Average Salary in Belgium 2023 - The Complete Guide (2024)

How much money does a person working in Belgium make?

Pay Scale and Salaries in Belgium

Salary Structure and Pay Scale Comparison

Median Salary, maximum and minimum salary, minimum wage, starting salary, and the salary range

• Salary Range, Minimum Wage, and Starting Salary

  Salaries in Belgium range from 1,890 EUR per month (starting salary) to 25,900 EUR per month (maximum average salary, actual maximum is higher). This is not the minimum wage as per the law, only the lowest reported number in the salary survey that had thousands of participants and professionals from all over the country.

• Median Salary

  The median salary is 5,400 EUR per month, which means that half (50%) of the population are earning less than 5,400 EUR while the other half are earning more than 5,400 EUR. The median represents the middle salary value. Generally speaking, you would want to be on the right side of the graph with the group earning more than the median salary.

• Percentiles and Salary Scale

  Closely related to the median are two values: the 25th and the 75th percentiles. Reading from the salary distribution diagram, 25% of the population are earning less than 4,020 EUR while 75% of them are earning more than 4,020 EUR. Also from the diagram, 75% of the population are earning less than 7,960 EUR while 25% are earning more than 7,960 EUR.

• Pay Scale Structure

  We grouped the most common and recurring salaries into brackets to give more insight into what salary to expect. This method is more accurate than just the average salary and gives more insights on how salaries are actually distributed. Around 65% of all reported figures are in the range 3,730 EUR to 8,910 EUR. Approximatly 20% fall under the 3,730 EUR cap. Ten percent of wages are from 8,910 EUR to 11,300 EUR. Only 5% of people grossed 11,300 EUR or more.

Salary Comparison by Years of Experience

How does a person's salary progress over time?

The experience level is the most important factor in determining the salary. Naturally the more years of experience the higher the wage.

Generally speaking, employees having experience from two to five years earn on average 32% more than freshers and juniors across all industries and disciplines.

Professionals with experience of more than five years tend to earn on average 36% more than those with five years or less of work experience.

Change in salary based on experience varies drastically from one location to another and depends hugely on the career field as well. The data displayed here is the combined average of many different jobs. To view accurate figures, choose a specific job title.

As you hit the ten years mark, the salary increases by 21% and an additional 14% for those who have crossed the 15 years mark.

Those figures are presented as guidelines only. The numbers become more significant if you consider one job title at a time.

Salary Comparison By Education

How does the education level affect your salary?

It is well known that higher education equals a bigger salary, but how much more money can a degree add to your income? We compared the salaries of professionals at the same level but with different college degrees levels across many jobs, below are our findings.

Change in salary based on education varies drastically from one location to another and depends hugely on the career field as well. The data displayed here is the combined average of multiple jobs. To view accurate figures, choose a specific job title.

Workers with a certificate or diploma earn on average 17% more than their peers who only reached the high school level.

Employees who earned a Bachelor's Degree earn 24% more than those who only managed to attain a cerificate or diploma.

Professionals who attained a Master's Degree are awarded salaries that are 29% more than those with a Bachelor's Degree.

Finally, PhD holders earn 23% more than Master's Degree holders on average while doing the same job.

Salary and Compensation Comparison By Gender

Though gender should not have an effect on pay, in reality, it does. So who gets paid more: men or women? Male employees in Belgium earn 6% more than their female counterparts on avergae across all sectors.

Percentage increase and decrease are relative to the previous value

Average Annual Salary Increment Percentage in Belgium

How much are annual salary increments in Belgium? How often do employees get salary raises?

Belgium

Employees in Belgium are likely to observe a salary increase of approximately 8% every 17 months.

The figures provided here are averages of numbers. Those figures should be taken as general guidelines. Salary increments will vary from person to person and depend on many factors, but your performance and contribution to the success of the organization remain the most important factors in determining how much and how often you will be granted a raise.

The term 'Annual Salary Increase' usually refers to the increase in 12 calendar month period, but because it is rarely that people get their salaries reviewed exactly on the one year mark, it is more meaningful to know the frequency and the rate at the time of the increase.

How to calculate the salary increment percentage?

The annual salary Increase in a calendar year (12 months) can be easily calculated as follows: Annual Salary Increase = Increase Rate x 12 ÷ Increase Frequency

“The average salary increase in one year (12 months) in Belgium is 6%.”

Annual Increment Rate By Industry 2022

Listed above are the average annual increase rates for each industry in Belgium for the year 2022. Companies within thriving industries tend to provide higher and more frequent raises. Exceptions do exist, but generally speaking, the situation of any company is closely related to the economic situation in the country or region. These figures tend to change frequently.

Average Salary Increase Rate by Experience Level

The difference in increment rates is somehow justified because employers put more effort to retain more experienced staff since they are harder to acquire than less experienced ones.

Worldwide Salary Raises: All Countries and All Jobs

Bonus and Incentive Rates in Belgium

How much and how often are bonuses being awarded?

