Insee Première · November 2023 · n° 1971

Wages in the private sector in 2022 A clear decrease in purchasing power, except at the level of the minimum wage

In 2022, an employee in the private sector earned an average of 2,630 euros net per month in full-time equivalent (FTE). Accounting for the high inflation rate, average net pay has fallen in constant euros: -1,0%. This was the sharpest fall ever seen in the past twenty‑five years, except for the misleading 2020 and 2021 evolutions, which were largely the result of changes in the composition of employed population during the health crisis.

Half of all private sector employees earned less than 2,091 euros net per month in FTE terms. One out of ten employees earned less than 1,436 euros, while one out of ten earned more than 4,162 euros. In 2022, the purchasing power has been maintained only for the lowest earners, as the minimum wage was raised to match with the inflation rate. Hence, pay disparities narrowed.

On average, women earned 14.1% less than men on a FTE basis. This gap has narrowed by 0.7 points since 2021, and by 6.8 points since 2008.