Temp Work & Retirement: How to Calculate Your Pension
02 January 2025 · 2 min reading time
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See job offersRetirement for temporary workers is a complex topic that raises many questions. As a temp, your pension contributions earn you the same entitlements as a permanent employee, but a few specifics must be understood if you want to optimise your future pension. This article explains in detail how contributions to the general French pension scheme are calculated, how quarters are validated and how your pension amount is worked out when you have periods of temp work.
How are retirement contributions calculated in temp work?
Pension contributions are calculated on the gross pay shown on each payslip. The number of quarters a temp can validate depends on annual earnings and the thresholds set every year. In practice, you need to earn the equivalent of 150 times the hourly minimum wage (SMIC) to validate one quarter.
The social‑security contributions are split between the employee share and the employer share—paid here by the staffing agency. Depending on the length and frequency of missions, a temp can accumulate up to four quarters per year, increasing the total used to work out the pension.
How do you validate a quarter as a temp?
For temps, the decisive factor is the income earned, not the number of days worked. Right now, you must reach a pay threshold equal to 150 × the hourly SMIC—about €1,690 in 2024—to validate one quarter. A temp can earn that amount in a single assignment or by adding up several jobs.
By earning four times that threshold in the year, a temp validates four quarters—the maximum—helping secure a full‑rate pension.
Example – contributions over one quarter
Imagine a temp earning €2,000 gross per month for three straight months. Total for the quarter: €6,000.
Employee contribution (6.9 %): 6 000 € × 6.9 % = €414
Employer contribution (8.55 %): 6 000 € × 8.55 % = €513
A total of €927 is paid for that quarter, split between the basic and complementary schemes. Because the income exceeds €1,690, the worker validates one full quarter. With the same income level all year, they would validate four quarters.
Example – contributions over one quarter
Imagine a temp earning €2,000 gross per month for three straight months. Total for the quarter: €6,000.
- Employee contribution (6.9 %): 6 000 € × 6.9 % = €414
- Employer contribution (8.55 %): 6 000 € × 8.55 % = €513
A total of €927 is paid for that quarter, split between the basic and complementary schemes. Because the income exceeds €1,690, the worker validates one full quarter. With the same income level all year, they would validate four quarters.
Example – validating quarters over a year
| Quarters validated | Gross income needed (2024) |
|---|---|
| 1 quarter | €1.690 |
| 2 quarters | €3.380 |
| 3 quarters | €5.070 |
| 4 quarters | €6.760 |
These thresholds let temps earn quarters according to annual income, even with variable‑length missions.
At what age can temps retire?
Temps have the same legal retirement age as other employees: currently 62 for the basic pension. Full‑rate pension is paid only if the required number of quarters is met (166 – 172 for recent generations). Otherwise, the pension is reduced—unless you wait until 67, when full rate is granted regardless of quarters validated.
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