Pay barometer for the technical sectors in Belgium
The pay data of the technical sectors in one overview: what wages did and will do per joint committee, what a technical profile costs an employer, and which premiums apply per sector. A new edition every quarter, always from dated official sources.
Edition October 2026 (3 October 2026). Next edition: 15 January 2027.
Press and HR: the figures are free to use with attribution to AltusConnect. For an explanation per sector, mail hello@altusconnect.be.
Key figures
- Highest expected indexation: PC 112 (garages), 4.62% on 1 February 2027.
- 6 of the 13 committees index in January 2027 according to the forecast.
- 12 of the 13 technical roles are on the VDAB list of bottleneck professions.
- Annual employer cost at the bottom of the market range: from €51,167 (electromechanic) to €69,426 (production manager).
Indexation per joint committee
Last official indexation and the next forecast. A forecast is the payroll providers' expectation based on the Federal Planning Bureau; the definitive figure follows shortly before the date.
| PC | Sector | Last official | Forecast | Actual wages |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 111 | metal, blue-collar (blue-collar) | 2.81% · 1 July 2026 | 3.93% · 1 July 2027 | follow the index |
| 112 | garages (blue-collar) | 2.04% · 1 February 2026 | 4.62% · 1 February 2027 | follow the index |
| 116 | chemicals, blue-collar (blue-collar) | 2% · 1 May 2026 | 2% · 1 November 2026 | follow the index |
| 118 | food, blue-collar (blue-collar) | 2.19% · 1 January 2026 | 4.18% · 1 January 2027 | follow the index |
| 124 | construction (blue-collar) | 0.83% · 1 October 2026 | 1.14% · 1 January 2027 | fixed amount added |
| 140.03 | transport and logistics (blue-collar) | 2.18% · 1 January 2026 | 4.18% · 1 January 2027 | fixed amount added |
| 149.01 | electricians (blue-collar) | 2.23% · 1 January 2026 | 4.48% · 1 January 2027 | follow the index |
| 149.02 | bodywork (blue-collar) | 2.04% · 1 February 2026 | 4.62% · 1 February 2027 | follow the index |
| 149.04 | metal trade (blue-collar) | 2.04% · 1 February 2026 | 4.62% · 1 February 2027 | follow the index |
| 207 | chemicals, white-collar (white-collar) | 2% · 1 May 2026 | 2% · 1 November 2026 | follow the index |
| 209 | metal, white-collar (white-collar) | 2.81% · 1 July 2026 | 3.93% · 1 July 2027 | follow the index |
| 220 | food, white-collar (white-collar) | 2.19% · 1 January 2026 | 4.18% · 1 January 2027 | follow the index |
| 226 | logistics, white-collar (white-collar) | 2.23% · 1 January 2026 | 4.48% · 1 January 2027 | follow the index |
Employer cost per technical profile
Market-rate gross range per month from our role profiles and vacancy data, premiums and benefits excluded. The annual cost adds employer social security, holiday pay and year-end premium according to the usual statute, with the 2026 parameters.
| Role | Gross range per month | Statute | Annual employer cost | Bottleneck (VDAB) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Automation engineer (PLC) | €3,400 to €5,200 | white-collar | €62,118 to €95,004 | yes |
| Electromechanic | €2,800 to €4,000 | blue-collar | €51,167 to €73,096 | yes, top ten |
| HVAC technician | €3,000 to €4,300 | white-collar | €54,810 to €78,561 | yes |
| Refrigeration technician | €3,000 to €4,300 | blue-collar | €54,822 to €78,578 | yes |
| Maintenance technician | €2,900 to €4,200 | white-collar | €52,983 to €76,734 | yes |
| Prevention advisor | €3,200 to €4,800 | white-collar | €58,464 to €87,696 | no |
| Process operator | €2,800 to €3,800 | blue-collar | €51,167 to €69,441 | yes |
| Production manager | €3,800 to €5,400 | white-collar | €69,426 to €98,658 | yes |
| Project engineer | €3,300 to €5,000 | white-collar | €60,291 to €91,350 | yes |
| Quality engineer | €3,200 to €4,800 | white-collar | €58,464 to €87,696 | yes |
| Supply chain planner | €3,000 to €4,400 | white-collar | €54,810 to €80,388 | yes |
| Logistics team leader | €3,200 to €4,600 | white-collar | €58,464 to €84,042 | yes |
| Technical sales engineer | €3,200 to €5,000 | white-collar | €58,464 to €91,350 | yes |
Year-end premium and eco vouchers per sector
The sector rule from the official sector sheet and this year's eco voucher amount from the overview of the Federal Public Service Employment.
| PC | Sector | Year-end premium | Eco vouchers |
|---|---|---|---|
| 111 | metal, blue-collar | Differs per province; in bridge and steel structure assembly 8.33% of your annual gross wage | €250 per year |
| 112 | garages | see sector sheet | €250 per year |
| 116 | chemicals, blue-collar | At least 173.33 times your basic hourly wage of 1 December (in a 40-hour week) | no sector amount |
| 124 | construction | 9% of your gross wage, paid as loyalty stamps (getrouwheidszegels) | €115 per year |
| 140.03 | transport and logistics | see sector sheet | €200 per year |
| 149.01 | electricians | 8.33% of your gross wage in the reference period, paid through the sector fund | €250 per year |
| 149.02 | bodywork | see sector sheet | €250 per year |
| 149.04 | metal trade | see sector sheet | €250 per year |
| 200 | white-collar staff | One monthly salary | €250 per year |
| 207 | chemicals, white-collar | At least 100% of your basic salary for December | no sector amount |
| 209 | metal, white-collar | Differs per province: a thirteenth month or 8.33% of your annual gross salary | €250 per year |
| 220 | food, white-collar | Your gross monthly salary for December, plus the monthly average of your variable pay | €250 per year |
| 226 | logistics, white-collar | see sector sheet | €250 per year |
Method and sources
AltusConnect keeps a page per joint committee with pay scale, indexation, year-end premium and eco vouchers, and compares it automatically every week with the database of the Federal Public Service Employment. The barometer is a snapshot of those pages. Forecasts are labelled as forecasts; the employer cost is an indication and your payroll provider calculates the exact amount.
- FOD Werkgelegenheid, databank minimumlonen en indexeringen (laatste officiële indexering per comité) (as of 1 October 2026)
- Liantis, indexprognoses op basis van het Federaal Planbureau (as of 2 September 2026)
- Securex, indexprognoses (tweede bron) (as of 1 September 2026)
- FOD Werkgelegenheid, sectorfiches eindejaarspremie (uitbetaling 2026) (as of 1 October 2026)
- FOD Werkgelegenheid, sectoraal overzicht ecocheques 2025-2026 (as of 1 October 2026)
- VDAB, Knelpuntberoepen 2026 (as of 3 October 2026)
- Werkgeverskost: patronale RSZ, vakantiegeld en eindejaarspremie volgens de parameters 2026 van de loonkost-calculator op altusconnect.be (as of 3 October 2026)
Want to know what this means for your vacancy?
During the intake we translate the figures into a realistic package for the profile you need. You generally only pay when you hire someone.