{"id":194953,"date":"2026-01-28T12:53:15","date_gmt":"2026-01-28T11:53:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/liora.io\/en\/?p=194953"},"modified":"2026-08-08T14:42:51","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T13:42:51","slug":"all-about-salary-in-a-professional-training","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/liora.io\/en\/all-about-salary-in-a-professional-training","title":{"rendered":"[2026] Salary in a professional training in France"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong><strong>The professionalization contract is an effective solution for combining training with corporate experience. But what is the salary for a work-study student under this type of contract in 2025?<\/strong> <strong>Similar to an apprenticeship contract, the pay of an employee on a professional contract depends on several criteria, including age and level of qualification.<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"what-does-the-professionalization-contract-involve\">What does the professionalization contract involve?<\/h2>\n\n\n<p>The professionalization contract combines <strong>theoretical instruction with hands-on experience in a company<\/strong>. It targets:<\/p>\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Youths aged <strong>16 to 25<\/strong> aiming to complete their initial training.<\/li>\n<li>Job seekers aged <strong>26 and over<\/strong>, to facilitate their integration or career transition.<\/li>\n<li>Certain recipients of <strong>social benefits<\/strong> or individuals <strong>with disabilities<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n<p>This contract can be agreed upon as a <strong>fixed-term contract (CDD)<\/strong> (6 to 12 months, renewable up to 36 months) or as a <strong>permanent contract (CDI)<\/strong> with a professionalization phase at the beginning of the contract.<\/p>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"what-is-the-salary-under-a-professionalization-contract\">What is the salary under a professionalization contract?<\/h2>\n\n\n<p>The salary for a work-study student on a professionalization contract is linked to the <strong>SMIC<\/strong> (minimum wage) or the minimum conventional wage (SMC) of the professional branch, if the latter is more advantageous.<\/p>\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"salary-scale-2026\">Salary Scale 2026<\/h3>\n\n\n<p>In 2026, <strong>the gross monthly minimum wage<\/strong> is set at <strong>\u20ac1,801.80<\/strong>. Here are the applicable salary levels:<\/p>\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table is-style-stripes\"><table>\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th><strong>Level of Qualification<\/strong><\/th>\n<th><strong>Under 21 years old<\/strong><\/th>\n<th><strong>21 to 25 years old<\/strong><\/th>\n<th><strong>26 years and over<\/strong>\n<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>Degree below A-level (or level IV)<\/td>\n<td>\u20ac990.99 (55% of SMIC)<\/td>\n<td>\u20ac1,261.26 (70% of SMIC)<\/td>\n<td>\u20ac1,801.80 (100% of SMIC or 85% of SMC if applicable)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>A-level or Higher Degree<\/td>\n<td>\u20ac1,171.17 (65% of SMIC)<\/td>\n<td>\u20ac1,441.44 (80% of SMIC)<\/td>\n<td>\u20ac1,801.80 (legal minimum)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n<p><strong>Good to know:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n<p>If the company follows a collective agreement that sets a higher minimum conventional wage (SMC), that rate applies.<\/p>\n\n\n<p>Remuneration is calculated before the deduction of social contributions, which determine the net salary received by the work-study student.<\/p>\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\" style=\"margin-top:32px;margin-bottom:32px\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Illustration for Salary Scale 2026\" height=\"448\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/liora.io\/app\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2025\/04\/dst_acquisition_A_portrait_of_a_professional_woman_25-30_years__e93b89da-d8d5-41ec-928e-cb531ff25a39-1024x574.webp\" style=\"width:100%;height:auto\" width=\"800\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex is-content-justification-center wp-container-core-buttons-is-layout-5ee10de4\" style=\"margin-top:32px;margin-bottom:32px\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/liora.io\/en\/courses\/data-ai\/data-analyst\">Find a course for you<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"does-the-salary-evolve\">Does the salary evolve?<\/h2>\n\n\n<p>Yes, the salary of a work-study student on a professional contract evolves in two situations:<\/p>\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Age bracket change: when a student turns 21, their salary automatically increases from the first day of the month following their birthday.<\/li>\n<li>Turning 26: unlike the 21-year threshold, the raise is not automatic. It depends on an agreement made with the employer at the contract signing or through a later amendment.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"how-is-the-salary-funded\">How is the salary funded?<\/h2>\n\n\n<p>The cost of a professionalization contract is shared between the company and the OPCO (<strong>Competency Operators<\/strong>), which cover all or part of the training expenses.<\/p>\n\n\n<p><strong>Employer incentives<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Training expenses covered by the <strong>OPCO<\/strong> according to current scales.<\/li>\n<li>Exemptions from social contributions for certain groups (people under 26, people with disabilities, etc.).