French entity
- Your French subsidiary or branch
- Employer of record
- The employer of record (EOR), which employs the person for you
- Freelancer or contractor
- No employment contract. You sign a service agreement with the freelancer's business
Setup time
- Your own French entity
- The longest: you register the company or the branch, then set up French payroll
- Employer of record
- No company to register. The EOR uses its own French entity
- Freelancer or contractor
- None on your side. The freelancer must already run a registered business
Typical use
- Your own French entity
- Teams that plan to grow in France
- Employer of record
- First hires in France, or a test of the market
- Freelancer or contractor
- Projects with a clear scope and end date
What to watch
- Your own French entity
- You run payroll, file a hiring declaration (DPAE) before each start and offer a company health plan
- Employer of record
- The EOR is the legal employer. Agree on who owns the work and what moving the employee to your entity later involves
- Freelancer or contractor
- If you direct the work as you would an employee's, a French court can reclassify it as employment
General rules, for information only. Check your case with an employment lawyer or your EOR.
Recruitment firm, EOR or entity
Where a recruitment firm fits
A recruitment firm and an EOR do different jobs. The firm finds the candidates, assesses them and helps you close the offer. The EOR or your French entity signs the employment contract and runs payroll.
The two work together. We run the search, the candidate accepts your offer, and the contract is issued by your EOR or your entity. Our 12-week guarantee applies in both cases.
Most US and UK companies start this way:
- First hires: a recruitment firm finds the people, an EOR employs them.
- A few hires later: you open a French subsidiary or branch.
- Then: the employees move from the EOR to your entity, and the firm keeps recruiting for the entity.
Cost
What a hire really costs in Paris
French salaries are quoted gross. Employer contributions come on top, so budget on the employer cost, not on the salary.
| Gross salary (mid-level, Paris) | Employer cost (approx.) | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Software engineer | €48k to €60k | €67k to €87k | Range for a generalist profile. Go, Rust and mobile engineers are paid more. |
| Account executive (OTE) | €55k to €70k | €77k to €102k | On-target earnings: base salary plus variable pay at target. |
| Data engineer | €55k to €68k | €77k to €99k | Streaming and MLOps profiles are paid more. |
| Product manager | €50k to €62k | €70k to €90k | Product roles in fintech and AI are paid more. |
| Financial analyst / FP&A | €57k to €73k | €80k to €106k | Senior FP&A profiles are paid more. |
| Growth marketer | €52k to €68k | €73k to €99k | Head of Growth roles are paid more. |
Software engineer
- Gross salary (mid-level, Paris)
- €48k to €60k
- Employer cost (approx.)
- €67k to €87k
- Notes
- Range for a generalist profile. Go, Rust and mobile engineers are paid more.
Account executive (OTE)
- Gross salary (mid-level, Paris)
- €55k to €70k
- Employer cost (approx.)
- €77k to €102k
- Notes
- On-target earnings: base salary plus variable pay at target.
Data engineer
- Gross salary (mid-level, Paris)
- €55k to €68k
- Employer cost (approx.)
- €77k to €99k
- Notes
- Streaming and MLOps profiles are paid more.
Product manager
- Gross salary (mid-level, Paris)
- €50k to €62k
- Employer cost (approx.)
- €70k to €90k
- Notes
- Product roles in fintech and AI are paid more.
Financial analyst / FP&A
- Gross salary (mid-level, Paris)
- €57k to €73k
- Employer cost (approx.)
- €80k to €106k
- Notes
- Senior FP&A profiles are paid more.
Growth marketer
- Gross salary (mid-level, Paris)
- €52k to €68k
- Employer cost (approx.)
- €73k to €99k
- Notes
- Head of Growth roles are paid more.
Gross annual salary from Lity's searches, Paris, 2026. Employer cost estimated with contributions of around 40 to 45%. Check each offer with your payroll provider.
Sourcing
Where French candidates look for jobs, and why direct approach matters
Posting a job ad reaches people who are looking. In France, most experienced candidates already have a job and are not reading ads.
The main network for managers and tech, product, data and sales profiles in France. Useful for ads and for contacting people directly.
Welcome to the Jungle
A French job site with company pages. Widely read by candidates who look at startups and tech companies.
APEC
The French association for the employment of managers (cadres). Its job board is read by managers and senior profiles across all sectors.
Job boards and direct approach
Indeed and HelloWork bring volume. Employed candidates rarely apply, so we contact them directly, explain the role and the package, and ask about their notice period.
Timeline
From brief to first day in France
What a permanent hire in France looks like with Lity, week by week.
Day 1
Brief
A 45-minute call to define the role, the team and the package.
Weeks 1 to 2
Market map and approach
We map the market and contact currently employed candidates.
Weeks 3 to 4
Shortlist and interviews
A role is filled in 29 days on average.
Offer
Offer signed
References checked, offer negotiated and signed.
1 to 3 months
Notice period
Often 3 months for managers who resign from a CDI.
Start
First day
Our 12-week guarantee starts on the candidate’s first day.
Timeline
How to shorten the wait before the first day
The search takes 29 days on average with Lity. The notice period, often 3 months for managers, comes on top. A few habits shorten the total:
- Ask about the notice period at the first interview, not at the offer.
- Agree on a start date before the offer is signed.
- The candidate can ask their employer to be released early. Some employers agree, and this should be confirmed in writing.
- Start the search before the budget is final, so the notice period does not delay your plan.
Hiring in France: your questions
What is a CDI?
A CDI (contrat à durée indéterminée) is the standard permanent employment contract in France. It has no end date and starts with a trial period.
Do French candidates speak English?
Many candidates in tech, product, data and sales work in English every day, especially in Paris. The level varies with the role and the company they come from, so we test it in our interviews and report what we find.
How long does a hire take in France?
With Lity, a role takes 29 days to fill on average. The candidate’s notice period comes on top, often up to 3 months for managers.
Do you recruit outside Paris?
Yes. Our consultants are based in Paris and recruit across France: Lyon, Marseille, Lille, Toulouse, Bordeaux, Nantes, Rennes, Strasbourg, Montpellier, Nice, Rouen and Grenoble.
Can you help if we have no French entity?
Yes. We run the search the same way whether the candidate is employed by your subsidiary or by an employer of record (EOR).
Can a US company hire in France without a French entity?
Yes. You can use an employer of record (EOR), which employs the person for you. You can also employ the person directly: a foreign company with no establishment in France registers with URSSAF and can use its TFE service to declare employees and pay contributions. A third option is to open a branch or a subsidiary. We run the search the same way in each case.
Does the employment contract have to be in French?
Yes. Under the French Labor Code, a written employment contract is drafted in French. If the employee is a foreign national, they can ask for a translation into their own language.
How much does a recruitment firm charge in France?
Fees vary from firm to firm. At Lity, permanent hires are paid on success, and the fee is set at the brief. If the hire leaves within 12 weeks, the fee is refunded pro rata.
What is a mutuelle?
A mutuelle is a company health plan that tops up the French public health insurance. Private employers must offer one to all their employees and pay at least 50% of the premium.
Can I hire a freelancer instead?
Yes, for a project with a clear scope. A freelancer runs their own business and sends you invoices. If you set their hours, give them orders and manage them like an employee, a French court can reclassify the contract as employment. In our searches, a mid-level full-stack developer charges €550 to €700 per day.