I have had a job change with a big increase last year (+800 euro in gross, from 3500 to 4500 range ). Nowadays I was contacted by recruiters and I was mentioning 5000 as minimum and all the positions I apply seem to be absolutely ok and you see a smile in the face of the recruiter with this proposal). Looking at [jobat](https://www.jobat.be/nl/salariskompas) or [loonwijzer](https://loonwijzer.be/loon/salarischeck#/), I should barely make 4000 even. How can I find that I am not being underpaid for my skills? Or even when I am overpaid.

Edit: fixed the links to websites to check for salaries

Edit 2: as per amount of upvotes / comments it is probably a very controversial topic and I don’t want to limit it to me and my situation.

The main suggestion is probably to just talk to the manager/HR and see how high you can negotiate. If you have coworkers who are willing to share their salary, that information will help as well.

The [trimodal salary model](https://blog.pragmaticengineer.com/software-engineering-salaries-in-the-netherlands-and-europe/) posted in [comment below](https://www.reddit.com/r/belgium/comments/10nj262/software_developers_in_belgium_how_do_you_know/j6ccqw8/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf&context=3) basically you see the large distribution and gap between salaries of the same role and also where the company’s competition is (local, regional and global) and a very valuable read. Thanks for sharing.

In summary, I think the answer is this (they basically mentions my exact issue with the number I get from jobat.be), it depends on different factors and one of the biggest underlying reasons might be the market the company is conducting its business and the more global it is the more the salary, however on the downside those positions are quite popular and few (even I notice in LinkedIn, some have 500+ applicants, so there is a higher chance the 5000 euro job in the startup employs me than the 7000 euro + in big tech and they’d even skip my resume) and also are demanding in return (as in employee crunch we have heard in gaming industry and also they can replace us pretty fast, and usually they even have on boarding programs to get the new recruits to work quickly). Lower-paying businesses include also emerging startups which come with their own risk the higher the salary goes (They might become bankrupt, see [lightyear](https://nltimes.nl/2023/01/27/money-woes-mean-solar-car-firm-lightyears-600-workers-expected-lose-jobs) in Netherlands, where 600 people, which are all the workforce are losing their job). The lowest paying companies (based on their business as it means they don’t make much revenue) also won’t have high salary increases or the possibility to grow either.

Edit 3: if you want to watch it [here](https://youtu.be/h8Xpapy6I9E) while drinking a coffee ☕️ 🙂

Edit 4: [This comment is worth a look too](https://www.reddit.com/r/belgium/comments/10nj262/comment/j6cabmd/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3). a level 3 (a senior), earns around 4500 – 6000 at this time and excluding benefits. Beware of companies that might offer high, but risk to get bankrupt (I think this is quite something to pay attention, since most of the big tech is laying off at the moment. Or freezing new employment.)

13 comments

  8. My company pays everyone at the 75th percentile of the market as a starting rate.

    While the money doesn’t feel amazing, at least we know we’re not underpaid.

    Edit: For reference, with the numbers I saw I’m pretty sure you’re underpaid at 4500 and you could probably push more than 5000.

  9. Well, you need to tell us your skills/experience or at least how do you value yourself. Second, look at the supply/demand of the market. Sometimes, your skills might be below the price you can ask becuase there is no supply but high demand.

  10. Maybe this a stupid question, but the recruiters you mention, are these recruiters for companies, or your run-of-the-mill interims? Because interims tend to lie about the wage (had this happen to me on multiple occasions)

  11. So there’s a shortage of IT people that are well paid and there’s still a shortage.

    I guess this is why Belgium is associated with surrealism 😄

  12. I feel you. Recently I was in a similar position. I tried not to relate too much on other people, but on what I thought was a right number for the job and responsibilities.
    Being comfortable and feeling appreciated for your time and efforts is what a salary is about. It has to feel right for you.

    When still in doubt about your performances, ask during a working review how they feel about you and your work.

  13. The salary range varies considerably in Belgium, depending on whether you’re an external, internal with benefits (whether they are translated into brut if you don’t take them, or not), whether the company is listed or private, whether it has an international back, etc.

    The range of 4500-6000 for a senior (L3) engineer or programmer is in line with Belgium market, if benefits are calculated separately (car, fuel, bonus, Sodexo, internet at home, cellphone…). Interestingly enough, the salary difference between medior and senior is not that noticeable in Belgium, compared to the difference between junior and medior. As always, the best way to up your salary in Belgium is (unfortunately) by finding another job.

    Consultancy/outsourcing companies will tend to pay more for high profiles, but they take into account a shorter span you’d work for them because of unstable working environment and high quitting rate due to unmanageable exceptions from clients/companies.

    Finally, there are a few IT companies in the Belgian market who go on a hire-spree when they are prepping for a big RFP, and then offer much higher wages. This usually is not feasible for them to maintain, so they go through cycles of hire and layoffs pretty often.

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