Electrician pay in Belgium: per hour, per month and net (PC 149.01 scale)

The short answer: if you work as an electrician at an installation company, you fall under joint committee 149.01 and earn at least the sector scale. Since 1 January 2026 that runs from 16.88 euros gross per hour for a starter in the lowest category to 26.82 euros per hour for the highest category with 26 years of seniority. Converted to a full-time month in the 38-hour week (hourly wage times 164.67) that is roughly 2,780 to 4,420 euros gross. Those are minima: good electricians earn above them. Below you find the figures per category, what is left net, what comes on top and what our vacancies show. The full table is in the PC 149.01 pay scale.

The PC 149.01 scale: from 16.88 to 26.82 euros per hour

The scale works with six categories, A to F, following the sector's function classification: A is the lowest hourly wage, F the highest. On top of that your pay rises a little every year of seniority, up to 26 years. A few anchor points from the table: category A starts at 16.88 euros per hour (2,780 euros per month), category C starts at 19.41 euros (3,196 euros) and sits at 20.48 euros (3,372 euros) after ten years, category E stands at 23.51 euros (3,871 euros) after ten years, and category F ends at 26.82 euros (4,416 euros) after 26 years. Which category matches your job is in your employment contract or payslip; ask about it when you are hired, because the gap between two categories is easily 150 to 250 euros gross per month.

What is that net?

For a single blue-collar worker without dependent children, 2,780 euros gross leaves roughly 2,150 euros net, 3,372 euros roughly 2,350 euros and 4,416 euros roughly 2,810 euros. The gap between gross and net therefore grows with your pay: at the top of the scale almost 40 percent goes to social security and tax, at the bottom less, thanks to the work bonus. If you have a partner without income or dependent children, your net is higher. Run your own situation through the gross-to-net calculator.

What comes on top of your hourly wage?

The scale is only the basic hourly wage. In practice three things come on top. One: an end-of-year premium of 8.33 percent of your gross pay, paid by the sector fund Volta. Two: premiums tied to your work, such as a shift premium for shift work, a standby allowance if you are on call, and a mobility allowance for travel to sites. Three: temporarily acting as foreman for at least four colleagues earns 5 to 10 percent extra under the scale for as long as you take on that role. Student workers get 80 percent of the scale wage of their category. How to look at such a package as a whole is in the Belgian pay package explained.

Electrician in industry: other joint committees

Not every electrician falls under PC 149.01. If you work as an industrial electrician or electromechanic in a manufacturing company, you usually belong to the PC 111 scale (metal) or the chemicals agreement, and as a site electrician in construction to PC 124, which indexes every quarter. Those committees have their own tables and premiums. The market in industry usually sits above the installation scale: in our vacancies for electromechanics you see ranges of roughly 2,800 to 4,000 euros gross per month, excluding shift premiums, and with a BA4 or BA5 certificate and PLC experience you reach the top end faster.

The January 2027 index

PC 149.01 indexes once a year, on 1 January. The payroll providers estimate the January 2027 indexation at around 4.5 percent (Securex arrives at 4.47 percent in its forecasts of 7 October 2026); the definitive figure follows at the end of December. So count on a starting wage of roughly 17.60 euros per hour in the lowest category from January. All current percentages per committee are in our overview of indexation per joint committee.

How to negotiate as an electrician

The scale is a floor, not a ceiling, and electricians have been on the list of shortage occupations for years. Three things that strengthen your negotiating position immediately: know your category and ask for a higher one if your duties justify it, let your certificates count (BA5, VCA, refrigeration), and look at the whole package instead of only the hourly wage: a car, meal vouchers and group insurance make hundreds of euros of net difference. Our vacancies always show the gross range, so you know where you stand.