Wage ceiling

• Normal wage ceiling
• Lower wage ceiling for certain assimilated periods from the age of 58
• Minimum wage ceiling for certain assimilated periods from 2012
  • Summary table
  • Application of the different wage ceilings
• Evolution of the wage ceiling

Normal wage ceiling

If the total annual wages exceed a certain ceiling, we limit the wages to this ceiling for the pension calculation.

This wage ceiling is established yearly and applies for a full year of 312 full-time worked or assimilated days.

For 2025, the wage ceiling amounts to 82 608,94 EUR for a full year.

Please note:

If you do not have a full year, the wage ceiling is calculated in proportion to your number of full-time days. This is called the pro rata calculation. This calculation is carried out as follows:

Annual ceiling x number of worked and assimilated full-time days
312

If the actual earnings exceed the pro-rata wage ceiling, the pension proceeds are calculated on the basis of the pro-rata wages.

This pro rata calculation also applies for the lower wage ceiling and the minimum wage ceiling.

Lower wage ceiling for certain assimilated periods from the age of 58

For the fictitious salaries of certain assimilated periods from the year of the 58^th birthday onwards, we use a lower wage ceiling. This is called the 'differentiated' wage ceiling. For 2025, it amounts to 74 513,68 EUR for a full year.

From the year in which you turn 58, we limit the fictitious salary to the differentiated wage ceiling for the following assimilated periods:

• involuntary unemployment;
• unemployment with company supplement scheme (USS);
• full-time career interruption;
• full time credit.

There are no exceptions to the application of the 'differentiated' wage ceiling.

Minimum wage ceiling for certain assimilated periods from 2012

For years from 2012 onwards, certain assimilated periods count less towards the pension amount due to the application of the limited fictitious salary on the basis of the minimum guaranteed wage ceiling. For 2025, it amounts to 32 764,09 EUR for a full year.

The minimum wage ceiling is applied to:

• Involuntary unemployment: second and third period (there are exceptions)
• Unemployment with company supplement scheme (USS) (there are exceptions)
• Pseudo early retirement (Canada Dry pension)
  
  

Summary table

 

Application of the different wage ceilings

For the calculation of your pension, we divide your worked and assimilated days per career year into 4 different categories:

• Worked days - normal ceiling
• Assimilated days - high ceiling
• Assimilated days - low ceiling
• Assimilated days - minimum ceiling

The wages per category are limited to the appropriate ceiling. Therefore, we multiply:

• the wage ceiling;
  by
• the portion of the category

in comparison to a full year of 312 days.

Example

Florent was 59 years old in 2025 and has, in that year, 150 worked days, 10 sickness days, 40 days of unemployment and 112 days of USS.

The following table shows how we determine the wage ceiling per category for Florent.

For the year 2025, we limit the wages we use in Florent's pension calculation per category to the maximum wage in the last column.

 

Evolution of the wage ceiling

In the past, different wage ceilings per professional category existed:

• Since 1981, the wage ceiling is the same for manual workers, office workers, miners and seafarers;
  • Until 1980, no wage ceiling existed for manual workers and miners.
  • The wages for office workers and aircrew members have always been evaluated on the basis of a wage ceiling.
    
    
• Since 2012, the wage ceiling is the same for all employees, with the exception of the persons born before 1957 who are still insured in the special scheme for civilian aircrew.
  
  

Overview wage ceiling for:

• Employees (from 1981 onwards)
• Professional journalists
• Civilian aircrews

Employees from 1981 onwards

 

Professional journalists

For professional journalists, we use the same wage ceilings as for employees.

Civil aviation

Different wage ceilings exist for pilot and cabin crews.

Pilot crews

From 2012 onwards, these wage ceilings are only of application to you if you:

1. were at least 55 years old on 31.12.2011;
   and
2. were insured in the special system for aviation.

Was this not the case? In that case, the wage ceilings as an employee are of application to you.

From 1981 onwards, these wage limits also apply to the test pilots. Before 1981, the wage ceilings as an employee apply, except if you paid regularisation contributions.

For the years between 1964 and 1972, we calculate your pension on the basis of the wage ceiling multiplied by 10 % if your wages are equal to the wage ceiling.

Table

Cabin crew

From 2012 onwards, these wage ceilings are of application to you if you:

1. were at least 55 years old on 31.12.2011;
   and
2. were insured in the special system for aviation.

Was this not the case? In that case, the wage ceilings as an employee are of application to you.

From 1981 onwards, these wage limits also apply to the stewardesses. Before 1981, the wage ceilings as an employee apply, except if you paid regularisation contributions.

For the years between 1964 and 1972, we calculate your pension on the basis of the wage ceiling multiplied by 10 % if your wages are equal to the wage ceiling.

Table