In 2022, full-time employees received a gross average salary of 4,076 euros per month. This is what emerged from new results of Statbel, the Belgian statistical office, based on the annual survey on earnings among more than 184,000 employees. The median wage is lower than the average wage and was 3,728 euros gross per month. This means that 50% of employees earn less than 3,728 euros, while the other half has a higher salary. Finally, the two extreme deciles show that 10% of employees earn less than 2,443 euros a month, while also a tenth of wage earners receive at least 6,305 euros.

In what follows, we elaborate on these results, discussing the impact of factors such as occupation and age on remuneration. 

Remark: wages and salaries mentioned in this press release always refer to gross monthly wages. This wage concept includes the periodic premiums that are paid out each payment period. Examples include premiums for night or weekend shifts. Premiums that are only paid exceptionally, such as thirteenth-month pay or double holiday pay, are not included in this concept.

Furthermore, the analysis is limited to full-time employees working in enterprises with at least ten employees. Certain sectors, such as agriculture, fishery, public administration, education, healthcare and other personal service activities are not included in this study, except in the breakdown per occupation and sector of employment. The reference period for all data is October 2022.

1. Wages increase with age, especially among white-collar workers

The older an employee, the higher the average wage. The age of 40 marks the turning point. Workers under 40 generally earn less than the national average, while people from that age often earn higher wages. Pay slips of employees aged 60 and over are 31% above the national average.

However, the age effect mainly plays out among white-collar workers. For example, white-collar workers aged 60 and over earn 188% more than white-collar workers under 20. For blue-collar workers, this pay gap is only 39%. Furthermore, the figures show that up to the age of 24, blue-collar workers earn higher wages on average than white-collar workers, while from the age of 25, white-collar workers are better off from a financial point of view. 

2. Chief executives earn 189% more than the average employee

The occupation largely determines the level of remuneration. Consequently, large differences occur among jobs. The chart below shows the 10 highest-paid occupations. Chief executives are at the top of the list. With 11,772 euros, they earn a salary that is 189% above the national average. Besides managerial positions, this top 10 consists of professionals such as doctors and mathematicians.

At the other end of the spectrum are child care workers. With a monthly salary of 2,567 euros, these employees earn a salary that is 37% below the national average. Waiters and bartenders, hairdressers and beauticians and domestic cleaners and helpers also earn less than 2,700 euros a month on average.

3. Continued studies offer a good guarantee of a high salary

The longer one studies, the bigger the salary. Indeed, workers with a bachelor's degree earn 6% more than the Belgian average and this difference increases to 46% for workers with a master's degree. Conversely, workers who have not completed higher education generally earn less than the average. For example, wage earners with at most an upper secondary education diploma earn 17% less than the average Belgian worker. Wage earners who leave secondary education without a diploma see this wage gap increase to 25%.

4. The petrochemical industry takes the lead

The sector where one works also determines how much one earns. The table below shows that average monthly wages are the highest in the petrochemical industry with 6,431 euros, followed by Activities of head offices; management consultancy activities with 5,696 euros and financial service activities with 5,472 euros.

With an average monthly wage of 2,863 euros, the lowest wages are paid in accommodation and food service activities. Other personal services, such as hair and beauty care, and residential tourism are also among the lowest-paying sectors.

5. Commuting to Brussels pays off

People working in the centre of the country are more likely to get a high salary. The Brussels-Capital Region takes the lead, as the average monthly wage there is 4,748 euros, which is 16% higher than the national average. But even in enterprises located in the districts bordering the capital, namely Halle-Vilvoorde, Leuven and Nivelles, the average wage is over 4,250 euros.

In turn, the lowest wages are found in the district of Dinant, where an employee earns an average of 3,134 euros. Also in Marche-en-Famenne, Bastogne, Veurne and Thuin, a worker earns less than 3,300 euros gross per month on average.

6. Wider gender pay gap among older workers

Across all age groups, men working full-time earn more than their female counterparts. Among workers under 20, this gender pay gap is 10.2%, before decreasing to 0.7% in the 30-34 age group. Afterwards, the gender pay gap increases sharply again to 19.0% among workers aged 60 and over.