Country comparison
France or Ireland: which costs the employer more
France costs the employer more: 35.6% on top of the salary, against 11.4% in Ireland.
Each country uses its own currency, so we compare the percentage. We publish no exchange rate and convert nothing.
| France | Ireland | |
|---|---|---|
| Salary used | €60,000 | €60,000 |
| Statutory contributions | €21,371 | €6,840 |
| Mandatory extra pay | 0 months | 0 months |
| Total employer cost | €81,371 | €66,840 |
| Added on top of the salary | 35.6% | 11.4% |
| Statutory paid leave | 30 days | 20 days |
| Public holidays | 11 | 10 |
| Minimum employer notice | 4 weeks | 1 weeks |
Where the difference actually comes from
France: The annual social security ceiling for 2026 is 48,060 euro, which is 4,005 euro a month.
Ireland: Employer PRSI has no annual ceiling, so the 11.4% applies to the whole salary. A reduced 9.15% rate applies below 552 euro a week.
The formula behind both columns
Ceilings are the reason this ordering can reverse at a higher salary. Run both countries through the calculator at the salary you actually intend to pay before you treat either number as settled.
Related
Written by Kaz, independent publisher. No commercial relationship with the providers named unless it is listed on the disclosure page.
Page last updated 2026-08-30. Sources: statutory bodies only, listed per figure. Rates last verified 2026-08-21. This is not legal, tax or payroll advice and we do not file anyone's payroll.
Every formula on this site is written out in full on Method. Ordering is by computed cost, never by what a provider pays us.
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