Jobs In France For Americans

If you’re an American expat or digital nomad looking for a job in France, you may want to consider being either an English translator, tour guide, Chief Executive Officer, pilot, marketing director, or insurance agent. All of these jobs and more are in demand in France.

Are you an American interested in available jobs in France but aren’t sure where to start? In this guide, we talk about jobs in France available for Americans, high-demand jobs, highest paying jobs, and how expats can stay insured in France.

Jobs For Americans In France

There is about a 7.5% unemployment rate in France, so if Americans are looking for a job in France, they should seek to fill the high demand positions in the current job market. Those include STEM professionals, medical professionals, carpenters, construction workers, and electricians.

Americans also have a good chance working as freelancers and starting their own companies, since that doesn’t mean you’re taking away jobs from the local French citizens. There’s also a need for educators who teach the English language.

Americans can also look for opportunities for traineeships, internships, and volunteering to get their foot in the door.

The next several sections of this article will go into detail of these types of jobs:

• English speaking jobs
• High paying jobs
• Popular jobs

English Speaking Jobs In France

Some great English Speaking jobs in France include being a ski instructor, freelance writer and editor, real estate agent, housekeeper, translator, English teacher, tour guide, bartender, nanny, and maintenance technician. Some of these positions require an undergraduate degree, but many do not.

Pros And Cons Of English Speaking Jobs In France

Pros of getting an English Speaking job in France include being able to use your native language in the workplace and being a bridge for other tourists and foreigners who don’t speak French. Cons include the struggle of communicating with employers and/or colleagues who don’t speak English.

Pros of English Speaking jobs in France:

• If you’re bilingual, having an English Speaking job can double your usefulness in any workplace
• If you want to teach English, there are plenty of positions available
• There are lots of availability for digital jobs in English since they can be done anywhere

Cons of English Speaking jobs in France:

• If your employer or colleagues don’t all speak English, there will be some communication barriers
• It may take you longer to assimilate to the locals, their culture, and language if you aren’t practicing French every day
• There is the possibility there will be more competition if there are more English speakers applying than there are available positions

Highest Paying Jobs In France

Among the highest paying jobs in France are Chief Financial Officers (CEOs), Surgeons, Chief Technology Officers, Dentists, Marketing Directors, Sales Director, Lawyers, Airline Pilots, Data Scientists, and Construction Managers.

The average annual salary in France is EUR €49,700. Here is a list of some of the highest paying jobs in France and the average annual salary range:

• Chief Executive Officer (CEO)
  • EUR €150K – €380K or USD $164K – $416K

• Surgeon
  • EUR €75K – €240K or USD $82K – $263K

• Chief Technology Officer
  • EUR €130K – €200K or USD $142K – $219K

• Dentist
  • EUR €60K – €179K or USD $66K – $196K

• Marketing Director
  • EUR €92K – €152K or USD $101K – $166K

• Sales Director
  • EUR €93K – €151K or USD $102K – 165K

• Lawyer
  • EUR €44K – €150K or USD $48K – $164K

• Airline Pilot
  • EUR €39K – €140K or USD $42K – $153K

• Data Scientist
  • EUR €93K – €140K or USD $101K – $153K

• Construction Manager
  • EUR €38K – €130K or USD $41K – $142K

Pros And Cons Of Starting A Business In France

CEOs who start a business in France face many pros and cons. Advantages include having a huge market that spreads across Europe, a highly skilled workforce, and an environment that favors business. Disadvantages include the language barrier and navigating the biggest consumer market in the world.

Pros of being a CEO in France:

• There’s a huge market since France is a popular tourist spot
• You’ll have highly skilled, high-quality employees
• You’ll join the best class infrastructure
• You’ll have access to all of the European market
• There’s strong rights that protect your Intellectual Property
• France has a simple procedure to start a business

Cons of being a CEO in France:

• There are high tax rates for corporations in France
• It can be slow to get the business and trade licenses from the Centre de formalites des enterprises (CFE) (the Business Formalities Center) needed to begin your business operations
• Because the workforce is so well educated, they will expect to be compensated well
• It can be a huge task to transition to French business culture

High-demand Jobs In France In 2024

Some of the most high-demand jobs in France in 2024 include insurance agents, software engineers, data analysts, child care specialists, school teachers, nurses, front-end web developers, IT technicians, real estate agents, and project managers.

Most of these careers require higher education, such as an undergraduate degree. Although, some may require a masters degree as well.

