What Salary Can I Expect for a Student Job?

Even as a Student, "Every Job Deserves a Salary" Holds True. What salary can you expect? What are the tax implications for your parents or your family allowances? Do you need to file a tax return? These are some of the key questions we aim to answer clearly.

How Much Will I Earn?

Your salary depends on the sector in which you work. Within each sector, collective labor agreements may set minimum wages.

If no agreement exists, your salary will be based on the guaranteed minimum average monthly wage.

Gross vs. Net Salary: What’s the Difference?

Gross salary: The total amount your employer agrees to pay you.

Net salary: The amount you actually receive after social security contributions and taxes are deducted.

If you work under a student contract and do not exceed the 650-hour quota, (updated in 2025) you will only pay a solidarity contribution to social security, which is much lower than the standard social contribution.

In most cases, if you only pay the solidarity contribution, you won’t have to pay income tax. However, you must still file a tax return.

If your annual income exceeds a certain amount, you may have to pay taxes. The tax-free income threshold changes yearly, so check Student@Work for up-to-date information.

How Much Social Security Contribution Do I Pay?

If you stay within your student work quota, you only pay a solidarity contribution of 2.71% of your gross salary. Your employer also contributes 5.42% of your gross salary.

For a regular job, employees usually pay 13.07% in social contributions, though this percentage may vary.

Am I Entitled to Paid Vacation and Holiday Pay?

Paid vacation and holiday bonuses are only available to workers paying full social security contributions.

If you only pay the solidarity contribution, you do not receive paid leave or a holiday bonus.

However, legal public holidays (e.g., Christmas, Easter, National Day) are different. You may be entitled to paid holidays depending on your contract.

Student Job and Professional Integration Internship

If you graduate in June and register as a job seeker with:

Actiris (Brussels)

Forem (Wallonia)

VDAB (Flanders)

Your professional integration internship begins in August and lasts up to one year. You must complete this period before being eligible for unemployment benefits.

Working under a student contract in August and September will not extend your integration period, meaning you can work in the summer without delaying your eligibility for unemployment benefits.

Will My Parents Pay More Taxes If I Work as a Student?

It depends. Your parents’ taxes are affected if you are no longer considered financially dependent.

A child is considered dependent if their income does not exceed a certain threshold. If you earn more than this threshold, your parents will pay higher taxes.

For students with a disability, the income threshold may be higher. These thresholds change yearly, so check Student@Work for the latest figures.

Will My Parents Keep Receiving Family Allowances?

Yes, as long as you do not work more than 240 hours per quarter in:

• January – June (1st and 2nd quarters)
• October – December (4th quarter)

If you exceed 240 hours, your parents will lose family allowances for that quarter

During the summer (July – September), you can work unlimited hours as long as you continue your studies the following year. Otherwise, the 240-hour rule applies.

If you are registered as a job seeker, your parents can still receive family allowances, provided your monthly income does not exceed the legal limit. This limit changes yearly, so check FAMIFED for current figures.

⚠️ Exceptions : If you just finished your studies, work part-time, or are self-employed, different rules may apply.

Do I Need to File a Tax Return?

Yes! Even if you only worked one day, you must file a tax return.

If you haven’t received a tax form by June 1st, contact your local tax office or file online via Tax-On-Web.

You must declare all taxable income, including any child support payments, although child support is not considered a personal income resource for tax dependency calculations.

Can I Work as a Self-Employed Student?

Yes! If you are over 18 years old, you can work as a self-employed student while keeping student benefits.

To do so, you must register with a social security fund for self-employed workers.

In Belgium, as long as you remain enrolled as a student, your parents can keep receiving family allowances until you turn 25, even if you’re registered as a self-employed student.

However, there’s an important condition: your self-employed activity must stay within certain limits in terms of income and working hours. If you go beyond these thresholds, both you and your parents risk losing the child benefit.

The exact rules may vary depending on your region of residence!

• Student self-employed in Flanders

If your net taxable annual income is less than €17,008.88 (in 2025), you retain the right to "Het Groeipakket".

Are you working as a student employee in addition to your self-employed activity? Then, to keep your right to child benefits, you may not work more than 600 hours as a student employee.

If you earn more than €17,008.88, you will be considered self-employed as a main profession and will lose your right to child benefits.

• Student self-employed in Brussels and Wallonia

If your annual net taxable income is less than €8,504.44 (in 2025), you’re exempt from social security contributions and you retain your right to family allowances.

If you earn between €8,504.44 and €17,008.88 (in 2025), in principle, you automatically become self-employed in a main occupation and therefore lose your family allowances. Because in this case, it’s assumed that you work more than 240 hours per quarter, which is the upper limit to retain the right to family allowances.

Find more information on the student self-employed status at Infor Jeunes.

Am I still considered ‘dependent’ on my parents for tax purposes?

You’re still considered dependent on your parents for tax purposes if your income does not exceed €4,100 (in 2025). This amount includes all your student income, whether you’re a self-employed student or a student worker.

For children of single parents, the threshold is €5,930.

For disabled children supported by a single parent, the maximum amount is €7,520.

Where Can I Find a Student Job?

Before earning a salary, you need to find a job.

Check the Student Jobs section of this website for updated job listings

You can also join Facebook groups based on your location:

📍 Student Jobs in Brussels

📍 Student Jobs in Liège

📍 Student Jobs in Charleroi

📍 Student Jobs in Namur

📍 Student Jobs in Mons

📍 Student Jobs in Hainaut

Start your job search today and make the most of your student work experience! 🚀