Software Engineer salary in France (2026)

A mid-level Software Engineer in France earns €48,000 to €60,000 gross per year, in Paris in 2026.

A Software Engineer designs, writes, tests and maintains the code of a product or an internal system.

Software Engineer salary by level

  • Junior

    Gross annual salary
    €38,000 to €48,000
    Net per month (estimate)
    €2,450 to €3,100
    Employer cost per year
    €53,000 to €70,000
  • Mid-level

    Gross annual salary
    €48,000 to €60,000
    Net per month (estimate)
    €3,100 to €3,850
    Employer cost per year
    €67,000 to €87,000
  • Senior

    Gross annual salary
    €58,000 to €72,000
    Net per month (estimate)
    €3,700 to €4,600
    Employer cost per year
    €81,000 to €104,000

Net per month: estimate for cadre status, before income tax, rounded to the nearest €50. Employer cost: gross salary × 1.40 to 1.45, rounded to the nearest €1,000.

Software Engineer salary in US dollars and British pounds

  • Junior

    EUR
    €38k to €48k
    USD
    $42k to $54k
    GBP
    £32k to £40k
  • Mid-level

    EUR
    €48k to €60k
    USD
    $54k to $67k
    GBP
    £40k to £50k
  • Senior

    EUR
    €58k to €72k
    USD
    $65k to $80k
    GBP
    £48k to £60k

Gross annual. Converted at the ECB reference rate of November 3, 2026: €1 = $1.1179 and €1 = £0.83358. Rounded to the nearest thousand.

Methodology

Ranges from Lity's own hires, cross-checked with APEC, the Robert Half salary guide, Glassdoor France and HelloWork. Paris, 2026.

What to know about pay in France

Gross and net
Salaries in France are quoted gross per year. Employee social contributions are deducted from the gross salary, and income tax is then withheld at source. The net figures on this page are estimates before income tax.
Variable pay
Some employers add a yearly bonus or a profit-sharing scheme on top of the fixed salary. The ranges on this page cover the fixed gross salary.
13th month
Some companies pay the annual salary in 13 installments instead of 12. When you compare offers, check whether the annual figure includes the 13th month.
Equity (BSPCE)
BSPCE, the French employee stock warrants, are common in startups. They are not included in these ranges.
Manager (cadre) status
Most roles on this page are hired with cadre status. It comes with a specific supplementary pension scheme and often a working time counted in days per year rather than hours.

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