The salary scale for category C agents in the public service starts at index 367, which corresponds to a gross monthly salary of €1,806.66. This baseline, common to all three branches of the public service (State, territorial, hospital), poses a structural problem: since June 1, 2026, some of these agents receive a gross salary index lower than the legal minimum wage.
Salary index below the minimum wage: the mechanism that traps category C agents
A civil servant’s salary is based on a simple calculation: the indexed index multiplied by the value of the index point. For category C, the first steps of grades C1 and C2 correspond to low indexed indices, often equal to or below 370.
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The minimum wage, on the other hand, follows its own trajectory. Each increase widens the gap with the lower scales that have remained frozen. As a result: tenured agents whose base salary falls below the legal minimum of the private sector.
To compensate, public employers pay a differential allowance that brings the salary up to the level of the minimum wage. This patch preserves net income, but it does not count towards retirement calculations or career progression. The agent receives the minimum, without their scale reflecting this reality.
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To better compare your salary with those of other branches of the public service, you can consult the information on Hi Business before analyzing your own payslip.
Value of the index point and real purchasing power of category C civil servants
The value of the index point has not been increased since January 2024. Over the last decade, occasional increases have not kept pace with cumulative inflation. Trade unions, during the DGAFP working group on February 19, 2026, reminded that this stagnation leads to a continuous deterioration of the real salary of public agents.
Category C is the most exposed. Careers are shorter, and the margin for indexed progression is more limited. An agent at the last step of grade C1 reaches a modest ceiling, whereas an agent in category A or B has a significantly wider progression range.
What the gross scales do not show
Reading an indexed scale in 2026 is like reading a document frozen for two years. The amounts displayed do not reflect either the erosion of purchasing power or the disparities between branches of the public service. A territorial administrative assistant and a state administrative assistant share the same base scale, but their bonuses, allowance schemes, and working conditions differ.
Unions are calling for two structural measures:
- A significant increase in the value of the index point for all agents, and not just a symbolic catch-up
- A restructuring of the lower scales of category C to space out the steps and give meaning back to career progression
- The abandonment of one-off bonuses in favor of integrated increases in salary, which would be taken into account for retirement
Allowance scheme: the variable that changes everything in net remuneration
The indexed salary represents only a fraction of the salary received. Bonuses and allowances supplement remuneration, sometimes substantially. The problem: their amount varies according to the employer and the branch.
In the territorial public service, the allowance scheme depends on the deliberations of each local authority. A rural municipality does not allocate the same budgets as a metropolis. In the state public service, ministries apply their own scales. The hospital public service has its specificities related to service constraints (night work, weekends, on-call duties).
Comparing salaries between branches: the traps to avoid
Comparing a territorial technical assistant to a hospital technical assistant solely based on the indexed scale ignores half of their payslip. Two agents at the same step, with the same indexed index, may receive very different net salaries once bonuses are included.
The elements that create the gap:
- The new indexed bonus (NBI), awarded for certain functions or geographical areas
- The family salary supplement, which varies according to household composition
- Allowances related to constraints (shift hours, difficult working conditions)
- The employer’s contribution to complementary health insurance, the amount of which differs from one employer to another
Category C salary in 2026: what could change and what remains blocked
The freeze on the index point for two years does not mean a total absence of movement. Increases in the minimum wage force employers to adjust supplements. Some local authorities are reviewing their allowance schemes to retain profiles in high demand (technical agents, maintenance agents, ATSEM).
The union demand focuses on a change in logic. Instead of multiplying corrective bonuses, integrating increases into the indexed salary would secure retirement rights and make career progression clearer. Currently, a category C agent can spend several years at the same index, with the only adjustment being a differential allowance linked to the minimum wage.
The issue goes beyond the monthly payslip. A salary index that is too low throughout the career directly impacts the retirement pension, calculated based on the last six months of salary excluding bonuses in the public service. Category C agents who finish their careers close to the indexed floor leave with some of the lowest pensions in the public sector.