IT remains one of the best-paid sectors in France, but talking about “an IT salary” no longer really makes sense given how wide the gaps are: a support technician and an artificial intelligence engineer both work in IT, yet one can earn three times as much as the other. Salary depends above all on the exact role, the level of experience, the location and the type of company (startup, ESN (IT services company), large corporate).
This guide sets out an IT salary grid for 2026, family by family: development, data and AI, cybersecurity, infrastructure and cloud, support, and IT management. For each area, we point you to our detailed studies.
👉 Our articles on startup salaries and on how to negotiate your salary may also interest you.
👉 For a closer look at product roles, read our article on Product salaries.
The IT salary market in France in 2026
After several years of strong salary inflation, the IT job market has normalised without going into reverse. Demand remains strong for rare skills, while generalist juniors face stiffer competition. Three trends are shaping pay this year:
- The specialisation premium: Cloud, AI, cybersecurity and DevOps experts continue to see their pay rise, while generalists’ pay stagnates.
- A narrowing Paris / regions gap: remote work has narrowed the geographical gap, but Île-de-France (the Paris region) still pays 10-15% more for most roles.
- Pressure from freelancing: many seniors are switching to freelance work billed at a TJM (daily rate), forcing companies to raise base salaries to keep talent in-house.
IT salary grid in France: summary table by role
The table below summarises gross annual pay ranges (based on Île-de-France) for the main IT roles, by level of experience. Detailed ranges by location are given in each section.
The highest-paid IT roles in France
Some IT roles clearly stand out in terms of pay. Unsurprisingly, leadership roles and the rarest technical expertise top the ranking:
- RSSI / CISO: head of information systems security, a strategic role whose pay frequently exceeds €120,000 at large companies.
- DSI / CIO: in charge of the entire information system, with packages climbing above €150,000 depending on the size of the organisation.
- ML / AI Engineer: artificial intelligence expertise is the most sought-after right now, with senior salaries that can reach €120,000 and more.
- Cloud / software architect: architects who design large-scale systems are particularly highly valued.
- DevOps / SRE engineer and Cloud engineer: at the heart of reliability and deployment, these engineers are in very short supply.
What these roles have in common: scarce skills, a direct business impact and significant responsibility. It is this combination, more than the degree, that drives IT salaries up.
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Explore our IT expertiseHow much does a software developer earn in France?
Development remains the historical core of IT and accounts for the largest volume of jobs. A web or software developer starts at around €38,000 to €45,000 gross a year in the Paris region, then progresses quickly with experience and seniority (Lead Developer, Tech Lead). The technologies mastered, the ability to work full-stack and the environment (hypergrowth startup, scale-up, ESN) make ranges vary considerably.
| Experience | Paris (€) | Other regions (€) |
|---|---|---|
| Junior (0-2 yrs) | €38,000-45,000 | €34,000-42,000 |
| Mid-level (3-6 yrs) | €48,000-60,000 | €44,000-55,000 |
| Senior / Lead (7+ yrs) | €65,000-85,000 | €58,000-75,000 |
👉 For the breakdown by technology (Front-end, Back-end, Full-stack, mobile), see our full study on developer salaries.
Data and AI salaries in France
Data and artificial intelligence roles are among the best paid in IT. Data Analyst, Data Engineer, Data Scientist and above all ML / AI Engineer: demand remains very strong, driven by the rise of generative AI. A mid-level Data Engineer earns between €55,000 and €70,000 in Paris, while a senior ML Engineer can exceed €100,000.
| Role (mid-level) | Paris (€) | Other regions (€) |
|---|---|---|
| Data Analyst | €50,000-60,000 | €45,000-55,000 |
| Data Engineer | €55,000-70,000 | €50,000-62,000 |
| Data Scientist | €55,000-70,000 | €50,000-62,000 |
| ML / AI Engineer | €60,000-80,000 | €55,000-72,000 |
👉 The breakdown by role and level is in our guide to data salaries. If you are hiring, see our Data recruitment agency.
Cybersecurity salaries in France
Cybersecurity has some of the most severe talent shortages in the IT market. The talent shortage remains structural and pushes pay upwards, particularly in Cloud Security, defensive AI and compliance (GRC). A mid-level cybersecurity engineer earns between €55,000 and €70,000 in Paris, and leadership roles (RSSI / CISO) are among the best paid in the whole sector. DevSecOps, at the intersection of security and the delivery pipeline, pays slightly more than an equivalent DevOps role.
| Role (mid-level) | Paris (€) | Other regions (€) |
|---|---|---|
| SOC analyst | €48,000-60,000 | €44,000-54,000 |
| Cybersecurity engineer | €55,000-70,000 | €50,000-62,000 |
| Security consultant / architect | €65,000-85,000 | €58,000-76,000 |
👉 For more detail, see our study on cybersecurity salaries.
