Reviewed October 2026
If you are thinking about joining the French Foreign Legion, you probably want a simple answer: how much will I actually earn every month? The problem is that there is no single number. A young legionnaire living in barracks, a corporal in 2e REP, a mountain-qualified soldier in 2e REG and a legionnaire serving in Guyana can all have very different payslips. For the steps before your first payslip, see my guide to joining the Legion.
During your career, the difference can be huge. A normal month as a young legionnaire can be close to the bottom of the military pay scale, while a more experienced or specialized legionnaire can earn several times more. Depending on your rank, regiment, qualifications, family situation and activity, your monthly pay can go from around €1,500 to several thousand euros.
The French Foreign Legion doesn’t have its own salary system. Legionnaires are paid under the same system as the rest of the French Army. Your final pay is built from several parts: your rank and time in service, your regiment, your qualifications, your family and housing situation, and what you actually did during the month. This is why two legionnaires with the same rank can receive very different amounts.
Instead of giving you one salary table and pretending it works for everyone, I am going to follow the main steps of a Legion career. We will look at how much you can expect when you first join, what changes when you become a corporal, what happens after a few years of service, and how qualifications, regiments, missions and family situation can change your pay.
Legion Training
Prepare for selection.
Get ready for the French Foreign Legion with practical training tools.
How Pay Changes During a Legion Career
When you first join
At this stage, your situation is still quite simple. You are a legionnaire and you live in the barracks. During basic training in Castelnaudary, your food and your place to live are free, so you normally have very few expenses. This remains true as long as you live in the barracks. At this stage, your pay mainly comes from your normal military salary, because you don’t yet have most of the extra bonuses linked to qualifications such as parachuting or high mountain.
Experience
The French Foreign Legion opens a bank account for every new legionnaire. During basic training, you normally don’t have regular access to your smartphone, so checking your salary is not as easy as it will be later. When I was in Castelnaudary, I checked my account at an ATM around the 25th of each month to see how much I had received. The amount can change from one month to another, especially once field exercises and other activities start to be added.
Official Information
Today, the official starting salary published by the French Foreign Legion is 1,572€ net per month. This is a good number to keep in mind for a new legionnaire during basic training and the first months in regiment. It’s not necessarily the exact amount you will receive every month, because extra payments can be added depending on what you do.
First months after basic training
Experience
In 2e REP, a new legionnaire usually gets his parachutist qualification within the first two or three months after arriving in the regiment. It can take longer if there are not enough aircraft available for the jumps. Once qualified, a legionnaire can receive an extra 545€ per month for the parachutist qualification. This is why the difference with another FFL regiment can become important quite early in your career.
| Situation | Normal monthly pay | Specific bonus | Estimated total net |
|---|---|---|---|
| Most FFL regiments | ~€1,580 | — | ~€1,580 |
| 2e REP after para qualification | ~€1,580 | €545 para bonus | ~€2,070 |
The official €545 para bonus is a gross amount, so it’s not added directly to the net salary. Normal payroll deductions also apply to this bonus.
Around three years of service
The next important change usually comes around three years of service, when many legionnaires become corporals. At this stage, your normal military pay increases because of your rank and time in service. You can also receive the terrestrial combat bonus, which becomes available after 24 months of service if you meet the required conditions. In 2e REP, the para bonus stays at the same rate because a corporal is still a militaire du rang. In 2e REG, some corporals may also start receiving a mountain bonus if they have completed the necessary courses and become chef de cordée.
| Situation at ~3 years | Normal monthly pay | Specific bonus | Estimated total net |
|---|---|---|---|
| Other FFL regiments | ~€1,685 | — | ~€1,685 |
| 2e REP, para qualified | ~€1,685 | €545 para bonus | ~€2,175 |
| 2e REG, chef de cordée | ~€1,685 | €130 mountain bonus | ~€1,800 |
Around six years of service
Around six years of service, the difference between career paths becomes more visible. A legionnaire may become caporal-chef and remain a militaire du rang, while another may become sergent and enter the NCO career. After five years of service, living outside the barracks can also become possible. From this point, where you serve starts to affect your normal monthly pay more because the garrison allowance depends partly on your rank and location.
