Student minimum wage 2026 in Belgium: how much per hour at your age?
In short
Since 1 July 2026, Belgium’s guaranteed average minimum monthly income (RMMMG) is €2,233.61 gross a month, or €13.56 gross an hour for a 38-hour week. On a student contract you get 100% of it from age 21, 90% at 20, 85% at 19 and 79% at 18; under 18, whatever the contract, it is 73% at 17 and 67% at 16 and under. Your employer’s joint committee can set its own pay scale, and that scale then applies: in hospitality (horeca), for example, it is at least €15.21 gross an hour from age 18.
How much per hour at your age in 2026?
These are the gross RMMMG amounts in force since 1 July 2026 for a student employment contract, as published by the FPS Employment. The hourly amount is given for guidance, for a 38-hour working week.
| Your age | Share of the RMMMG | Gross per month | Gross per hour (38-hour week) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 21 and over | 100% | €2,233.61 | €13.5644 |
| 20 | 90% | €2,010.25 | €12.2079 |
| 19 | 85% | €1,898.57 | €11.5297 |
| 18 | 79% | €1,764.55 | €10.7158 |
| 17 | 73% | €1,630.54 | €9.9020 |
| 16 and under | 67% | €1,496.52 | €9.0881 |
At 18, 19 and 20, these reduced percentages only apply on a student employment contract: on an ordinary employment contract you are entitled to the full RMMMG from age 18, that is €2,233.61 a month or €13.56 an hour. Under 18, the reduced percentage applies to every contract, student contracts included.
These are gross amounts. Within your 650 student hours, only a 2.71% solidarity contribution is deducted from your gross pay: €13.56 gross an hour comes to about €13.19 net.
Who really sets your minimum: your sector or the RMMMG?
First, the joint committee (JC) your employer belongs to: its collective agreement sets pay by job, sometimes with specific amounts for young people or students. Your JC number is on your student contract, and its pay scales are published on salairesminimums.be (FPS Employment). If your sector’s scale has nothing specific for young people, it applies to you too, with no age reduction. The reduced RMMMG in the table only applies if no pay set by your sector covers workers under 21. From age 21, and from 18 on an ordinary contract, the RMMMG remains a floor: a sector pay scale cannot, in principle, go below it.
| Horeca (joint committee 302), 2026 | Minimum gross per hour |
|---|---|
| 18 and over (category I scale) | €15.21 (€15.2097) |
| 17 on a student contract (90%) | €13.69 |
| 16 on a student contract (80%) | €12.17 |
| 15 on a student contract (70%) | €10.65 |
The RMMMG is a monthly average calculated over the calendar year: some amounts paid during the year, such as a year-end bonus, count towards it. If your hourly rate looks below the minimum, first ask your employer for the details; the Social Legislation Inspectorate (FPS Employment) can also tell you the minimum for your joint committee.
And on a flexi-job, what is the minimum wage?
A flexi-job is a different contract, not a student contract: its conditions are in the flexi-job guide. Its minimum is set separately. In horeca it is €12.11 gross an hour since 1 September 2026, plus 7.67% holiday pay paid with the wage, making €13.04. In other sectors it is at least the pay scale for the job or, if there is none, the RMMMG, plus the same holiday pay, which makes €14.60 an hour including holiday pay, based on a 38-hour week. No personal contributions are deducted from flexi pay.
Related questions
What is the minimum wage for a 17-year-old student worker?
If no pay scale of your sector applies to you: 73% of the RMMMG, that is €1,630.54 gross a month or €9.9020 gross an hour for a 38-hour week, since 1 July 2026. In horeca it is 90% of the pay scale on a student contract: €13.69 gross an hour.
How much is €13.56 gross an hour in net pay?
About €13.19 net within your 650 hours on a student contract, because only the 2.71% solidarity contribution is deducted. Above 650 hours a year, ordinary contributions apply: the payslip guide explains the calculation.
I am 19 on an ordinary contract: what is my minimum?
The full RMMMG: €2,233.61 gross a month or €13.56 gross an hour for a 38-hour week. The reduction to 85% only applies on a student employment contract.
My employer pays me below the minimum: what can I do?
First check your joint committee’s pay scale, then ask in writing for the difference to be paid: it is owed to you. The Social Legislation Inspectorate (FPS Employment) can tell you the minimum for your sector. The steps and deadlines for claiming are in the unpaid wages guide.
Is the minimum wage the same in Flanders, Brussels and Wallonia?
Yes for the RMMMG: it comes from agreements concluded in the National Labour Council to guarantee a minimum income to every worker, everywhere in Belgium. Pay scales depend on your employer’s joint committee.
Does the amount change during the year?
Yes, it is indexed. The amounts in this guide have applied since 1 July 2026; for an older pay period, use the amount that applied that month.
Official sources
- Student@work (NSSO): your wage and your benefits
- FPS Employment: student employment contract, minimum income by age since 1 July 2026 (in French)
- FPS Employment: pay, RMMMG and collective agreements no. 43 and no. 50 (in French)
- National Labour Council: collective agreement no. 50, workers under 21 (in French)
- FPS Employment, minimum wages: joint committee 302, horeca (in French)
- NSSO: minimum flexi wage, administrative instructions 2026/3 (in French)
Trakko is not an official source: this guide sums up the rules as published by the authorities on the date shown. For an answer you can rely on, check Student@work, mycareer.be or the body quoted.