The wage gap between men and women working full-time has practically completely disappeared since 2019. In the Walloon Region, women even earn more on average than men.
In Wallonia, a man receives an average salary of 3,551 euros while a woman earns 3,573 euros. This leads to a limited negative wage gap of -0.6%. In Flanders, the pay gap between men and women is still 1.1% and in Brussels, men earn 5.4% more than women. Overall, the pay gap between men and women working full time has narrowed dramatically from 4.1% in 2019 to 0.4% in 2020.
The average salary is 3,550 euros. This means that 50% of the employees earn a maximum of 3,550 euros, while the other half pocket a higher salary. The majority of workers (69%) earn between €2,000 and €4,250 gross per month, while 10% of workers earn less than €2,334 gross per month. At the other extreme, 10% of employees earn more than 5,991 euros gross.
The profession influences “to a great extent” the salary, says Statbel. General managers earn 180% more than the average worker, while servers and bartenders have the lowest salaries (36% below the national average). Similarly, hairdressers and beauticians, as well as domestic employees, receive on average a gross salary of less than 2,500 euros per month.
In addition to the profession, the sector in which one works also affects the salary. In Belgium, the petrochemical industry offers the most attractive salaries, with a gross average of 5,902 euros per month. It is followed by activities related to corporate headquarters, financial services, programming, and scientific research and development. The lowest wages are paid in the hotel industry, with an average of 2,704 euros. Accommodation and retail are also among the lowest paid sectors.
From a financial point of view, it is interesting to continue your studies after secondary education. In fact, a worker with a master’s degree earns 47% more than the average Belgian. A person who leaves school without a diploma receives a salary 26% lower than the national average.
Finally, age and place of work are also taken into account in the wages received. Those who work in Brussels generally earn more than in other regions. Salaries are the lowest in the province of Luxembourg.
Statbel established these findings on the basis of a survey of more than 130,000 workers in Belgian companies.