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Hire in cybersecurityInfrastructure, systems, network and cloud salaries in France
Long regarded as the “back office” of IT, infrastructure roles have gained strategic value with the spread of the cloud and the DevOps approach. The systems and network administrator provides the technical foundation, while DevOps, SRE and Cloud engineers, at the boundary between development and operations, are among the most sought-after and best-paid profiles in this family. Two recent specialisations have emerged from this base: the Platform Engineer, who builds the internal platform used by development teams, and the FinOps Engineer, who manages cloud spending.
| Role (mid-level) | Paris (€) | Other regions (€) |
|---|---|---|
| Systems & network administrator | €42,000-52,000 | €38,000-47,000 |
| DevOps / SRE engineer | €55,000-70,000 | €50,000-62,000 |
| Cloud engineer (AWS / Azure / GCP) | €58,000-72,000 | €52,000-65,000 |
| Cloud / infrastructure architect | €75,000-100,000 | €65,000-88,000 |
Certifications (AWS, Azure, Kubernetes, Terraform) and mastery of automation (CI/CD, Infrastructure as Code) are the main levers for higher pay in these roles. 👉 If you are hiring for these roles, see our DevOps recruitment agency.
IT support and operations salaries in France
Support and operations are often the entry point into IT. Support technician (helpdesk), on-site technician or operations technician: these roles offer more modest pay, but real prospects for progression towards systems administration or IT asset management. A support technician starts at around €26,000 to €32,000 and can reach €40,000 to €46,000 with experience and a specialisation (VIP, systems, network).
| Experience | Paris (€) | Other regions (€) |
|---|---|---|
| Entry level (0-2 yrs) | €26,000-32,000 | €24,000-30,000 |
| Mid-level (3-6 yrs) | €32,000-40,000 | €30,000-37,000 |
| Senior (7+ yrs) | €40,000-46,000 | €37,000-43,000 |
IT management salaries in France
At the top of the IT hierarchy, management roles combine technical expertise with strategic responsibilities. The IT project manager runs projects and teams, while the DSI (Directeur des Systèmes d’Information, the French equivalent of a CIO) owns the company’s technology strategy. Together with the RSSI (CISO), these are the highest salaries in the sector: an SME CIO earns around €90,000 to €110,000, and the package of a CIO at a large group comfortably exceeds €150,000.
| Role | Mid-level (€) | Senior / Large group (€) |
|---|---|---|
| IT project manager | €52,000-65,000 | €65,000-85,000 |
| IT manager | €60,000-80,000 | €80,000-100,000 |
| DSI / CIO | €80,000-110,000 | €110,000-160,000+ |
👉 Hiring for these roles falls under executive search. See our CIO recruitment agency.
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Hire an IT leaderWhat makes an IT salary vary in France
For the same role, several factors explain pay gaps that can be significant:
- Experience and seniority: this is the first lever. Moving from an individual contributor to a lead or manager role comes with a significant jump in pay.
- Location: Île-de-France remains 10 to 15% above the national average, even though remote work has narrowed the gap. Some major cities (Lyon, Toulouse, Nantes, Bordeaux) offer attractive pay relative to the cost of living.
- Type of company: large corporates and ESNs focus on job security and an overall package (base salary, profit-sharing), while startups and scale-ups offset a sometimes lower base salary with equity (BSPCE (French startup stock warrants)) and potential gains at exit.
- Scarcity of skills: niche technologies, cloud certifications and AI expertise command a premium.
- Freelancing and daily rates: many seniors opt for freelancing. A mid-level engineer typically bills between €500 and €900 per day depending on the specialism, which influences salary grids for CDI (permanent contract) roles.
FAQ: IT salaries in France
What is the average IT salary in France?
There is no single average salary, given how varied the roles are. Someone at entry level most often earns between €30,000 and €45,000 gross a year, someone at mid-level between €45,000 and €70,000, and expert or leadership roles frequently exceed €90,000.
Which IT role is the best paid?
Leadership roles (DSI / CIO and RSSI / CISO) and the rarest expertise (ML / AI Engineer, cloud architect) are the best paid, with packages that can exceed €120,000 at senior level.
How much does an entry-level IT professional earn?
A recent graduate generally starts on €35,000 to €45,000 gross a year in a developer or engineer role, and on around €26,000 to €32,000 in an IT support role.
Do you need an engineering degree to earn a good living in IT?
No. While engineering degrees often lead to higher starting salaries, it is above all specialisation, experience and business impact that determine pay over time.
Hiring in IT with Licorne Society
Hiring in IT means understanding each role in detail and knowing how to set fair pay in a tight market. Licorne Society supports companies and startups across all IT functions: development, data, cybersecurity, infrastructure, cloud and management.
Whether you are looking for a developer, a data expert, a cybersecurity engineer or a CIO, our consultants combine headhunting, market knowledge and an up-to-date salary grid to attract the best talent.
👉 To find out more, see our IT recruitment agency and our Tech recruitment agency.
