When a portage provider quotes a minimum salary, ask which classification, calculation base, and working-time arrangement it used. A current-year social-security ceiling or an annual salary copied from a commercial guide is not enough to establish the applicable minimum.
As of October 7, 2026, the current Article 21 of collective agreement IDCC 3219 expressly refers to the social-security ceiling on a 2017 basis for its minimum-remuneration framework. The article must be read with the consultant’s classification and work arrangement. It should not be replaced automatically by the 2026 monthly ceiling.
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Separate the classification from the calculation base
Article 21 lists monthly-pay percentages of 63% for the first level, 70% for junior, 75% for senior, and 85% for expert classification. It also addresses the financial reserve: for a CDI, 10% of the base salary of the last assignment; for a CDD, the end-of-contract indemnity. Work expressed in days or hours has its own calculation treatment. These items should not be collapsed into a single universal annual net-pay figure.
Ask the employer to identify the applicable classification in writing. Then ask it to show the reference value, percentage, work-time adjustment, and included remuneration components. A label such as “senior consultant” in a client proposal does not, on its own, document the payroll classification used by the employer.
Client revenue is a different calculation
The commercial fee describes what the client owes for the agreed service. It is not the legal reference base used to define the collective minimum. Revenue still matters to the economics of an assignment, but commercial affordability and compliance with a pay floor are distinct checks.
For example, a hypothetical client budget of EUR 6,000 does not prove any particular gross or net salary. The employer needs to show the fees, expenses, employer costs, gross remuneration, employee deductions, reserve treatment, and withholding assumptions. You can then review the proposed remuneration against the applicable minimum on the correct basis.
Request a calculation you can follow
| Document or input | Question to ask |
|---|---|
| Employment classification | Which classification is applied, and where is it recorded? |
| Reference value | Which ceiling basis and provision are being used? |
| Working time | Does the calculation reflect the agreed hours, days, or half-days? |
| Remuneration components | Which components are included in the minimum comparison? |
| Financial reserve | How is it calculated, recorded, and distinguished from immediately paid salary? |
| Payroll reconciliation | Can the employer reconcile the quote, activity account, and payslip? |
Keep the written explanation with the contract and the relevant version of the agreement. If the rate, workload, classification, or assignment changes, ask whether the calculation needs updating. Do not rely solely on a screenshot of a calculator whose assumptions are not visible.
Compare equivalent figures
A useful comparison uses the same period, working-time assumptions, and definition of pay. Net salary before income-tax withholding is different from the bank transfer after withholding. Expense reimbursements are different from remuneration. An activity-account balance is different from money immediately payable to the employee.
If two offers seem inconsistent, put their inputs side by side before deciding that one is more favorable. Ask the providers to explain the difference in the actual calculation, including any fees or reserves that appear outside the headline amount.
Use simulations for planning, then verify the offer
A simulation can help test workload and fee assumptions. It cannot confirm the employment classification, replace the collective agreement, or establish that a contract complies in every respect. The final written offer and payroll explanation should make those points reviewable.
The practical rule is straightforward: identify the governing provision, use its actual calculation basis, and compare like-for-like pay components. A headline annual amount is useful only when the provider can show how it was obtained for your circumstances.
Official and professional resources
- France's official portage salarial guide
- Current collective agreement, Article 21: pricing and compensation
Compare your assignment assumptions with the portage salary simulator. Results are estimates based on the inputs provided.