Here’s a list of the 10 most in-demand France in 2024 with their average annual salaries:

• Insurance Agent

1. EUR €40K – €60K (USD $43K – $65K)

• Software Engineer

1. EUR €40K – €60K (USD $43K – $65K)

• Data Analyst

1. EUR €35K – €75K (USD $38K – $82K)

• Child Care Specialist
  1. EUR €10K – €25K (USD $11K – $27K)

• School Teacher

1. EUR €35K – €45K (USD $38K – $49K)

• Nurse

1. EUR €30K – €55K (USD $33K – $60K)

• Front-End Web Developer

1. EUR €35K – €50K (USD $38K – $55K)

• IT Technician

1. EUR €37K – €50K (USD $41K – $55K)

• Real Estate Agent

1. EUR €25K – €53K (USD $27K – $58K)

• Project Manager

1. EUR €50K – €80K (USD $55K – $88K)

How To Get A Job In France As An American

To get a job in France as an American, you first choose which type of job suits your skill set and interests. After that, you search through job websites and networking events to find positions that are available. When you apply, you send in a CV. After an offer comes, you apply for a work visa.

This article was partly designed to help you figure out which type of job you would most like to land. After that is settled, you can begin the hunt.

Searching For A Job In France As An Expat

When searching for a job in France as an expat or digital nomad, you should use job search sites, contact recruitment agencies, consider teaching positions, look into embassies and consulates, and network like crazy. You could try sites like Eurojobs, Workaway, and JobsinParis.

Here are some tips and tricks you can try to find a job in France:

• Use online job search engines
• Search on social media
• Talk to recruitment agencies
• Ask for referrals
• Go to job fairs
• Attend walk in interviews
• Use online forums like Reddit and Quora
• Work with a local employment agency
• Contact companies you’re interested in directly

Here are some sites you can use to find jobs in France as an American:

• Eurojobs: This is the largest, truly European job site
• Workaway: This is a community where workawayers can travel and live with hosts in foreign countries and work part time for their host and/or local community for their accommodations
• JobsinParis: A job search site center for Paris, but also for over 100 job boards across Europe, Asia, Latin America, and the US
• Indeed: Here’s another job search site
• TotalJobs: You can narrow down your search on this site for jobs in France
• EURES: This is a European job locator
• TopLanguageJobs: This site can help you find English Speaking jobs

Writing A French CV

A French CV, or Curriculum Vitae, is a lot like a resume. It introduces you, your educational training, and your work experience. One key difference from American resumes, however, is that a French CV emphasizes education and training over work experience.

<img class=”size-full wp-image-10747 aligncenter” src=”https://www.pacificprime.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/quaint-parisian-bridge-jobs-in-france-for-americans.jpg” alt=”Quaint Parisian Bridge: Jobs In France For Americans” width=”800″ height=”566″ />

French CVs also want to know your age, nationality, and marital status right up front in your personal information section.

In your CV, be sure to include your:

• Photo
• Contact details and personal information
• Profile summary
• Education
• Work experience
• Skills
• Hobbies

You’ll want to carefully learn how to craft a French CV so you stand out in a good way, instead of as a sore thumb that doesn’t belong.

Applying For A Work Visa In France

After you have a job offer and contract, you can apply for a work visa in France. The application can be filled out online and must be submitted no later than 6 months before your departure. You’ll need your passport, an original and photocopy of your supporting documents, and 2 photos.

Use this link to begin your French work permit application.

Conclusion

France offers a myriad of opportunities for Americans looking to relocate into Europe. Whilst the language barrier may be a slight problem, there are many solutions including online platforms and communities to help you fulfill your dream of living abroad in France!

If you are relocating to France, it is mandatory to be covered by health insurance. As such it is vital that expats secure health insurance in France. Pacific Prime has tons of insurance plans for expats, and with over 20 years of experience in the industry, we’re sure to help you find what you need.

If you’re interested in other opportunities in Europe, check out our guides on Jobs in Germany for Americans and Jobs in Ireland for Americans.

Contact us today for a free plan comparison and an obligation-free quote!

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Vista Nip

Content Creator at Pacific Prime

Vista is a content creator at Pacific Prime. With over 8 years of writing experience for online platforms on various topics such as luxury lifestyle and digital entertainment. He enjoys diving into complex and otherwise confusing topics, and creating easy-to-understand content for the readers to help them navigate through the topic - something that’s perfectly aligned with Pacific Prime’s motto of ‘simplifying insurance’.

Born and raised in the cultural melting pot that is Hong Kong, and having studied at an international school, Vista has developed a multicultural perspective that he uses in his writing and strives to connect to people of different backgrounds.

In his free time, Vista enjoys immersing himself in different worlds, from video games to light novels and movies. His hobbies help him expand his writing style by putting himself in the point-of-view of different people and characters.

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