The non-financial benefits of working in France
← All postsWork
My first CDI payslip: €3,727 gross a month, €2,516 in my account. About 32% gone before it touched my bank. There are two reactions to that number. One is "I can't believe how much I pay". The other is "look how good my life is". I'm in the second camp. Here's what that money buys.
What your employer pays for
- Five weeks of paid holiday, plus RTT days in many companies if you work over 35 hours.
- 50% of your public transport pass, by law.
- At least half your mutuelle (top-up health insurance).
- Meal vouchers (tickets restaurant, Swile): your employer pays part of your lunch.
- Forfait mobilités durables: up to €700 a year tax-free if you commute by bike.
- Profit-sharing (intéressement, participation) into a company savings plan, tax-free if left five years.
What the state pays for
- Healthcare: most of your doctor's visits reimbursed through your carte Vitale.
- Unemployment insurance and a pension you're building from your first payslip.
- Housing aid (APL) on lower incomes.
The life around it
[Josh to finish] Work-life balance, the fitness culture that pushed you to train, the long lunches, the holidays you actually take. Your personal list.
Video: 10 years of my real French payslips. The money side, with the 2026 thresholds: Financial benefits of living in France.
Want the whole story, offline?
This post started as a chapter of Fit-in in France: your first year here, without the costly mistakes.
Get the book · €9.99More posts →