The average salary of a category C agent in the territorial public service is significantly below that of the other two branches. This gap, which has persisted for several years, is explained by mechanisms specific to category C that the salary scales alone do not adequately describe.
Average net salary by branch of the public service
The territorial sector shows the lowest average remuneration of the three branches, while the hospital sector, boosted by the Ségur revaluations, has seen notable growth in recent years. To understand the average salary in category C of the territorial function, one must go beyond this overall observation and examine what compresses salaries at the bottom of the scale.
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Frozen index point in 2026: what impact on category C territorial
The value of the index point directly determines the gross salary of each agent. Since 2023, this value has been set at 4.92278 euros. The ministry has confirmed the absence of revaluation in 2026.
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For an administrative assistant or a technical assistant at the beginning of their career, this freeze means that the base salary remains the same from year to year, excluding any change in grade. The calculation formula is simple: increased index multiplied by the value of the point, divided by twelve.
The problem lies in the gap between this mechanism and the evolution of the cost of living. In constant euros, the stagnation of the index point results in a gradual loss of purchasing power. Category C agents, whose increased indices start at the lowest level of the scale, are the first to be affected.
Wage compression at the minimum wage: the mechanism that the scale does not show
The regular increase in the minimum wage creates a specific phenomenon in category C. When the gross indexed salary of a grade falls below the legal minimum wage, the employer pays a differential allowance to bridge the gap.
This adjustment affects a significant portion of the lower grades of scales C1, C2, and sometimes C3. In practice, several successive grades produce the same net salary, as all are brought down to the minimum wage floor. The indexed progression, intended to reward seniority, is neutralized in the early years of a career.
What this changes on the payslip
The differential allowance appears as a separate line on the payslip. It increases the net received each month, but it does not count towards the calculation of the retirement pension. An agent whose salary is supplemented by this allowance contributes on a basis lower than what they actually earn.
This distinction has long-term consequences. The salary displayed on the payslip does not reflect the retirement rights actually accrued. A technical assistant in scale C1 who spends ten years with a gross indexed salary below the minimum wage accumulates a contribution deficit that is not compensated later.
Composition of salary in category C: the elements that affect remuneration
The indexed salary represents only part of the total remuneration. Several components are added, with amounts varying according to the community, family situation, and position held.
- The family supplement for treatment (SFT), paid from the second dependent child, with an amount that depends on the agent’s increased index
- The new indexed bonus (NBI), awarded for certain specific functions such as public reception or supervision, which adds index points to the base salary
- The residence allowance, calculated according to the geographical area of assignment (three zones with different rates)
- The bonuses and variable allowances set by each community, including the indemnity regime taking into account functions, requirements, expertise, and professional commitment (RIFSEEP)
The variable part of the remuneration partly explains the disparities between agents of the same grade. Two administrative assistants at the same grade, one in a rural municipality and the other in a metropolitan area, can show several hundred euros difference in their monthly net salary.
From gross to net: the payroll charges to deduct
Permanent territorial agents fall under the special regime (CNRACL). The payroll contributions deducted include the civil pension withholding, the general social contribution, and the contribution to the repayment of social debt. The transition from gross to net represents a deduction of about one-fifth of the gross salary, a proportion that varies slightly depending on the supplements received.
Contractual agents, numerous in category C, fall under the general regime. Their contribution rates differ, which can produce a slightly different net salary at the same gross salary.
Category C territorial: a structurally low remuneration compared to other branches
The salary gap between the territorial and the state sectors is not solely explained by the scales. The territorial public service employs a much higher proportion of category C agents than the other two branches. This employment structure mechanically pulls the average down.
The prolonged freeze of the index point, combined with compression by the minimum wage, creates a situation where the lower grades of category C no longer function as a progressive career start. They operate as a salary plateau aligned with the legal minimum, with a differential allowance that masks the blockage without structurally remedying it.
For an agent in mid-career (scale C2 or C3), the situation improves as the increased index sustainably exceeds the minimum wage threshold. The NBI and RIFSEEP can then fully play their role as a supplement. The actual salary of an experienced supervisory agent in category C exceeds the overall average of the territorial sector, without reaching the levels of the state public service.