| Rank and situation | Normal monthly pay | Specific bonus | Estimated total net |
|---|---|---|---|
| Caporal-chef, 2e REI | ~€1,765 | — | ~€1,765 |
| Caporal-chef, 2e REP | ~€1,785 | €545 para bonus | ~€2,265 |
| Caporal-chef, 2e REG | ~€1,820 | €130 mountain bonus | ~€1,940 |
| Sergent, 2e REI | ~€1,925 | — | ~€1,925 |
| Sergent, 2e REP | ~€1,955 | €595 para bonus | ~€2,480 |
| Sergent, 2e REG | ~€1,975 | €130 mountain bonus | ~€2,090 |
Around ten years of service
Around ten years of service, the difference becomes much bigger. For this example, we will use a caporal-chef and a sergent-chef, married, with one child and living in town. At this stage, family situation and regiment location have a bigger effect on normal monthly pay.
| Rank and situation | Normal monthly pay | Specific bonus | Estimated total net |
|---|---|---|---|
| Caporal-chef, 2e REI | ~€1,985 | — | ~€1,985 |
| Caporal-chef, 2e REP | ~€2,040 | €545 para bonus | ~€2,535 |
| Caporal-chef, 2e REG | ~€2,110 | €130 mountain bonus | ~€2,230 |
| Sergent-chef, 2e REI | ~€2,415 | — | ~€2,415 |
| Sergent-chef, 2e REP | ~€2,490 | €595 para bonus | ~€3,030 |
| Sergent-chef, 2e REG | ~€2,530 | €250 mountain bonus | ~€2,755 |
Normal monthly pay already includes the family and garrison elements and the terrestrial combat bonus. The specific bonuses shown in the table are official gross amounts. The estimated total net includes normal payroll deductions.
Around twenty years of service
The final career milestone we will use is twenty years of service. At this point, we will compare an experienced caporal-chef with an adjudant-chef. Both are married, have two children and live in town.
| Rank and situation | Normal monthly pay | Specific bonus | Estimated total net |
|---|---|---|---|
| Caporal-chef, 2e REI | ~€2,345 | — | ~€2,345 |
| Caporal-chef, 2e REP | ~€2,475 | €545 para bonus | ~€2,970 |
| Caporal-chef, 2e REG | ~€2,475 | €130 mountain bonus | ~€2,595 |
| Adjudant-chef, 2e REI | ~€3,125 | — | ~€3,125 |
| Adjudant-chef, 2e REP | ~€3,300 | €595 para bonus | ~€3,835 |
| Adjudant-chef, 2e REG | ~€3,235 | €250 mountain bonus | ~€3,460 |
Normal monthly pay already includes the family and garrison elements, the terrestrial combat bonus and, for the adjudant-chef, the normal NCO qualification payments. The specific bonuses shown in the table are official gross amounts. The estimated total net includes normal payroll deductions.
Operational Absence Allowance (ISAO)
Official Information
ISAO is an extra daily payment you can receive when a military activity prevents you from returning to the place where you normally live for the whole period between 23:00 and 05:00.
The amount depends on your rank, family situation, and whether you are operating in or outside your normal territory of assignment.
For ISAO, “family” legally means that the soldier’s tax household contains at least two people.
| Rank category | On territory of assignment | Outside territory of assignment | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single | Family | Single | Family | |
| Legionnaire & Caporal | €39/day | €48/day | €49/day | €58/day |
| Caporal-chef | €47/day | €57/day | €57/day | €67/day |
| Sergent & Sergent-chef | €49/day | €59/day | €59/day | €69/day |
| Adjudant, Adjudant-chef & Major | €56/day | €68/day | €66/day | €78/day |
In my experience, these payments often arrived two or three months later.
ISAO is not added on top of OPEX pay.
