French Foreign Legion: Basic salary, Allowance, Incentive, Bonus & Special Pay (2024)

The salary of a member of the French Foreign Legion (FFL) is determined by their rank and length of service. Like other military units, pay for FFL members may increase if they are deployed on operations abroad. It’s worth noting that many people join the FFL for reasons other than financial gain – the motivations of legionnaires are diverse and do not include the desire for the country, God, or gold. This distinguishes legionnaires from mercenaries. It’s important to note that FFL members are not mercenaries, as is sometimes believed. Instead, they are part of the French Army and are considered lawful combatants in any conflict in which they may participate.

Basic salary in the French Foreign Legion

The average pay for a new member of the French Foreign Legion is between 1300€ ($1575) and 7000€ ($8478), depending on rank and length of service. It’s worth noting that the pay for a member of the FFL is not as high as what some private military companies may offer, such as Blackwater.

A Legionnaire doesn’t make more money than an ordinary soldier in the traditional French Army. The rules are the same for the Legionnaires, nothing more and nothing less. Here is what it takes into account when determining average military pay in the French Army (the same applies to the French Foreign Legion):

The military situation

It covers everything which concerns the person in the Army, like:

• Rank,
• Years of service,
• Years in a class,
• Qualifications etc.

The family situation

It means if a person

• is married,
• having children,
• living in town,
• since when he joined his unit etc.

I wanted to stay simple, but at the same time, I want to let you estimate the best possible salary for a French soldier. For this, I took a single man living in the barrack for each rank.

Allowance, bonus, and special pay

Field Allowance

Field allowance is probably the most crucial factor the legionnaire’s salary depends on. For every absence from the regiment for 36 hours, you are eligible for compensation in the form of a payment to an expatriate for additional costs and difficulties and working in different locations.

NOTE: The paratroopers don’t earn the field service prime!

IAC (Indemnité d’Absence Cumulée) – Cumulative absence indemnity

This bonus has been effective since January 2016. Soldiers absent for professional reasons related to its operational activities for a period exceeding 150 days (accumulated over a year), giving rise to compensation or premium for:

• Service
• Field services
• OPEX*
• MCD (Mission Courte Durée – Guyana, Mayotte, Réunion, etc…)

* OPEX (OPération EXtérieure) is the term used to designate overseas missions, places generally considered conflict zones, etc. Otherwise, it’s also known as RTE (Renfort Temporaire Étranger), but no one ever seems to use that term.

EXAMPLE: If you did 203 days on OPEX, field missions, and service. It means that this year, you will have the following bonus as IAC.
IAC= (25×10)+(25×25)+(3×50)= 650€ ($787,25)you will get added to your pay.

High mountain premium

A high mountain premium bonus has been introduced since April 2019 for qualified soldiers of mountain troops, which concerns the 2°REG in the French Foreign Legion. (This premium cannot be combined with the paratrooper’s bonus).

Pay in French Foreign Legion

Basic salary of a legionnaire living in the barracks

Basic salary of a legionnaire during a deployment

Basic salary of a legionnaire parachutist

Basic salary of a parachutist during a deployment

Conclusion

As a member of a combat regiment in the French Foreign Legion, you can expect to spend at least four months per year on field service, two months on the Vigipirate counter-terrorism mission in France, four months in training or with the regiment, and two months on holiday. During the time that you are deployed on missions or assignments outside of the regiment, you will receive additional pay. This can help to increase your overall earnings and provide additional financial security.

As a member of the French Foreign Legion, you can save at least 30% of your pay and still maintain a comfortable lifestyle. While you may not become wealthy, you will have enough to cover expenses such as travel, dining out, and purchasing consumer goods. Additionally, as a legionnaire, you will not have to pay for housing or meals during the week, as the regiment provides these. This can help to stretch your income further and allow for more financial flexibility.

SOURCES:

• cervens.net
• Legion Recrute
• Legionnaire
• foreignlegion.info