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28/09/2026

How much does a student worker earn per hour in 2026? The hourly wage by age and by sector

A student worker earns an average of 14.21 euros gross per hour in 2026, but what you get depends on your age and on the sector you work in. The general minimum wage for an 18-year-old student is 10.72 euros per hour, while in hospitality you get at least 15.21 euros from the age of 18. From that gross wage only a solidarity contribution of 2.71% is deducted, as long as you stay within your 650 hours per year, and no withholding tax is taken. Below you will find the hourly wages by age and by sector, with worked examples and supplements. Everything applies to Flanders in 2026.

There is no separate student wage

As a student worker you fall under the pay scale of your employer's joint committee, just like your permanent colleagues. Stacking shelves means retail rules. Waiting tables means hospitality rules. That is why two students of the same age can be a few euros per hour apart.

Many sectors apply a percentage of the pay scale to young workers: the younger you are, the lower it is. From 21 you get the full pay scale everywhere.

The general minimum wage by age in 2026

If your sector has no rule of its own for students, the general minimum wage applies, the guaranteed average minimum monthly income. Since the indexation in the summer of 2026 it stands at 2,233.61 euros gross per month for a full-time job of 38 hours per week. Students under 21 get a percentage of that amount.

21 and older. 100%, or 13.56 euros gross per hour.
20 years. 90%, or 12.21 euros gross per hour.
19 years. 85%, or 11.53 euros gross per hour.
18 years. 79%, or 10.72 euros gross per hour.
17 years. 73%, or 9.90 euros gross per hour.
16 and younger. 67%, or 9.09 euros gross per hour.

That is the floor; sector pay scales are usually higher. A 15-year-old, allowed to work since 7 May 2026, falls under the same 67%. Which jobs you may do at that age is explained in anyshift.be

Hospitality: what you earn by age

Many students work in hospitality (joint committee 302). The lowest hourly wage, category I with no experience, has been 15.21 euros gross per hour since 1 January 2026. Students get a percentage of it according to their age.

18 and older. 100%, or 15.21 euros gross per hour.
17 years. 90%, or 13.69 euros gross per hour.
16 years. 80%, or 12.17 euros gross per hour.
15 years. 70%, or 10.65 euros gross per hour.

An employer may place a student two job categories lower than a permanent employee in the same role. Seniority from a previous job does not count in hospitality: you always start at zero years of experience.

Retail, logistics and other sectors

In independent retail (joint committee 201), a student gets a percentage of the starting wage for the role: 80% at 16, 84% at 17, 88% at 18, 92% at 19, 96% at 20 and 100% from 21.

Logistics for third parties (joint committee 140.03) works differently. Every student worker there gets at least 90% of the hourly wage for the role, whatever their age. The lowest pay scale stood at 14.93 euros gross per hour on 1 January 2026, which comes to 13.43 euros for a student.

In other sectors, the correct amount is in the collective agreement of the joint committee named on your student employment contract. Which sectors near you are looking for students is shown on anyshift.be

From gross to net: what is deducted

As long as you stay within the quota of 650 hours per calendar year, you only pay a solidarity contribution of 2.71%. Your employer does not withhold any tax. Out of 100 euros gross, you keep 97.29 euros net.

If you work more than 650 hours, you pay the ordinary social security contributions of 13.07% on the extra hours, and usually withholding tax as well. Answers to common questions about your hours are on anyshift.be

And how much may a student earn in 2026? For your own taxes, the threshold is 15,971.43 euros in gross taxable income. Below that, you pay no tax. You remain a dependent of your parents for tax purposes up to 12,300 euros in net means, with the first 7,010 euros of student pay not counted. That comes to roughly 22,400 euros gross from student work.

Worked example: 10 hours a week at 18

You are 18 and work 10 hours every week in a brasserie at the lowest hospitality pay scale.