OPEX — When a Deployment Changes Your Pay
Official Information
OPEX can make a much bigger difference to your pay than a normal exercise or a few nights in the field. When you are deployed abroad under the OPEX pay system, you continue to receive your normal military pay and an additional bonus called the indemnité de sujétions pour service à l’étranger (ISSE).
For a soldier on monthly pay, the OPEX bonus is based mainly on the soldier’s basic salary. An OPEX can therefore increase your monthly pay considerably, although the exact amount still depends on your rank, years of service and family situation.
Using the same career examples as above, OPEX pay looks roughly like this:
| Career stage | Example profile | Approx. monthly pay during OPEX* |
|---|---|---|
| Beginning of career | Legionnaire, single, no children | ~€4,130 |
| Around 3 years | Caporal, single, no children | ~€4,160 |
| Around 7 years | Caporal-chef, married | ~€4,650 |
| Around 6 years | Sergent, single, no children | ~€4,420 |
| Around 10 years | Sergent-chef, married, 1 child | ~€5,140 |
| Around 15 years | Adjudant, married, 2 children | ~€6,400 |
| Around 20 years | Adjudant-chef, married, 2 children | ~€6,550 |
| Around 25 years | Major, married, 2 children | ~€7,300 |
* Paratrooper, mountain, diver and other specialty bonuses can be added to these amounts. These are practical examples, rounded for clarity. The exact final amount depends on the soldier’s real situation and the bonuses that still apply during the deployment. The OPEX bonus is calculated for the period spent in the operational area, from the day of arrival to the day of departure, both included. ISAO is not added on top of OPEX pay for the same period.
Qualifications and Specialty Bonuses
Official Information
The figures above don’t include every possible bonus. Depending on your regiment, qualifications and actual job, additional monthly bonuses can be added to your pay.
These are some of the most relevant ones in the FFL:
| Qualification | Level | Official monthly bonus |
|---|---|---|
| Paratrooper | Legionnaire / Caporal / Caporal-chef | €545 |
| NCO, from Sergent to Major | €595 | |
| High mountain | Chef de cordée | €130 |
| Chef de détachement | €250 | |
| Expert | €350 | |
| Terrestrial combat | Exécution | €105 |
| Conduite | €140 | |
| Conception | €160 | |
| Army diver | Depending on employment and unit level | €200 or €280 |
These are official gross monthly amounts, so they should not simply be added directly to the estimated net salaries shown earlier.
Having a qualification also doesn’t automatically mean that you receive the corresponding bonus forever. The qualification, your current position and the unit in which you are serving all matter.
For example, high-mountain bonuses are strongly associated with 2e REG, but mountain-qualified positions also exist in other units, including 2e REP.
In the FFL, Army divers can be found in the 1er REG, 2e REG and 2e REP. The two engineer regiments have plongeurs de combat du génie (PCG), while the 2e REP has a groupe de plongeurs de l’Armée de Terre (GPAT) within its 3rd Company.
FFL divers are different from the plongeurs d’armes / nageurs de combat serving in dedicated special-operations units, where the qualification and pay system can reach much higher levels.
The terrestrial combat bonus is slightly different because it applies much more broadly during a normal Army career. In the career examples earlier in this article, this bonus is already included where applicable, so it should not be added a second time.
3e REI — The Special Case of French Guiana
The 3e REI in Kourou is a special case and should not be compared directly with the mainland regiments. French Guiana is a permanent overseas posting, not an OPEX.
Official Information
Legionnaires serving there benefit from a specific overseas pay system. One of its main advantages is a Guyana bonus equal to 25% of the basic military salary.
This doesn’t mean that you can simply take your normal net salary and add 25%. Your basic salary, career bonuses, family payments and other bonuses all follow their own calculation rules.
What can a normal month at 3e REI look like?