<\/li>\n<li>Financial incentives for hiring a work-study student that can reach up to \u20ac6,000 under certain conditions.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n<p>These measures encourage companies to recruit via work-study programs, thus reducing their overall wage costs.<\/p>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"what-are-the-employer-charges\">What are the employer charges?<\/h2>\n\n\n<p>Since the reform of the <strong>&#8220;Avenir Professionnel&#8221; law<\/strong>, some exemptions have been removed. Now, <strong>the professionalization contract<\/strong> only benefits from the general reduction of employer contributions applicable to wages below 1.6 times the SMIC. Social charges include:<\/p>\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Social security contributions (health, retirement, family allowances).<\/li>\n<li>Unemployment insurance.<\/li>\n<li>Contribution to the National Housing Aid Fund (FNAL).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n<p><strong>Note:<\/strong> The professional contract is not included in the company&#8217;s headcount for legal obligations. URSSAF offers an online simulator to calculate applicable reductions.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex is-content-justification-center wp-container-core-buttons-is-layout-5ee10de4\" style=\"margin-top:32px;margin-bottom:32px\"><div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"\/en\/courses\/data-ai\/data-analyst\">Discover our courses<\/a><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"how-to-negotiate-your-salary-in-a-professional-contract\">How to negotiate your salary in a professional contract?<\/h2>\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"inquire-about-conventional-wage-scales\">Inquire about conventional wage scales<\/h3>\n\n\n<p>Before any negotiation, it is crucial to verify if the company&#8217;s professional branch applies a higher SMC (minimum conventional wage) than the SMIC.<\/p>\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"highlight-skills-and-experiences\">Highlight skills and experiences<\/h3>\n\n\n<p>A work-study student with previous internships or professional experience can emphasize their strengths to justify a higher salary.<\/p>\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"request-additional-benefits\">Request additional benefits<\/h3>\n\n\n<p>If the company cannot increase gross salary, it&#8217;s possible to negotiate:<\/p>\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Performance or end-of-mission bonuses.<\/li>\n<li>Reimbursement of transportation expenses (coverage beyond the legal minimum of 50%).<\/li>\n<li>Meal vouchers or gift vouchers.<\/li>\n<li>Access to an advantageous health insurance plan.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\" style=\"margin-top:32px;margin-bottom:32px\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Illustration for Request additional benefits\" height=\"448\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/liora.io\/app\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2025\/04\/dst_acquisition_Young_professional_in_a_modern_office_working_o_91c0916c-8abf-4211-95ba-06618416726f-1024x574.webp\" style=\"width:100%;height:auto\" width=\"800\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"conclusion\">Conclusion<\/h2>\n\n\n<p>The professionalization contract remains a valuable opportunity for young people and job seekers in career transition. In 2026, the salary scale follows the evolution of the SMIC, ensuring a minimum income for work-study students.<\/p>\n\n\n<p>While remuneration is strictly regulated, there&#8217;s room to enhance it through additional benefits or by joining a company offering a more advantageous wage scale.<\/p>\n\n\n<p>Good to know: a well-negotiated professional contract is often a gateway to a permanent position within the host company.<\/p>\n\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The professionalization contract is an effective solution for combining training with corporate experience. But what is the salary for a work-study student under this type of contract in 2025? Similar to an apprenticeship contract, the pay of an employee on a professional contract depends on several criteria, including age and level of qualification.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":85,"featured_media":194955,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"editor_notices":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[2435],"class_list":["post-194953","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-digital"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/liora.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/194953","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/liora.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/liora.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/liora.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/85"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/liora.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=194953"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/liora.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/194953\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":211406,"href":"https:\/\/liora.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/194953\/revisions\/211406"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/liora.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/194955"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/liora.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=194953"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/liora.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=194953"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}