Reaching a pension of 1,800 euros net per month at retirement requires meeting several conditions that vary according to professional status, contribution duration, and salary earned during the career. The calculation is based on two distinct levels: the basic pension paid by the Retirement Insurance and the supplementary pension managed, for the private sector, by Agirc-Arrco. Understanding how these two components interact allows for an assessment of the gap between the projected pension and the target of 1,800 euros.
Gap between estimated pension and target of 1,800 euros by status
The amount of the pension depends on the scheme to which the contributor is affiliated. The estimates below correspond to a full career with a net monthly salary of 1,800 euros, or approximately 2,340 euros gross.
| Status | Estimated total pension (net/month) | Gap with 1,800 euros |
|---|---|---|
| Private sector employee | 1,250 to 1,350 euros | -450 to -550 euros |
| Civil servant | 1,450 to 1,500 euros | -300 to -350 euros |
| Self-employed / Freelancer | 1,050 to 1,150 euros | -650 to -750 euros |
A private sector employee who earned 1,800 euros net throughout their career would therefore receive significantly less than the targeted amount. For a self-employed individual, the deficit far exceeds 600 euros per month, necessitating either a substantially higher salary or additional savings.
Before considering supplementary solutions, it is useful to calculate retirement for 1,800 euros taking into account one’s own professional background and already acquired rights.
Calculation formula for the basic pension for a private sector employee
The basic pension of the general scheme is calculated based on three main variables: the average annual salary, the liquidation rate, and the insurance duration.
Average annual salary
The scheme takes into account the 25 best years of gross salary, adjusted by coefficients set each year. This average annual salary forms the basis of the calculation. A career with years of low remuneration (part-time, unemployment) mechanically lowers this average.
Liquidation rate and insurance duration
The full rate is set at 50% of the average annual salary. To obtain it, one must meet the required number of quarters based on their year of birth. Leaving before validating all quarters results in a permanent reduction on the pension, while a deferred departure beyond the required number generates an increase.
The complete formula can be summarized as follows:
- Gross annual pension = average annual salary x liquidation rate x (number of validated quarters / number of required quarters)
- Each missing quarter reduces both the rate (reduction) and the prorating coefficient
- Each quarter contributed beyond the full rate adds a bonus for each additional quarter
For an employee born in 1967, the number of required quarters for the full rate is 172 quarters, or 43 years of contributions.
Agirc-Arrco supplementary pension: the weight of points
The supplementary part represents a significant fraction of the total pension for a private sector employee. Its calculation is based on a points system accumulated throughout the career.
Each year, the contributions paid are converted into points based on a purchase price (called the point purchase value). At the time of departure, the total number of points is multiplied by the service value of the point in effect, set annually by the social partners.
The amount of the supplementary pension therefore directly depends on the salary level and the regularity of contributions. An employee who has experienced periods of unaccounted inactivity accumulates fewer points, widening the gap with the target of 1,800 euros.
Long careers and suspension of the reform: a parameter to consider
The Social Security financing law for 2026 has suspended until 2028 the gradual increase of the legal retirement age planned by the 2023 reform. This suspension concretely modifies the possible departure date for individuals eligible for the long career scheme.
According to Service-Public.fr, a person born in 1967 who started working before age 20 can retire at 61 years with 172 required quarters. This specific scale is not always taken into account in general simulators, which can distort the pension estimate.
Why the departure date changes the final amount
Leaving one or two years earlier without having validated all quarters incurs a double penalty: reduction on the rate and reduced prorating. Conversely, extending activity beyond the full rate activates the increase, which permanently raises the pension.
For someone aiming for 1,800 euros net per month, each additional year worked can represent several tens of euros in additional pension, cumulatively between basic and supplementary.
Inter-scheme simulator: compare multiple departure scenarios
The simulators offered by Agirc-Arrco or the inter-scheme service Info Retraite allow for the integration of already acquired rights and testing different scenarios: departure at legal age, departure with reduction, deferred departure.
- Compare the net amount obtained at 62, 63, and 64 years to measure the impact of each additional year
- Check if the validated quarters include periods of unemployment, illness, or parental leave (assimilated quarters)
- Identify the exact number of missing quarters and the cost of their potential buyback
- Include any potential increase for children if applicable
This scenario-based approach is more reliable than a simple extrapolation of the last salary, as it takes into account variations in remuneration throughout the career.
The gap between the projected pension and 1,800 euros is the decisive data. It is this deficit, once quantified by the simulator, that determines the amount of supplementary savings to be built or the number of additional quarters to be validated. Without this personalized estimate, any projection remains approximate.
