Salaries in Brussels EU affairs

What is a typical salary in Brussels EU affairs?

The median salary stated in the jobs on our board is €4,182 a month, gross. The middle half of those jobs pay between €3,422 and €5,288.

The figures come from the 512 jobs with a stated amount among the 1,026 jobs (traineeships not included) that we published in the last twelve months. They are the salaries employers chose to publish, so they lean towards organisations that are open about pay, such as NGOs. Yearly amounts are divided by twelve, and the midpoint of a range is used.

How does pay rise with experience?

Roughly, from about €3,142 a month for entry-level roles to about €6,750 for senior roles with ten years or more.

Salary ranges by experience level, per month

The tick is the median, the bar the middle half of salaries (25th to 75th percentile). Jobs with an experience level and a stated salary; the level is recorded since mid-2025. “Too few” means fewer than 30 jobs.

Which fields pay most?

Policy & Advocacy roles have the highest median among the fields with enough data, at €4,711 a month. Roles in finance (€3,819) and communication & marketing (€3,768) pay least.

Salary ranges by field, per month

Fields with fewer than 30 jobs with a salary are left out.

Which employers pay most?

International organisations and embassies state the highest pay, but often net of tax. Among NGOs, the largest group, the median is €4,019.

*UN agencies and other international organisations often quote pay net of tax, which makes their figures look higher. “Too few” means fewer than 30 jobs with a salary.

What do the EU institutions pay?

EU staff are paid on fixed scales that rise every year. A graduate contract agent starts on €4,449.31 a month basic salary, and accredited assistants to MEPs earn €2,377 to €10,949, depending on the grade.

Contract agents, basic monthly salary from 1 July 2025

Basic monthly salary, step 1 of the lowest and highest grade, grid of 1 July 2025. The 1 July 2026 update is usually published in December.

EU staff pay EU tax instead of Belgian income tax, and may receive allowances: a 16 % expatriation allowance if they moved to Belgium for the job, and household and child allowances. So an EU salary is worth more net than the same gross amount from a Belgian employer. Our EU salary calculator works out the take-home pay for each grade. The full APA salary scale is on our European Parliament page.

Sources: Fusion for Energy, contract agent remuneration 2025, EU Careers, salary and allowances, Official Journal C/2025/6564, 2025 annual update of remuneration, point 18 (checked October 2026)

What do traineeships pay?

The median stipend stated in traineeships on our board is €1,200 a month; the EU programmes pay more, €1,889 for a Schuman traineeship in 2026.

The traineeship guide has the stipends by programme and employer type.

How should you compare salary offers?

Ask whether the amount is gross or net, monthly or yearly, and whether it includes a thirteenth month and holiday pay. Those three questions explain most of the gaps between offers.

• Gross and net. Belgian salaries are quoted gross, before social security and income tax. EU salaries are taxed by the EU at lower effective rates, and some international organisations quote net pay.
• Thirteenth month and holiday pay. Many Belgian employers pay an end-of-year bonus and double holiday pay on top of twelve monthly salaries. A yearly package divided by twelve therefore looks higher than the monthly salary.
• Benefits. Meal vouchers, public transport, hospitalisation insurance and a pension plan are common in Belgium and are often not in the headline figure.
• Permits. If you are not an EU citizen, the salary also decides your work permit. In 2026 the Brussels thresholds are €3,703.44 gross a month for highly skilled workers, €6,647.20 for managers and €4,748.00 for an EU Blue Card.

Pay should become easier to compare. The EU Pay Transparency Directive was due in national law by 7 June 2026; Belgium’s federal government has not yet transposed it. Once it does, employers will have to give candidates the starting pay or a range, and may not ask about your salary history. Until then, the jobs with a stated salary list shows the open vacancies that publish pay.

Sources: KPMG flash alert, 26 January 2026, BDO Belgium, pay transparency recap 2026 (checked October 2026)

Frequently asked questions