Wage portage salary simulation: calculate your net income step by step

You're about to sign your first wage portage contract and you want to know what your bank account will actually look like. It's the question every new consultant asks before committing: from a daily rate of €400, €600 or €800, what will you really take home each month? The wage portage salary simulation isn't magic, but it follows a clear formula anyone can reproduce. This guide walks you through each step with real numbers and a full worked example at the end.

Wage portage salary simulation: your net pay equals your monthly revenue, minus the management fees charged by the portage company (typically 5% to 12%), minus employer and employee social contributions (roughly 44% to 50% of gross pay). On a €500 daily rate over 15 working days, you can expect around €2,700 to €3,100 net per month.

Key takeaways:

• In 2026, over 120,000 workers use wage portage in France (source: PEPS), with sector revenue exceeding €2.5 billion.
• Management fees range from 5% to 12% depending on the portage company and services included.
• Social charges run at roughly 44% to 50% of gross pay, making net income straightforward to estimate once you know your gross.

Why simulate your wage portage salary before you start?

A wage portage salary simulation lets you compare your potential earnings against what you'd make as a micro-entrepreneur or as a standard employee. It answers a simple question: is it worth it financially? The answer isn't the same for everyone. It depends on your daily rate, your billing volume each month and the services baked into your portage contract.

Two consultants with the same daily rate can end up with very different net salaries depending on their portage company. A 6% management fee versus 10% is several hundred euros a month on a high billing volume. That's why simulating before you sign isn't a formality: it's a strategic step.

In practice, the simulation also helps you set your daily rate. You start from your target net income, work backwards through the calculation, and you know exactly what to charge your client. For the full picture on wage portage, the calculation logic is always the same.

Step 1: work out your monthly revenue

A wage portage salary simulation starts with your monthly revenue (CA), not your daily rate alone. Monthly revenue equals your daily rate multiplied by the number of days you bill in a month. A consultant billing €500 per day over 20 days generates €10,000. If they only work 12 days, that's €6,000. Everything else cascades from this number.

One thing to watch: if you rebill expenses to your client (travel, accommodation, equipment), those don't form part of your salary calculation. They're reimbursed at cost, with no social charges applied. It's one of the most underrated advantages of the scheme.

For a deeper look at setting the right daily rate, check our guide on calculating and optimising your TJM in wage portage.

Step 2: deduct management fees

Management fees are how the portage company charges for its services: administrative portage, payroll management, professional insurance, and access to social protection. These fees are calculated as a percentage of your revenue excluding VAT, and they typically range from 5% to 12% depending on the company and service level. A low rate isn't automatically the better deal: check what's actually included before deciding.

On €10,000 of revenue with 8% management fees, the portage company takes €800. That leaves €9,200 to build your gross salary from. This is what professionals call the "remuneration base" before social contributions are applied.

To understand exactly what these fees cover, read our guide on professional expenses in wage portage and our complete guide on the cost of wage portage.

Step 3: apply social contributions to get your net pay

Once your remuneration base is established, social contributions are applied to the gross salary you draw from it. In wage portage, the total social charge rate (employer plus employee contributions) sits at around 44% to 50% of gross, depending on your situation. This covers basic pension, supplementary pension, mutual health insurance, income protection, unemployment insurance and health contributions, in line with the rules set by URSSAF and the collective agreement governed by the French Ministry of Labour.

A practical shortcut: to go from gross to net, multiply by 0.75 to 0.78. If your gross salary is €6,000, your net pay will be around €4,500 to €4,680. It's a solid approximation for quick simulations.

Part of your remuneration base also feeds a paid-leave reserve (10% of gross), which pays out when you take time off, giving you a useful boost in those months.

Full worked example: €600 daily rate, 15 days billed

Here's a concrete wage portage salary simulation. An IT consultant with a €600 daily rate bills 15 days in the month. The calculation, step by step:

Item	Amount
Monthly revenue excl. VAT (€600 x 15)	€9,000
Management fees (8%)	- €720
Remuneration base	€8,280
Paid-leave reserve (10%)	- €828
Gross salary paid	~€7,452
Social contributions (~47%)	- €3,502
Net pay	~€3,950

This is a simplified example. Your actual figures may differ based on the additional pension contributions you choose, rebilled expenses, or your health insurance option. Weepo's online simulator gives you a personalised result in seconds.

According to APEC, the median salary for an IT consultant in France in 2026 is €52,000 gross per year. Using wage portage with a €450 daily rate and 18 billed days per month, a consultant exceeds that net income level while keeping full autonomy.

What the simulation doesn't tell you: variables to factor in

Any wage portage salary simulation rests on assumptions. Two variables consultants regularly overlook can shift the result significantly.

First, paid-leave payouts. It's not a bonus: it's a reserve built at 10% of your gross each month. When you actually take leave, the accumulated reserve gets paid out. If you haven't taken any leave for six months, that reserve can add up to an extra month's salary in a single payment.

Second, deductible professional expenses. Under the French Labour Code, certain costs incurred for your mission (equipment, travel, training) can be reimbursed without social contributions. This effectively reduces your taxable base and boosts your real purchasing power. Explore this angle in our guide on professional expenses in wage portage.

Frequently asked questions about wage portage salary simulation

Key points to remember

• Three-step formula: monthly revenue, minus management fees (5% to 12%), minus social contributions (44% to 50% of gross).
• Gross-to-net ratio: expect roughly 0.75 to 0.78, meaning €3,750 to €3,900 net on €5,000 gross.
• Paid-leave reserve: 10% of gross is set aside each month and paid out when you take leave.
• Professional expenses: costs rebilled to your client are charge-free, boosting your effective take-home.
• Personalised simulation: if you want a precise figure without doing the maths yourself, Weepo's simulator and its wage portage service are worth a serious look.

Further reading

• The Cost of Wage Portage: Complete Guide
• TJM (Average Daily Rate): How to Calculate and Optimise It in Wage Portage
• Professional Expenses in Wage Portage: What You Can Deduct