Using the same career examples as earlier in this article:
| Career stage | Example profile | Approx. monthly net* | ISAO during a qualifying night** |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beginning | Legionnaire, single | ~€2,020 | €39/day |
| ~3 years | Caporal, single | ~€2,130 | €39/day |
| ~7 years | Caporal-chef, married | ~€2,260 | €57/day |
| ~6 years | Sergent, single | ~€2,270 | €49/day |
| ~10 years | Sergent-chef, married, 1 child | ~€2,650 | €59/day |
| ~15 years | Adjudant, married, 2 children | ~€3,000 | €68/day |
| ~20 years | Adjudant-chef, married, 2 children | ~€3,340 | €68/day |
| ~25 years | Major, married, 2 children | ~€3,660 | €68/day |
* These are practical estimates before individual income tax. They include the 25% Guyana bonus, the normal military and garrison payments, family payments where applicable, the terrestrial-combat bonus and normal career-related payments. They do not include ISAO or special qualifications such as paratrooper, diver or other specialty bonuses.
** The ISAO figures use the normal rate for an activity carried out on the legionnaire’s territory of assignment. Some missions can receive a higher rate when the activity is formally conducted under operational control.
The installation bonus
3e REI also comes with a large installation bonus.
A legionnaire posted there from more than 1,000 km away can receive an installation bonus based on his pensionable basic pay.
For a normal two-year posting, a single legionnaire receives the equivalent of 12 months of basic pay.
If his family accompanies him, another 2.5 months are added for his spouse and one additional month for each dependent child.
Using our career examples:
| Example profile | Calculation for 2 years | Approx. installation bonus | Paid in 3 instalments | Extra bonus if staying a 3rd year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Legionnaire, single | 12 months | ~€21,620 | ~€7,210 each | ~€10,810 |
| Caporal, single | 12 months | ~€21,800 | ~€7,270 each | ~€10,900 |
| Caporal-chef, married | 14.5 months | ~€26,550 | ~€8,850 each | ~€13,120 |
| Sergent, single | 12 months | ~€22,150 | ~€7,380 each | ~€11,080 |
| Sergent-chef, married, 1 child | 15.5 months | ~€30,750 | ~€10,250 each | ~€15,210 |
| Adjudant, married, 2 children | 16.5 months | ~€36,470 | ~€12,160 each | ~€18,050 |
| Adjudant-chef, married, 2 children | 16.5 months | ~€39,720 | ~€13,240 each | ~€19,660 |
| Major, married, 2 children | 16.5 months | ~€41,830 | ~€13,940 each | ~€20,700 |
The original installation bonus is normally paid when you arrive, six months later and one year after arrival. If the posting is extended to a full third year, another bonus is added: six months of pensionable basic pay, plus five weeks for an accompanying spouse and 15 days for each dependent child. The amounts in the last column show the approximate additional payment for that third year, which is normally paid in one instalment when the legionnaire leaves French Guiana.
Family additions only apply when the spouse and children actually accompany the legionnaire to French Guiana.
Harpie and Titan
The 3e REI regularly takes part in Operation Harpie, fighting illegal gold mining, and Operation Titan, protecting the Guiana Space Centre.
When these missions prevent a legionnaire from returning to his normal place of residence for the whole period between 23:00 and 05:00, they can generate ISAO.
The table shows a normal month in Kourou. Nights spent on Harpie can add ISAO on top of this, while specialty bonuses can increase the amount further.
Is the Pay Enough?
The starting salary isn’t particularly high if you look only at the number. But during basic training and while you live in barracks, you don’t have the same expenses as someone renting an apartment and paying for food every month.
Experience
When I was serving, I was usually able to save more than 30% of my salary while still traveling, eating out and buying new gadgets. For me, that’s a better way to look at FFL pay: not only how much you earn, but how much you can actually keep at the end of the month.
Ask yourself how much you would need to earn at home to save €600 or €700 every month after paying rent, food, transport and bills.
Later in your career, rank, qualifications, OPEX, ISAO and overseas postings can increase your pay considerably. But these extras aren’t guaranteed every month, so I wouldn’t join the FFL only for the money.
Financially, however, it can be a good opportunity if you manage your salary properly.
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