Dive into salaries to find out which jobs pay well

Are you looking to find a well-paid career as soon as you leave school? Well-paid careers give you financial stability and personal security. That's why our business school, IPAG, has designed courses to prepare you for these careers. Find out about the best-paid careers in sales and marketing, and prepare for the rest of your professional future with our business school.

What will the average salary be in France in 2023?

In France today, the average salary is around €2 587 per month, or €39 800 gross per year.

There are several criteria that determine a worker's pay:

• gender* ;
• age and professional experience
• geographical area
• sector of activity;
• education (years and level of study, qualifications, etc.).

Given the wide disparity in salaries between jobs and professions, the median salary is also useful to bear in mind. The median salary is the difference between the 50% of French people who earn the most and the 50% who earn the least. INSEE puts the French median net salary at around €1 850 a month in 2023.

*In full-time equivalent terms, women earn 15.9% less on average than men in the private sector. In the public sector, this figure is 13.1% lower on average. (INSEE data of 30/01/24)

What is a well-paid job?

If you're looking for a well-paid profession, you may be facing a real headache! It's hard to come up with a precise definition of a "well-paid job", because it's a relative term.

Some people are content to earn €2,000 a month, while others want to earn a very comfortable living. A well-paid job :

• allows you to meet your day-to-day needs (paying rent or a monthly instalment for your home, paying bills, shopping, etc.) ;
• does not restrict your ability to enjoy your personal life;
• is a job in which you feel rewarded for your efforts.

This could be one possible definition. We can also work on the principle that a well-paid job may correspond, for example, to double the median salary. This gives a more concrete numerical basis for your job search or your studies.

What sectors of activity pay well?

Certain sectors of activity offer interesting possibilities in terms of salary. These sectors are known for their high-paying jobs.

Here is an example of a pay scale showing average salaries in France by sector:

What are the best-paid jobs?

Well-paid jobs without a degree
Some jobs are reputed to be well-paid despite the fact that you don't need a diploma to do them:

• plumber ;
• telemarketer ;
• mechanic ;
• lorry driver/money courier ;
• roofer/carpenter ;
• refuse collector.

Well-paid jobs with short training

These professions are easily accessible from a bac, bac+2 or bac+3:

• web developer ;
• community manager
• technical sales representative
• sales manager
• kitchen assistant ;
• dental technician.

Well-paid professions with a long training period

Generally speaking, the professions that pay the best are accessible after a long training course (5 to 10 years' study). Here are a few examples:

• company director ;
• tax advisor ;
• lawyer
• doctor or surgeon;
• financial market executive, trader ;
• product manager
• IT project manager ;
• human resources manager ;
• digital marketing manager;
• asset manager.

What job pays well after business school?

Once you've completed a course at a business school, you'll be able to enter a wide range of high-paying fields: banking, finance, insurance, marketing, international management, etc.

Certain high-paying professions are particularly recommended and sought after by companies:

• key account sales engineer M/F ;
• internal/external auditor M/W ;
• marketing and communications manager
• business analyst
• sales manager
• sales attaché or sales engineer
• Head of sales
• financial director
• management controller
• asset manager
• treasurer
• strategy consultant
• entrepreneur M/W ;

Traders, salespeople, brokers and other finance-related professions are among the best-paid jobs, with a significant variable component. It is also possible to consider corporate finance, business engineering or a good sales position after training at a business school.

The other option, of course, is to become self-employed or independent, or to set up as a start-up entrepreneur. While this route may seem riskier at first, it is particularly profitable in the long term and can generate significant gains when you sell your company.

Invest in business school studies to secure a well-paid job

Many students wonder why they should go to business school. Enrolling in a business school can be seen as a real investment. It gives you access to well-paid jobs. Indeed, the vocation of reputable business schools is to prepare students for lucrative careers and positions of responsibility.

Good to know: graduates of a business school such as IPAG quickly rise to executive or managerial positions. The average gross salary as a beginner is often high, rising rapidly after a few years' experience.

Enrolling in a business school course therefore has an attractive ROI. You can get a real return on your investment quickly, thanks to the salaries you earn in the first few years of your career.

As you can see, studying at a business school gives you real access to high-paying professions. You won't have to search very long for what to do after business school, as many doors will open to you thanks to a wealth of useful knowledge and skills. Just make sure that the career you're considering matches your personal ambitions and your desires for the future. We invite you to get in touch with IPAG for more information and to start on the road to a well-paid career.