How to calculate your temporary work salary?
02 April 2025 · 5 min reading time
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See job offersHave you just landed your first temporary assignment and are struggling to understand your pay? Calculating your temporary work salary can seem confusing with its hourly rates, bonuses, and allowances.
In this article, we'll help you decipher your payslip and understand how your salary is calculated. You'll know exactly what each amount corresponds to and how to optimize your earnings right from the start.
Who Pays My Salary in Temporary Work?
Unlike a standard employment contract, a temporary work contract involves three main parties: the temporary worker, the temporary work agency (also known as an Employment Agency or ETT), and the user company (the company where the temporary worker carries out their assignment).
One of the specific features of a temporary work contract is that the temporary work agency is the legal employer of the worker. It is responsible for administrative management and salary payments. As such, the ETT issues the payslip and makes the salary transfer to the temporary worker's bank account. This process is entirely separate from the user company, even though the latter sets the salary amount via the provision contract.
How Does Salary Payment Work?
- The temporary worker signs a mission contract with the temporary work agency.
- Each month, the temporary worker submits their timesheet to their agency.
- The temporary work agency verifies the hours worked, bonuses, and allowances due (IFM, ICCP, etc.).
- The payslip is then issued and sent to the temporary worker, who can view the details of their remuneration.
- Finally, the agency proceeds with the salary transfer to the temporary worker's bank account.
When Is My Salary Paid in Temporary Work?
Generally, temporary work agencies make payment on the 12th of the month following the assignment, but this date may vary from one agency to another. Each temporary employment agency has its own payment schedule.
Regarding Staffmatch, the salary is paid on the 9th of the month following the assignment. This shorter timeframe than that practiced by most agencies allows temporary workers to receive their pay more quickly. To ensure fast and accurate payment, it is essential that the temporary worker submits their timesheet within the given deadlines.
Summary of Key Points:
- Who pays the salary? → The temporary work agency (ETT) pays the salary, not the user company.
- When is the salary paid? → Generally on the 12th of the month, but at Staffmatch, payment is made on the 9th of the following month.
- How is the salary calculated? → Based on the timesheet submitted by the temporary worker.
- Who issues the payslip? → The payslip is issued by the temporary work agency and sent to the temporary worker.
In summary, the temporary work agency is your sole point of contact for salary payment, from issuing the payslip to transferring funds to your bank account. This organization ensures a simplified and clear process, with a defined and transparent payment deadline.
Temporary Workers: Can I Request an Advance?
Some agencies, despite the specificities related to salary payment in temporary work, offer advance payments. If you have signed this type of contract, you can therefore receive part of your compensation in advance, before the end of your assignment. However, you cannot receive an amount greater than 80% of your net salary.
At Staffmatch, you must have completed at least 10 hours of assignment to request an advance. Your request must be made after the 10th of the current month. You can make your request from your Staffmatch account.
What Is the Average Salary in Temporary Work?
The salary is determined by the User Company (EU). This amount is specified in the provision contract signed between the EU and the ETT, as well as in the mission contract concluded between the temporary worker and the Temporary Employment Agency (ETT).
In 2025, the minimum hourly rate in temporary work is €11.88 gross, which is equivalent to the SMIC in effect. However, this rate may vary depending on the collective agreement applied by the EU and the specificities of the position held.
The temporary worker benefits from the principle of equal treatment with permanent employees holding equivalent positions in the company. In other words, they cannot be paid less than a permanent employee doing the same work, with the same qualifications and skills.
In addition to this basic salary, they may receive additional bonuses and benefits, according to legal and contractual provisions. These benefits may include: Position-related bonuses: performance bonus, risk bonus, cold bonus, etc.
Thanks to these various supplements, the final salary of a temporary worker can often exceed the simple hourly rate of €11.88 gross, especially when it includes bonuses and overtime.
Example of Average Salary in Temporary Work: 2-Month Assignment
Let's take the example of a temporary worker hired for a 2-month assignment in the logistics sector, with a gross hourly rate of €11.88 (hourly rate of the SMIC in 2025), which is €9.40 in net salary. They work 35 hours per week and do not work on public holidays.
Here is the detailed calculation of their salary over these two months:
- Duration of the assignment: 8 weeks (2 months)
- Total number of hours worked: 35 hours x 8 weeks = 280 hours
- Gross salary: 280h x €11.88 = €3,326.4
- End-of-Mission Indemnity (IFM): 10% of gross salary = €332.64
- Compensatory Paid Leave Indemnity (ICCP): 10% of (gross salary + IFM) = (€3,326.4 + €332.64) x 10% = €365.9
The total salary received at the end of the assignment will therefore be:
Total Remuneration = €3,326.4 (gross salary) + €332.64 (IFM) + €365.9 (ICCP) = €4,024.94 gross.
This amount does not take into account any increases for night hours, overtime, or Sunday work, which could increase the final remuneration.
Specific Allowances for Said Precarious Contracts
Employees hired on precarious contracts receive allowances that have the nature of salary.
The End-of-Mission Indemnity (IFM)
To this remuneration is added the end-of-mission indemnity (IFM), paid at the end of the contract, regardless of its duration. This is equal to 10% of the total gross salary received by the employee during their assignment. It compensates for the precariousness of the situation. An employee who has worked under the conditions described above will receive an IFM equal to 96 euros. It is calculated as follows: 960 x 10% = 96 euros.
Note that it is not due under certain conditions:
- The employee is hired on a permanent contract (CDI) by the User Company (EU) at the end of their temporary work contract.
- The candidate refused to sign a permanent contract at the end of their assignment, to occupy the same position, under equivalent working conditions and remuneration.
- The employee terminates their mission contract, on their own initiative, before the deadline and without justification.
- The contract is terminated at the initiative of the user company or the temporary work agency, for serious or gross misconduct of the employee, or in case of force majeure.
- The contract is terminated during the trial period.
- The employee refuses the flexibility concept of temporary work. This process allows the contract to be reduced or extended by a few days. Flexibility is always indicated in the employment contract.
- The contract is a permanent temporary contract (CDI intérimaire).
- The assignment is carried out as part of supplementary training provided by the user company at the end of the temporary work (skills assessment or validation of experience actions, for example).
The Compensatory Paid Leave Indemnity (ICCP)
Rights accrued for untaken leave days are paid in the form of a compensatory paid leave indemnity (ICCP). This compensation is equal to 10% of the gross remuneration received, including IFM, minus any paid leave already taken. In the example, the calculation basis for the ICCP would be €960 gross salary, plus €96 IFM. The ICCP would be equal to: (€960 + €96) x 10% = €105.60.
Does a Temporary Work Contract Entitle You to Unemployment Benefits?
Yes, this contract gives you entitlement to unemployment benefits if you meet certain conditions. You must have worked at least 130 days or 910 hours during the last 24 months (or 36 months if you are over 53 years old). All your assignments are taken into account, even if they are short or carried out with different companies. The end of the contract must be involuntary, and you must register with France Travail (formerly Pôle emploi) within 12 months of the end of your last assignment. Once registered, you will have to wait a 7-day waiting period before receiving the return-to-employment allowance (ARE). To find out if you are eligible, you can contact France Travail directly.
The precariousness of the contract represents a financial advantage for the temporary worker. The latter also benefits from other significant privileges related to their status.
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