Gross wage per week. 10 hours at 15.21 euros, or 152.10 euros.
Solidarity contribution. 2.71%, or 4.12 euros.
Net wage per week. 147.98 euros.
Net wage per month. About 640 euros at an average of 4.33 weeks.

If you work the same 10 hours in a sector that only follows the general minimum wage, you earn 107.20 euros gross and 104.29 euros net per week. Over 40 weeks that difference adds up to more than 1,700 euros net. If you use all 650 hours at the hospitality pay scale, you reach 9,886.50 euros gross, or about 9,620 euros net.

Sunday and night supplements

On top of your hourly wage, you are entitled to the same supplements as your permanent colleagues. In hospitality you get an extra 2 euros per hour on a Sunday or public holiday in 2026, up to 12 euros per day. For every hour between midnight and 5 am you get a night premium of 1.62 euros.

An 8-hour Sunday shift at 18 therefore brings 121.68 euros in hourly wages, plus a 12-euro supplement. That is 133.68 euros gross, or 130.06 euros net.

Take care if you are a minor. Night work is not allowed, and in hospitality 16- and 17-year-olds may work until 11 pm and only one Sunday in two. How this works for flexi-jobbers is explained in anyshift.be

What are the best paid student jobs?

In June 2026, Securex worked out which sectors pay the most, based on almost 387,000 student contracts. Construction comes first with an average of 18.05 euros per hour, followed by cleaning at 16.69 euros and metal and electrical engineering at 16.31 euros. Tourist attractions come last at 11.65 euros.

Age plays a role too: according to the same figures, a 15-year-old earned an average of 11.24 euros, an 18-year-old 14.10 euros. More on those averages is in anyshift.be and more tips for finding a well-paid job are in anyshift.be

Practical: contract, Dimona and your payslip

For every student job you sign a written student employment contract, at the latest on your first working day. It states your role, your hourly wage and the joint committee. If you are a minor, a parent co-signs.

Your employer also files a Dimona declaration of the STU type. That declaration makes your hours count against the 650 and gives you the reduced contribution of 2.71%.

Five tips to get more out of your hourly wage

Ask for the joint committee. With that number you can check yourself whether your hourly wage is right.
Check your age percentage. If you turn 18 this year, your hourly wage must go up from your birthday.
Choose weekend shifts on purpose. A Sunday in hospitality brings up to 12 euros extra.
Spread your 650 hours wisely. Keep some in reserve for the best paid periods.
Compare sectors. A difference of two euros per hour already adds up to 400 euros over 200 hours. Open jobs are on anyshift.be

Frequently asked questions about a student worker's hourly wage

How much does an 18-year-old student worker earn per hour?

At least 10.72 euros gross under the general minimum wage. In hospitality you get the full pay scale of at least 15.21 euros per hour from 18.

How much does a 15-year-old student worker earn?

In hospitality at least 10.65 euros gross per hour, or 70% of the pay scale. If your sector follows the general minimum wage, it is 9.09 euros per hour.

How much do I keep net as a student worker?

Within the 650 hours you keep 97.29% of your gross wage. Only the solidarity contribution of 2.71% is deducted, with no withholding tax.

What is the best paid student job?

According to Securex, construction pays the most on average, at 18.05 euros per hour.

How much may a student earn in 2026?

You pay no tax yourself up to 15,971.43 euros gross taxable. You remain a dependent of your parents up to roughly 22,400 euros gross from student work.

In short

There is no fixed student wage: you follow the pay scale of your sector, with a percentage based on your age until you turn 21. The general minimum wage for an 18-year-old is 10.72 euros per hour in 2026, and 15.21 euros in hospitality. Within the 650 hours only 2.71% is deducted, so gross and net stay close. Read more on anyshift.be and anyshift.be. Employers looking for student workers will find guidance on anyshift.be

📲 Shifts in hospitality, retail or logistics that fit around your classes are in the AnyShift app. Download it on the App Store apps.apple.com or on Google Play play.google.com