This year, salary increases are slowing down. However, behind this overall trend, certain sectors continue to clearly stand out by offering more attractive remuneration prospects.
After several years of sustained wage increases, the labor market is entering a new phase in 2026: that of stabilization. But behind this apparent lull, certain sectors continue to do well. According to the international study carried out by the WTW firm, French companies forecast a median salary increase of 3.1%, an almost stable level compared to 2025 and lower than the peaks observed between 2022 and 2024…
This slowdown can be explained by a calmer economic context: contained inflation, moderate growth and a less tense job market. Globally, increases are expected to be around 3.4%. However, in 2026, the way of increasing salaries changes profoundly. General increases are declining sharply, with only 29% of companies still using them, compared to 61% in 2025. Instead, companies are favoring individual increases, promotions, and adjustments linked to performance or the scarcity of skills. In other words, the question is no longer “how much to increase”, but who to increase; Furthermore, to earn a very good living, it is better to apply in this border country.
According to the study, the pharmaceutical sector is among the leaders in salary increases in 2026, with increases around 3.2%, slightly above the national average. If pharmacy shows good salary prospects, it is above all because it faces an imbalance between supply and demand for skills. It shares this position with energy, chemistry and even industry. A performance which can be explained in particular by the tension on certain key profiles and by the strategic challenges of the sector. Thus, the best performing employees or those occupying critical positions can benefit from increases of up to almost 5%, well above the median.
This positive dynamic should not, however, mask a more fragile reality, particularly among community pharmacies. As an article in L’Essentiel de l’Éco points out, many French pharmacists are facing a worrying situation: administrative overload, drug shortages and poor working conditions are making daily life more and more difficult. More broadly, the sector is experiencing a structural transformation: falling margins, growing economic pressures, gradual disappearance of pharmacies (nearly 2,500 closures in ten years).
In other words, if salaries can increase, particularly in the pharmaceutical industry or for certain profiles under pressure, this does not mean that the entire profession benefits from a uniform improvement. Ultimately, 2026 will not be the year of the greatest increases, but probably the year of the greatest salary inequalities between profiles.
