Finding a job in Nice

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Updated by Asaël Häzaq on 30 July, 2024

Situated on the southeastern coast of France, in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region, Nice has attracted both local and international tourists for more than three centuries. Its residents, known as the Niçoises and Niçois, enjoy the proximity to Italy, which is easily reachable by car through the Mont-Blanc tunnel.

As a renowned cultural city, Nice is home to many historic monuments and stunning natural views. Expats who are looking for work in Nice can enjoy the typical Provencal lifestyle that this beautiful city offers.

Nice's economy

Nice is known for its stunning sea and mountain views and thriving economy, which is driven primarily by tourism and commerce. As the fifth-largest city in France, with a population of over 351,011 in 2024, Nice is also the second busiest area in the Provence-Alpes–Côte d'Azur region. The city's job market is focused on the service and tourism industries, with over 5 million visitors annually, creating a continual demand for workers in sectors like seasonal tourism, information and communication technologies, healthcare, and personal services.

Sectors recruiting in Nice

If you have the required skills, here are the sectors that are recruiting the most in Nice:

hotel and catering;
personal services;
commerce;
sales;
technologies;
leisure and business tourism.

Good to know:

Given its high tourism activity and seasonal nature, Nice frequently seeks employees who are proficient in multiple foreign languages.

Nice, a multicultural tourist city, offers many job opportunities for staff, including foreign workers, especially during the busy summer season and throughout the year. In addition to numerous restaurants, hotels, and other tourism-related businesses, Nice is also home to nationally and internationally recognized companies. These companies frequently seek talent for fixed-term or permanent positions, as well as student internships. Here are some of the city's most important companies:

Kone: Kone is a leading company in elevators, escalators, and automatic doors, and it also offers maintenance and modernization solutions for the building industry. With 3,000 employees across France, Kone has been dedicated to sustainable development and environmental responsibility since 2021. The company regularly hires technical experts, sales staff, engineers, as well as students and recent graduates;
Nice Côte d'Azur Airport: Nice Côte d'Azur Airport is a key economic player in the region, offering a wide range of job opportunities. Positions are available in aeronautical safety, finance, accounting, IT, equipment maintenance, and airport operations. The human resources department of the airport group highlights its core values of openness, approachability, high standards, and responsibility;
Amadeus: For 30 years, Amadeus has been the market leader in management solutions for distributing and selling travel services. The company develops solutions for airlines, airports, hotels, railways, search engines, travel agencies, and tour operators to help them operate efficiently and enhance the travel experience. If you specialize in travel and travel-related technology, this is the place for you! Amadeus hires talented recent graduates and offers internships to students;
Nice Matin: The Nice Matin group owns the region's most popular newspapers, including Nice Matin, Var-Matin, and Monaco-Matin. If you're a journalist, freelancer, or expert in journalism and publishing, don't hesitate to contact the group or any of their newspapers. However, please note that you must be fluent in both spoken and written French.

How can I find a job in Nice?

Looking for a job abroad can be stressful and discouraging, but fortunately, Nice offers a variety of helpful job search resources catering to all levels of experience and fields. There are numerous avenues to explore when searching for a job in Nice.

Networking is widespread in Nice. Find out more at the bottom of this article.

France Travail (formerly Pôle emploi) is a national employment agency for everyone, including expatriates. It offers personalized assistance in finding a job. To register with France Travail, citizens of member countries of the European Union (EU) or the European Economic Area (EEA) need only present a valid identity card or passport. On the other hand, nationals of non-EU and EEA countries will need to have one of the following residence permits:

a temporary or multi-annual residence permit (from 1 to 10 years) bearing one of the following indications: "Vie privée et familiale" ("Private and family life"), "Salaried worker" ("Salaried worker"), "Recherche d'emploi ou création d'entreprise" ("Looking for work or setting up a business") or "Travailleur temporaire" ("Temporary worker");
a multi-annual residence permit with the words "Passeport talent";
a resident card (issued for 10 years) bearing one of the following indications: "Resident", "Permanent resident", "Long-term resident - EU";
a residence permit for "foreign students or trainees", marked "seeking employment or setting up a business";
a long-stay visa issued for 4 to 12 months, with one of the following indications: "Employee", "Private and family life", "Job search or business creation";
a temporary work permit if your employment contract is terminated early by your employer;
an Algerian residence certificate, bearing one of the following endorsements: "Vie privée et familiale" (Private and family life), "Salarié" (Salaried employee), "Scientifique" (Scientist), "Professions artistiques et culturelles" (Artistic and cultural professions), "Travailleurs temporaires" (Temporary workers).

