Managers earn the most, waiters the least

In 2011, the average working Belgian earned a gross monthly salary of €3,192, according to official figures from the Federal Public Service Economy. The professional category that earns the most is business management with €8,610 gross per month. Those who earn the least are servers and bartenders. The study gives a detailed list of the average salaries of almost all professions in Belgium, leaving out civil servants and the self-employed. It reveals some striking differences across the regions: In the Brussels-Capital Region, for example, workers enjoy an above-average salary of €3,694, while in Flanders that number is €3,129, and in Wallonia €2,989. Top managers and directors of companies, meanwhile, belong to another category altogether, earning an average monthly salary of €8,610 gross. Waiters and bartenders have to make do with €2,084.