STEM Professional Outlook in Belgium

For a decade, there has been a shortage of STEM talent, and companies are investing a lot to attract and retain them. This has led them to use more external resources, either through freelancing or consulting (secondment). This scarcity of talent is a strategic issue for STEM sectors in Belgium, which nevertheless manage to position themselves well in a globalized market. The recent whitepaper written by our parent brand SThree gives a complete overview of the STEM market in Belgium (salary, rates, key figures, employment status and much more) and the article below is highlighting the main points. 

Freelancing, consulting (secondment) – what is the difference?

First, let us define these terms which can cover various realities. We are defining a freelancer as an entrepreneur operating independently or through a registered company, providing business-to-business services on a project/temporary basis. Consulting, on the other hand, involves a company offering expert advice through its employees (consultants) on a project basis within a specific field.

In 2022, the number of freelancers in Belgium increased by 12% in the second semester. There is a growing interest among workers in adopting this status, whether as a complement to their main occupation, for a change in fiscal regime, or for a complete career reorientation.

When we look at regions the general findings of Statbel show that 64% of freelancers in Belgium live in Flanders. This is also the region in which the increase of freelancers has been the highest (+16% versus +8% in Wallonia and +1% in Brussels).

In the Life Sciences sector, we observe a higher percentage for consulting (60,6%) compared to freelancing (39,4%). For more details and stats regarding other sectors make sure to download the full (free) whitepaper created by our parent brand SThree:

Download the full report here

The life sciences sector has a long business life cycle, is less project-based, and therefore influences the use of resources. Consulting is often used when there is an activity peak, and resources are internalised afterwards. On the worker’s side, it is observed that they are more open to this than in the IT sector, where candidates are willing to multiply projects to learn more about technologies and upskill themselves.

Evolution of the Life Sciences sector in Belgium

Overall, the STEM market in Belgium has been stable and even growing in some respects.

However, due to the pandemic in 2020, there was a slowdown in the STEM market, with new projects being put on hold, and less production lines working in some industries. This was mainly due to work conditions rules and uncertainty at that moment but the STEM market recovered quickly.

Life Sciences sector has been increasing the past years in Belgium, in terms of investments in R&D, going from 2.89 billion euros in 2016 to 5.20 billion euros in 2021 (more than doubled since 2015). This is the highest R&D biopharma investment per inhabitants in Europe. Moreover, the number of workers in the Life Sciences sector has increased by 3.9% compared to 2020, with 42,062 workers in 2021, and with indirect and induced employment, this represents 132,111 workers in 2021.

Remote work trends

The pandemic has accelerated the evolution of what we call the new ways of working. For several sectors, remote and hybrid working are considered the ‘new normal’. Since 2020, our figures show that the possibility of working remotely has been stable, with only 9% of the missions for which remote work is not possible. Within the Life Sciences sector we observed that 82% of companies are enabling their employees to work remotely (for medior to senior or expert positions).

It’s important to note that different variables can influence remote working, such as:

• The nature of job
• The cultural heritage of a sector
• The company culture
• The management style

Enablement to work remotely does not provide detailed figures on how remote work is organised. In one company remote work is ad hoc, in another one it will be 3 days a week, in department X it’s 2 days a week but in department Z it’s not possible.

Financial aspects

Freelance Outlook

An hourly rate (from medior to senior positions) can vary depending on the mission from 30€ up to 110€ per hour. It’s important to note that different factors can influence rates in general:

• The Seniority level
• The region (rates are generally higher in Brussels and Flanders)
• The mission’s length
• Hours worked per week
• The industry and nature of the project

For all complete and detailed overview of rates per function in the life sciences sector make sure to download the full (free) whitepaper created by our parent brand SThree:

Download the full report here

Consulting Outlook

When discussing salary, it’s important to mention the gross salary, as the net amount can vary based on your personal situation (married or not, children or not, etc.) and on extra net benefits you might have (net expenses, car allowance, fuel card etc.). It’s also important to understand if the salary is paid on a 13.92-month basis, 12 months, or differently, depending on the Joint Committee you are in or the country you are working in.

Then, look at the entire salary and understand what it’s made of. What kind of extra benefits do you have? Below you can find a non-exhaustive list of the main extra benefits we can find in Belgium:

All of these benefits have a value, and it’s good for you to know how much they represent in your package. This salary package varies from one company to another but it can represent between €410 and €1535 net per month!

If you want to get a complete overview of the STEM market in Belgium with more details regarding:

• The differences between freelancing and consulting status and which one to choose
• Remote working trends within STEM
• The major trends within STEM in Belgium and impact on the salary like the indexation
• How to start as a freelancer or consultant
• Legal tips & tricks

Make sure to download our full report available on the website of our parent brand SThree. Click on the button below to access:

Download the full report here