The date almost went unnoticed. On June 7, 2026, France should have transposed the European directive on pay transparency. The country has fallen behind, but the movement is underway, with salary ranges in offers, a right to information on pay levels and an overhaul of theequality index. Tomorrow even more than today, wages will compare. And this is precisely where a paradox lies, the more remuneration becomes visible, the less we are satisfied with it.
The figures, however, invite us to put things into perspective. Recent work in economic psychology, including the collaboration between Daniel Kahneman and Matthew Killingsworth in 2023, shows that income continues to improve life satisfaction, but with diminishing returnseach additional euro weighing a little less than the previous one. The old myth of a ceiling of happiness at $75,000 has also been nuanced. For Typhaine LebègueHDR lecturer in management sciences at IAE Tours Val de Loire, the feeling of being poorly paid is mainly due to well-identified psychological mechanisms.
Why no increase is ever enough
First spring, thehedonic adaptation. “The boost of an increase wears off in a few months”recalls Typhaine Lebègue. We quickly get used to our new standard of living, and the pleasure of the gain fades once the rise fades into everyday life. What remains then is the desire for an additional level, without the satisfaction really progressing.
Second spring, and the most powerful today according to the researcher, social comparison. We judge our salary in relative terms, not in absolute terms. “We end up judging our own salary less in terms of our needs than in terms of our perceived position in the income hierarchy”she observes. Cognitive biases amplify the phenomenon, since we focus on those who earn more and overestimate their number.
Transparency, in fact, acts as a revealer. Research on the disclosure of wages point to an asymmetrical effect. Discovering that you are paid less than colleagues considered comparable lowers your satisfaction and the feeling of justicewhile knowing oneself above the median provides almost no additional contentment. Add the spectacular stories relayed on LinkedInwhich constantly raise the standards, and even a salary consistent with the market ends up seeming insufficient.
Three reflexes to get out of the spiral
Start by refocusing the question. “Does this salary allow me to live the life I want, taking into account my priorities? »suggests Typhaine Lebègue, rather than the only “how much do I earn”. The idea is to clarify one’s own criteriamaterial comfort, personal time, health, meaning of work, and to remember that autonomy, recognition or alignment with one’s values do not vary mechanically with the payslip.
Then reason in package rather than fixed salary. “Negotiate time, autonomy, training, clear prospects for development, rather than an isolated amount”recommends the researcher. A point of increase is quickly diluted, where teleworka sustainable load or an increase in SKILLS have a lasting impact on quality of life.
Finally, for the 35 to 45 year old executive convinced of being underpaid while the data of walk say the opposite, objectify before negotiating. The researcher advises a cross auditcomparing real remuneration to the market but also to quality of life and non-monetary resources, work on one’s beliefs around money and merit, then a negotiation strategy spread over 12 to 24 months, covering salary, responsibilities and working conditions. The real question is not to earn more than the neighbor, but to know what, for you, is worth negotiating.
