Salaries in Belgium: Brussels remains city with highest wages

Brussels remains the Belgian city with the highest wages, according to new figures from the Belgian statistics office Statbel.

The gross average salary per month for the Brussels region was €4,748 in 2022, which was 16% more than the national average of just above €4,000. A year earlier, the figure in Brussels was €4,604.

There are big differences within the Belgian workforce. Broken down by jobs, directors of large companies earn the most with an average gross monthly salary of €9,965.

The newest figures also confirmed the persistence of a gender pay gap. “In all age categories, full-time employed men earn more than their female colleagues,” Statbel said.

The average wage in Brussels for women was €4,561, while for men it was €4,867.

There were also differences in salary depending on degrees held, with workers with a master's degree earning the most at €6,422, followed by those with a bachelor's degree at €4,516.

Those who did not complete higher studies earned roughly between €3,000 and €3,500 gross.

The figures are based on an annual wage survey of more than 184,000 workers and covers full-time employees in companies with at least 10 employees.

Gross monthly wages take into account, for example, bonuses for night and weekend work, but not exceptional payments such as the 13th month.