Didier is 77 years old and belongs to the small group of French retirees with a pension well above average. After a long career in a legal body dependent on the Ministry of Justice, this Parisian today receives 4,205 gross euros per month. “I retired at 65 because I still enjoyed my job, but I felt that I had to make way for younger people. It was time to transmit,” he explains.
Theirs is a pension that stands out in a panorama marked by strong inequalities. In 2025, pensions in France were between 885 euros gross per month for retirees with the lowest incomes and more than 4,000 euros for those who contributed to the most favorable regimes. The Inequality Observatory points out that the 10% of households with the highest pensions accumulate 17% of the total, a difference that is explained by the nature of the employment, the level of responsibility and the contribution fund to which each worker belongs.
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In Didier’s case, his contributions were divided between the National Old-Age Insurance Fund for Liberal Professions and the complementary pension fund for ministerial officials. Both systems work through points. Each contribution is converted into a number of points valued each year based on the purchase price and the current point value. A mechanism that especially benefits stable and well-paid careers within the public service.
A professional life linked to the Ministry of Justice
Didier studied Private Law and soon joined a ministerial legal body for which he had to take an official oath. Over time, he held a key position in tasks of control, authentication and management of administrative and judicial acts. “It was a discreet but essential job. You had to be meticulous, very rigorous and maintain impeccable ethics,” he recalls.
His salary in the last stage of his working career was 5,900 euros gross per month, a high figure that helped him greatly improve his future pension. “Thanks to that salary I was able to build a good real estate asset. I have a house in Paris and a second home in Sologne where I spend a lot of time with my wife,” he says.
For more than 30 years he had no breaks, so his working career can be said to have been linear, without periods in the private sector or gaps in contributions, an element that, according to French statistical organizations, makes a difference in long-term pensions. “My priority was always to stay in a position that I was passionate about. I couldn’t imagine working in anything else,” he says.
Although he retired later than usual, Didier acknowledges that the system has changed and that new generations may not enjoy the same conditions. “We were listed in very solid regimes. Today the rules are evolving and I understand that many young people feel insecure about what awaits them,” he comments.
Despite this, live this stage with serenity. His routine takes place between the calm of the countryside and visits to Paris to see his children and grandchildren. “I have worked all my life. Now it’s time to enjoy, read without rushing and take care of the garden. They are simple things, but I value them a lot,” he confesses with a smile.
How much does an official of the Ministry of Justice earn in Spain?
In Spain, officials who perform legal functions within the Ministry of Justice receive salaries that depend on the body to which they belong and the specific complements. In general terms, an official in subgroup A2 usually earns between 2,000 and 2,600 euros gross per month, while in group A1 salaries can range between 2,800 and more than 3,500 euros gross.
These amounts increase with trienniums, extraordinary payments and supplements such as destination and productivity. Furthermore, within the body it offers the possibility of promotion through internal promotion, for which a quota of places is reserved.