Working in Belgium
Strong wages and a central location; high tax trims take-home pay.
Salary & savings by occupation
10 jobs| Occupation | Gross /mo | Net /mo | Savings (housed) | Savings (self-paid) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Truck DriverSkilled · demand Very high | €3,050 | €1,890 | €1,430 | €880 |
| HVAC TechnicianSkilled · demand High | €2,950 | €1,830 | €1,370 | €820 |
| ElectricianSkilled · demand Very high | €2,900 | €1,800 | €1,340 | €790 |
| WelderSkilled · demand Very high | €2,900 | €1,800 | €1,340 | €790 |
| PlumberSkilled · demand High | €2,850 | €1,770 | €1,310 | €760 |
| CarpenterSkilled · demand High | €2,750 | €1,710 | €1,250 | €700 |
| Tiles & Ceramic WorkerSkilled · demand High | €2,700 | €1,670 | €1,210 | €660 |
| Machine OperatorSemi-skilled · demand Very high | €2,700 | €1,670 | €1,210 | €660 |
| Cook / ChefSkilled · demand High | €2,600 | €1,610 | €1,150 | €600 |
| Construction WorkerSemi-skilled · demand Very high | €2,450 | €1,520 | €1,060 | €510 |
“Housed” savings assume the employer provides accommodation; “self-paid” deducts typical shared rent of €550/mo. Net pay uses Belgium's typical take-home rate of about 62% of gross.
Work permit & visa
Single permit (work + residence). The region (Flanders, Wallonia or Brussels) issues the work authorisation, so processing and rules vary by region. Typical processing runs about 8–16 weeks once the employer-side steps are done. A formal English test such as IELTS is usually not required for these trades.
Official reference for Belgium: dofi.ibz.be ↗
Indicative estimates, not a job offer. Salary, cost and savings figures are modelled from each occupation's rough EU average and a per-country wage index, and exclude employer-specific terms, exchange-rate swings and personal tax. Visa rules are summarised for general guidance. Always confirm pay and immigration rules with the official source or embassy, and never pay a fee for a job offer you have not verified.