Wage watchers: how much does a surgeon earn?

Orthopaedic surgeon Bruno Willems, 50, from Hasselt, talks about what he earns and how he spends it.

What do you think of your salary?

As a self-employed orthopaedic surgeon, specialising in knee prosthetics, I earn on average €20,000 a month. It is a lot, but then again in America you earn ten times as much for the same amount of work. Besides, there are risks attached to this job: errors can be very costly with regards to respectability and image.

Would you look elsewhere if the money was better?

That is something that, in fact, I should have done ten years ago. If my wife and children wanted to accompany me, I’d go to America. Not just for work – I absolutely love that country. But now that the children are studying, it’s not so simple.

Do you save?

We save for ourselves and for the children. Thanks to my high salary, we can live comfortably and save too without having to compromise on anything.

What does the biggest part of your salary go towards?

My cars. I have three of them and they cost a lot to insure.

Is there anything specific on which you save money?

No. We don’t feel the effects of the crisis – yet – in my line of work. Besides, an artificial knee is not something on which you’re going to make a quick buck. 

What would you resent parting with your money for?

A swimming pool in the garden – I can’t see myself giving money for that.

What do you gladly pay for?

I’m the president of a handball team in Hasselt. They’re a very nice bunch of friends, and I’ll happily finance their social events and sponsor the team.

Imagine that tomorrow you get a bumper pay rise. What do you do with the money?

I would invest in cars and buy property in California. Even though the market has started to decline a bit, it’s still very expensive over there. But the lure of the Californian climate is something that I couldn’t resist.

(vab)