Please note that you do not need to register with France Travail if you only wish to consult job offers. The France Travail job search engine is accessible to all.

Find a student job in Nice

Foreign students looking to earn extra income can work in France for approximately 20 hours per week, totaling up to 964 hours per year. The good news is that many companies in Nice and the surrounding area are seeking young, dynamic, and motivated individuals. If you're a non-EU or EEA national and want to work in France during your studies, you'll need a long-stay student visa. For further details, please visit the Campus France website.

If you have expertise in foreign languages or any academic subject, consider offering private tutoring services in Nice. It's an excellent opportunity to earn income while sharing your knowledge with peers or younger students. You can advertise your services on campus or on various Facebook groups in Nice to reach potential students.

To find a student job in Nice, check with your campus. Schools often receive job offers specifically for students. Also, reach out to new acquaintances and classmates who may offer valuable advice on applications, CVs, and avoiding potential scams.

France Travail will also be extremely helpful in finding a student job in Nice and providing valuable advice. Additionally, check out websites dedicated to students, such as Erasmusu for Erasmus students, as well as general platforms like Student Job and l'Étudiant that advertise student positions.

Networking in Nice

Networking can be incredibly beneficial when searching for a job in Nice. It's a widely practiced approach in France, and Nice is no different. Make sure to seize opportunities to participate in networking events organized by associations or private organizations. Key platforms for finding such events include Eventbrite and Meetup.

To network effectively, leverage word-of-mouth! Don't hesitate to talk about your job search with new acquaintances and people you meet. It could lead to valuable opportunities, including job interviews.

Setting up a business in Nice

Nice ranks fifth among cities for entrepreneurship, with notable strengths in the restaurant and import/export sectors. If you're an entrepreneur looking to establish your own business in Nice, opportunities abound. With the appropriate residence permit and a solid understanding of the French job market and economy, you can successfully launch your venture here.

Here are the top five sectors with the highest number of new company formations in Nice: rental and operation of real estate; postal and courier activities (excluding national post activities); management consulting; personal services (excluding household services); retail trade (excluding stores, stalls, or markets).

Here are the business sectors in Nice experiencing the highest number of company closures: management consultancy; rental and operation of real estate; restaurants and mobile catering services; other personal services; and other specialized construction work.

Find commercial premises in Nice

When starting your business in Nice, a crucial step is securing commercial premises or offices to launch your operations and accommodate customers and collaborators. Fortunately, Nice offers a wide range of options for renting or buying offices and commercial spaces. Additionally, there are numerous coworking spaces scattered throughout the city, providing flexible alternatives.

Here is a non-exhaustive list of coworking facilities in Nice:

Spaces – Nice Grand Arenas, Immeuble Nouvel'R, 455 promenade des Anglais;
Sundesk Coworking Nice, 4 chemin de l'Arenas;
Le LABO Coworking, 6 rue du Congrès;
Starway coworking Nice, 21 avenue Thiers;
Les Satellites Coworking, 15 avenue Georges-Clemenceau;
La Verrière, 4 boulevard de Cimiez.

If you're searching for a workspace in a specific neighborhood or on a particular street, feel free to explore options using Google and Google Maps.

Useful links:

Chamber of Commerce and Industry Nice – Côte D'Azur

We do our best to provide accurate and up to date information. However, if you have noticed any inaccuracies in this article, please let us know in the comments section below.

About Asaël Häzaq

I'm the holder of a Master's degree in Law - Political Science as well as a diploma from the Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) N2, and have worked as a communications officer. I have over 10 years' experience as a web copywriter.