Top of the greasy pole is a chemist, with an average annual income of €121K, whilst the nadir of professions is a dry cleaner's shop, with an annual income of €14K.

In fact, those in medically related professions take the top four spots, with chemists followed by audiologists, opticians and private ambulance firms.

The general average for all small businesses is around €35K a year.

This review of the incomes of 34 professions in France was carried out by the federation of business accounting centres, the FCGA, whose members undertake accounting for over 400,000 small businesses in France.

Small Business Earnings

Source: FCGA 2006

These figures been averaged for the whole country, but within their more detailed analysis, the FCGA give some regional variations.

Thus, whilst a baker in Paris may earn around €50K a year, this figure is again half for the same business operating in the South West.

Likewise, whilst the a café owner in Paris can expect to earn around €63, it is around half this figure in the provinces.

The best place to be a joiner would appear to be in Brittany, where the average annual income is €35K a year, whilst it drops to €26K in the Midi-Pyrénées.

Indeed, Brittany seems to be the best place in France to run any kind of building business, as in this region, all trades earn above the national average.

The best place to run a restaurant is in Languedoc-Roussillon, but it seems this happens to be the worst place to set up as a photographer.

FCGA consider that the fastest growing business profession by turnover over the past twelve months has been haulage transporter (+11%) followed by painter and decorator (+8.8%) and electrician (+8.7%).

Biggest losers have been those in the leisure and services sectors, notably bookshops (-6.8%) and those selling household goods (-1.1%).