48% of surveyed staff in Belgium reported that they haven't received any bonuses or incentives in the previous year while 52% said that they received at least one form of monetary bonus.

Those who got bonuses reported rates ranging from 3% to 5% of their annual salary.

Bonus Rates Comparison by Career Field

What makes a position worthy of good bonuses and a high salary?

Revenue generators usually get more and higher bonuses, higher salaries, and more frequent salary increments. The reason is quite simple: it is easier to quantify your value to the company in monetary terms when you participate in revenue generation.

“Try to work for companies where your skills can generate revenue. We can't all generate revenue and that's perfectly fine.”

Bonus Comparison by Seniority Level

Top management personnel and senior employees naturally exhibit higher bonus rates and frequencies than juniors. This is very predictable due to the inherent responsibilities of being higher in the hierarchy. People in top positions can easily get double or triple bonus rates than employees down the pyramid.

Salaries for specific job categories

If you are only interested in viewing statistics and salaries in a specific career field, then choose one from below, or continue scrolling down for more interesting facts about salaries and income in Belgium.

Choose a job category to explore specific salary details

Accounting and FinanceAdministration / Reception / SecretarialAdvertising / Grapic Design / EventsAirlines / Aviation / Aerospace / DefenseArchitectureAutomotiveBankingBilingualBusiness PlanningCare Giving and Child CareCleaning and HousekeepingConstruction / Building / InstallationCounselingCourier / Delivery / Transport / DriversCustomer Service and Call CenterElectrical and Electronics TradesEngineeringEnvironmentalExecutive and ManagementFacilities / Maintenance / RepairFactory and ManufacturingFashion and ApparelFitness / Hair / BeautyFood / Hospitality / Tourism / CateringFundraising and Non ProfitGardening / Farming / FishingGovernment and DefenceHealth and MedicalHuman ResourcesImport and ExportIndependent JobsInformation TechnologyInsuranceLaw Enforcement / Security / FireLegalMarketingMedia / Broadcasting / Arts / EntertainmentOil / Gas / Energy / MiningPet CarePharmaceutical and BiotechnologyPhotographyPublic RelationsPublishing and PrintingPurchasing and InventoryQuality Control and ComplianceReal EstateRecreation and SportsSales Retail and WholesaleScience and Technical ServicesTeaching / EducationTelecommunication

Salary Trend and Forecast in Belgium

How are Belgium salaries changing over time? The chart below shows the average salary change in the past few years.

Percentage increase and decrease are relative to the previous value

Salaries in Belgium are on the rise in the year 2023 based on recent submitted salaries and reports. As displayed in the chart, salaries in 2022 are 3% higher than those of 2021. The trend suggests a slow yet continuous increase in pay in 2024 and future years. These numbers may vary from industry to another.

Salaries for popular jobs. Salaries by occupations.

Average Hourly Wage in Belgium

35 EUR per hour

The average hourly wage (pay per hour) in Belgium is 35 EUR. This means that the average person in Belgium earns approximately 35 EUR for every worked hour.

Hourly Wage = Annual Salary ÷ ( 52 x 5 x 8 )

About The Hourly Pay Rate

The hourly wage is the salary paid in one worked hour. Usually jobs are classified into two categories: salaried jobs and hourly jobs. Salaried jobs pay a fix amount regardless of the hours worked. Hourly jobs pay per worked hour. To convert salary into hourly wage the above formula is used (assuming 5 working days in a week and 8 working hours per day which is the standard for most jobs). The hourly wage calculation may differ slightly depending on the worked hours per week and the annual vacation allowance. The figures mentioned above are good approximations and are considered to be the standard. One major difference between salaried employees and hourly paid employees is overtime eligibility. Salaried employees are usually exempt from overtime as opposed to hourly paid staff.

What is the minimum hourly rate of pay?

This minimum pay rate per hour for a person in Belgium is 11 EUR. This is the minimum as per the gathered data in the salary survey not the minimum hourly rate mandated by law.

Salary Comparison By City

Government vs Private Sector Salary Comparison

Where can you get paid more, working for a private company or for the government? Public sector employees in Belgium earn 5% more than their private sector counterparts on average across all sectors.

Percentage increase and decrease are relative to the previous value

Salary Statistics and Calculation Guide

What is considered to be a good and competitive salary in Belgium?

It is extremely difficult to give an exact figure of a good salary when no specific job is selected, however; an estimate can be provided based purely on the cost of living. A good compensation in Belgium would range anywhere between 5,400 EUR and 7,960 EUR.

Gross Salary (before tax) and Net Salary (after tax)

All salary and compensation figures displayed here are gross salary figures, that is the salary before tax deductions. Because taxes may differ across sectors and locations, it is difficult to accurately calculate the net salart after tax for every career.

Base / Basic Salary

The base salary in Belgium is ranges from 4,020 EUR to 7,960 EUR. The base salary depends on many factors including profession, experience, and education. It is not easy to provide a figure with very little information, so take this range in a grain of salt.

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