The local terms métier, profession and emploi describe work in a specific occupation or occupational field. The main public bodies include the Ministère de l’Emploi, de la Protection sociale et de la Formation professionnelle, the Observatoire National de l’Emploi et de la Formation (ONEF), the Système d’Information sur le Marché du Travail (SIMT), Agence Emploi Jeunes, AGEFOP, FDFP, the Ministère d’État, Ministère de la Fonction Publique et de la Modernisation de l’Administration, the Caisse Nationale de Prévoyance Sociale (CNPS), the Chambre Nationale de Métiers de Côte d’Ivoire and professional orders. Occupations range from farming, extraction and manufacturing to construction, trade, transport, hotels and restaurants, household and business services, public administration, scientific and technical work, health, law, finance, crafts, digital work and the arts. Public employment is organized into six broad job families: education and training; scientific and technical work; administrative and legal work; economic and financial management; social affairs; and literary or artistic production. A current national ranking of individual occupations cannot be established from the available sources. Since June 2026, SIMT and ONEF serve as national references for employment, training and skills, including the identification of occupations in shortage and emerging sectors. Private employment commonly depends on the occupation, the employer and the applicant's diploma, competence or experience. Craft and self-employed work may begin with savoir-faire, apprenticeship and experience, followed by formalization when appropriate. In public service, a concours is the normal entry method; recruitment also depends on public staffing needs and the available budget. A public-service notice may require Ivorian nationality, a particular age range, civil rights, good conduct, physical and mental fitness and a specified diploma or title. A probationary placement usually lasts one year and may extend to a second year under the applicable rules. AGEFOP can certify occupation-specific skills through a Certificat de Qualification Professionnelle (CQP), a national qualification for demonstrated métier competence. A Validation des Acquis de l’Expérience (VAE) can recognize all or part of a diploma, title or CQP based on previous experience and may reduce the time and cost of obtaining recognition. FQCD and apprenticeship programs provide practical training adapted to a region or occupational branch. Examples include construction, woodworking, refrigeration and air conditioning, mechanics, transport maintenance, hairdressing and beauty care, and cooking. Apprenticeships often last about one to two years, but duration, entry level and cost vary by occupation and provider; examples of entry levels include CM2 or 3ème. The national craft classification from 2016 organizes craft activity into branches, corps de métiers and individual métiers. Craft work includes extraction, production, processing and services. Agriculture, fishing, transport, buying and reselling, and certain intellectual activities are treated outside this classification. Small transport using two or four wheels, a pirogue, animals or human power is included in the craft classification where the applicable category covers it. The occupation determines the tasks, quality standards, safety duties, customer or patient responsibilities, continuing training and professional ethics. Some regulated professions require a professional order, approval or registration. For example, practicing medicine requires a state diploma as a doctor of medicine, registration with the relevant professional order and the required national status, subject to applicable UEMOA or reciprocity exceptions. Unauthorized practice can lead to sanctions. Working conditions depend on the employment status, contract, collective agreement, professional ethics and applicable statute. The 2015 Labour Code provides the general framework for contracts in the national territory. In 2026, additional decrees address contracts, notice periods, internal rules, part-time work, works councils, occupational health, hygiene and collective agreements. Employees must follow the contract or statute, safety and hygiene rules and professional standards. Employers must make the required declarations, protect health and safety and pay social contributions. For a salaried worker, the employer must register the employment with CNPS from the first working day and pays the full contribution. The employee retirement share is 6.3% and the employer retirement share is 7.7%; family, maternity and occupational accident and disease contributions are paid exclusively by the employer. The contribution base is at least the SMIG, currently 60,000 FCFA. Payment is monthly for employers with at least 20 employees and quarterly for smaller employers. An independent worker can affiliate with CNPS regardless of age or nationality. The independent-worker contribution is based on 12%, with an additional 9% for income above the applicable base ceiling, and can cover sickness, accidents, maternity and old age. Access in practice remains uneven because many independent activities are not registered. Career development differs by status. Public servants may progress through titularisation, advancement, promotion, mobility and professional competitions. Private-sector workers generally advance through experience, competence and responsibility. Artisans and self-employed workers may progress through specialization, a larger customer base, formalization, CQP or VAE, and business development. No method guarantees automatic advancement. Costs and timing also vary: public-service competitions follow each notice and its quotas and diploma requirements; CQP, FQCD and VAE fees and processing times depend on the program or provider; CNPS contributions continue while the affiliation applies.
Professions in Ivory Coast
Professions in Ivory Coast cover occupations in agriculture, industry, construction, commerce, transport, hospitality, services, public administration, health, law, finance, crafts, digital work and the arts. Entry may rely on a diploma, practical skill, experience, an employer's criteria, an apprenticeship or a public-service competition. Formal employment, self-employment, craft work and informal activity follow different rules for qualifications, protection and career development.
Tip
Choose your occupation together with the work status you actually intend to use: private employment, public service, craft work or self-employment. Match the occupation to its required qualification, professional authorization, safety duties and social-protection arrangements before spending money or starting work. Treat informal activity as a practical starting point only after checking what recognition, registration and protection you would lose.