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Tax and budget · Budget and housing

The salary you need in 2026: how much gross for your budget?

Updated on

Calculate the salary you need

For €2,300 net a month on average, a single white-collar worker needs €2,241 gross a month in 2026, double holiday pay and year-end bonus included; without these bonuses, they would need €3,162. As a self-employed person, you need €47,057 of income a year after expenses, before contributions and tax; through Smart, €5,242 invoiced a month. Calculated with the parameters in force on 1 October 2026.

Enter your budget item by item, and your current loans: the tool calculates the gross pay you need depending on your status, and what is left after your repayments.

€2,241gross a month for €2,300 net on average, single white-collar worker, holiday pay and 13th month included
€47,057of income a year before contributions, for the same net as self-employed as a main occupation
1/3of your income: the usual benchmark for a mortgage loan’s monthly repayment (Wikifin)

The gross pay needed for each budget, by status

The target net is an average over the year: an employee also receives double holiday pay and often a year-end bonus. The gross monthly pay that helps fund them is therefore lower than the pay that would give this net every month.

Target net per monthWhite-collar, with holiday pay and 13th monthWhite-collar, over 12 monthsBlue-collar, with holiday pay and 13th monthSelf-employed, income per yearSmart, invoiced per month
€1,800€1,636€1,800€1,648€33,341€2,984
€2,000€1,830€2,064€1,839€38,690€3,421
€2,300€2,241€3,162€2,218€47,057€5,242
€2,600€3,334€3,966€3,128€55,423€6,574
€3,000€4,150€4,882€3,969€67,158€8,094
€3,500€5,187€6,083€4,897€82,707€10,083
Single person, no children, parameters in force on 1 October 2026. White-collar and blue-collar workers: year-end bonus of one month’s salary; blue-collar workers’ holiday pay paid by the holiday fund. Self-employed as a main occupation: income after expenses, before social security contributions and tax, municipal tax of 7%. Smart: amount invoiced excluding VAT, 6.5% contribution included.

Between about 2,300 and €3,400 gross, the work bonus (werkbonus / bonus à l’emploi) falls as pay rises: each extra euro net then requires more gross. That is why the gap between the rows widens in the middle of the table. For the effect of a pay rise, see pay rise or benefits.

By family situation

SituationWith holiday pay and 13th monthOver 12 months
Single, no children€2,241€3,162
Single, 2 children€2,098€2,416
Couple, single income€2,022€2,328
Couple, dual income€2,247€3,179
Couple, two incomes, 2 children€2,101€2,441
White-collar worker, €2,300 net a month on average, parameters in force on 1 October 2026. Couple: the budget this salary must cover; with two incomes, each salary is calculated separately.

With dependent children or a spouse with no income, withholding tax (bedrijfsvoorheffing / précompte professionnel) falls: the same net requires less gross.

Your loans: net pay available after repayments

The monthly repayments on your loans (mortgage, car, consumer credit) are added to your budget. The tool counts them in the net you need, then shows what is left once repayments are made. Example: with the budget suggested by the tool (€2,200 a month) and a mortgage loan of €700 a month, you need €2,900 net, i.e. €3,950 gross as a single white-collar worker; the loan takes 24% of this net.

Benchmark: according to Wikifin, the FSMA’s financial education website, the monthly repayment on a mortgage loan generally does not exceed about a third (33%) of the household’s monthly income. Above that, a lender will be more cautious. Indicative information, not advice: your bank or an approved credit intermediary will assess your application.

The same repayments are used to calculate your borrowing capacity, compare renting or buying and split the couple’s budget.

How Indexo calculates the salary you need

  • White-collar and blue-collar workers: Indexo looks for the gross monthly pay at which net pay for the year (12 salaries, double holiday pay, year-end bonus if you tick it), divided by 12, reaches your budget. The calculation follows the payslip: social security contributions of 13.07%, work bonus, withholding tax, special social security contribution, non-recurring withholding tax on holiday pay and the bonus.
  • Self-employed as a main occupation: the income after expenses that, once social security contributions (20.5% up to the first ceiling, with a minimum contribution) and tax are paid, leaves your budget. The social insurance fund’s management fees are not counted; to set your price, see what rate to charge.
  • Smart member: the amount to invoice, excluding VAT, after the 6.5% contribution, employer contributions and your employee deductions. Details of the status: Smart member.

The withholding tax deducted each month is an advance: the following year’s tax may refund you a little or claim a little more. See tax refund or tax to pay. To earn more without changing jobs: earn more.

Calculate the salary you need

Enter your monthly budget, item by item, and your current loans. Indexo calculates the gross pay you need depending on your status, holiday pay and year-end bonus included, and what is left after your repayments. The suggested amounts are an example: replace them with your own. Nothing is sent: everything is calculated in your browser.

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Frequently asked questions

What gross salary do you need for €2,300 net a month?

For a single white-collar worker, €2,241 gross a month if you count double holiday pay and a one-month year-end bonus (average net over the year), or €3,162 gross to receive €2,300 net every month, without these bonuses. Parameters in force on 1 October 2026.

Do holiday pay and the 13th month count?

Yes, if you think in terms of the year. Double holiday pay (92% of a month’s gross pay for white-collar workers) and the year-end bonus come on top of the 12 salaries: the gross monthly pay needed for the same average budget is therefore lower. For blue-collar workers, holiday pay is paid by the holiday fund.

How much should you invoice as a self-employed person to make a living?

For €2,300 net a month, a single person self-employed as a main occupation needs about €47,057 of income a year after expenses, before social security contributions and tax. Add your professional expenses and any VAT to get your turnover, then divide by your billable hours.

What share of my salary can go to a loan?

Common benchmark: the monthly repayment on a mortgage loan does not exceed about a third of the household’s monthly income (Wikifin, FSMA). The tool shows what share of your net pay goes to your loans and what is left. Your lender assesses your full application.

Does the calculation take my final tax into account?

It is based on the withholding tax deducted each month, which is an advance on your tax. The final tax, calculated the following year with your municipality’s actual rate and your deductions, may refund you a little or claim a little more.

What next?

Sources

Parameters in force on 1 October 2026. Each parameter links to its source, the official one where it exists; a secondary source is flagged as such.