The Netherlands Executive Assistant Salaries

An Executive Assistant in the Netherlands earns between €3,700 and €4,650 gross per month on average in 2026, depending on which source you use, with senior assistants supporting a board or a chief executive reaching around €6,000 per month. Luxembourg pays the highest headline salaries in the Benelux region, while Belgium sits lower on base pay but compensates through one of the most generous statutory benefit structures in Europe. This page covers what Executive Assistants earn across the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg, how to read Dutch and Belgian salary figures correctly, and why comparing a Benelux offer with a UK or US figure on base salary alone will mislead you.

Before the numbers, three points that cause most of the confusion when comparing offers across borders.

Salaries are quoted monthly, not annually. Dutch and Belgian job adverts and recruiters quote gross monthly pay for a full-time week. Multiplying by twelve does not give you the annual package.

Holiday allowance sits on top. In the Netherlands, employers pay a statutory holiday allowance of 8 per cent of annual gross salary, normally in May. A monthly figure of €4,115 is therefore worth roughly €53,300 a year once holiday allowance is included, not €49,380.

Belgium adds more again. A thirteenth-month payment and double holiday pay are standard in most Belgian sectors, and meal vouchers, eco vouchers, hospitalisation insurance and, in many cases, a company car or mobility budget are normal parts of an executive support package rather than perks. A Belgian base salary that looks low against a Dutch one often closes most of the gap once these are counted.

Below you will see the salaries of Executive Assistants from major cities across The Netherlands. Some of the larger cities have higher salaries. This is generally because they have more headquarters or higher-paying industries than others. However, in general, the Netherlands has less variation in levels of wages than in other comparable countries.

The spread between €3,705 and €4,647 is not a contradiction. Each source measures a different population. Job board data blends management assistant and team assistant roles that carry the Executive Assistant title loosely, which pulls the average down. Specialist sources measure roles that genuinely support directors and board members, where the work is heavier and the pay is higher.

In annual terms, including the 8 per cent holiday allowance, the Dutch market runs from around €48,000 for a role at the lower end to around €78,000 for a senior assistant supporting a board, before any bonus or thirteenth month.

Eindhoven figures are based on a small reported sample and should be treated as indicative. Reliable separate benchmarks for Rotterdam, The Hague and Utrecht were not available for this update, so those markets are described below against the national figure rather than given a false precision.

The Netherlands has less regional variation in Executive Assistant pay than the UK, the US or Germany. The Randstad cities sit within a few hundred euros of each other, and the difference between working in Amsterdam and working in Utrecht is generally smaller than the difference between supporting a department head and supporting a board.

Amsterdam

Amsterdam holds the deepest market for Executive Assistant roles in the country and the largest concentration of international employers, which matters because those roles are usually conducted in English and often carry broader scope. Annual figures for Amsterdam sit around €56,500 on average, with the typical band running from €46,000 to €65,300 and top earners reported at €81,168.

Amsterdam Centrum roles pay noticeably above the wider city average, reflecting the concentration of head offices, legal firms and financial services employers in the centre and on the Zuidas.

Rotterdam, The Hague and Utrecht

Rotterdam pay is driven by logistics, energy, maritime and professional services employers, and advertised bands for experienced assistants commonly start around €3,000 to €4,000 per month with senior roles well above that. The Hague carries a different mix, with government bodies, international institutions and non governmental organisations setting pay against published scales rather than market rates, which narrows the range in both directions. Utrecht sits close to the national average and benefits from being the most accessible city in the country by rail, which widens the candidate pool and keeps pay in line with the national figure rather than above it.

Eindhoven and the Brainport region

Eindhoven punches above its size. The technology and semiconductor cluster around the city supports a number of well paid executive support roles, many of them in English and many attached to international leadership teams. For assistants willing to work outside the Randstad, it is frequently the strongest value proposition in the country once housing costs are taken into account.

Luxembourg figures are converted from reported annual data: €57,400 average, €48,350 to €68,175 typical range, and €77,700 at the 90th percentile. Belgian figures exclude the thirteenth month, double holiday pay and voucher benefits described below.

Belgium Executive Assistant salaries

Brussels sits at the centre of the Belgian market, with an average of around €3,751 gross per month for Executive Assistants and a typical band of €3,008 to €4,760. Senior assistants report an average closer to €5,555 per month. Specialist recruitment guidance for Belgium places personal and executive assistant roles between €3,179 and €4,657 per month, which aligns closely with the reported data.

Brussels carries one feature no other Benelux market has at the same scale. The European institutions, permanent representations, trade associations and lobbying organisations in the city employ a large number of assistants, and pay there follows published grade structures rather than the commercial market. Contract agent roles commonly fall between €30,000 and €48,000 a year, while official grades start higher and carry substantial additional benefits including healthcare reimbursement and expatriation allowances. Multilingual candidates with French, Dutch, and English have a clear advantage across the Brussels market.

Antwerp and Ghent follow Brussels, with Antwerp the stronger of the two, backed by its port, logistics, chemical, and diamond sectors.

Luxembourg Executive Assistant salaries

Luxembourg offers the highest Executive Assistant pay in the Benelux region and among the highest in continental Europe. The average sits at €57,400 a year, with a typical band of €48,350 to €68,175 and top earners reported at €77,700. Employer survey data covering the full Executive Assistant role places the average higher again, at €83,843, with senior assistants at eight or more years of experience averaging €104,351.

Two features shape the Luxembourg market. Salaries are index-linked, so pay rises automatically when the cost-of-living index passes a threshold, which is unusual in Europe and worth understanding before negotiating. A large share of the workforce commutes daily from France, Belgium, and Germany, which means the effective value of a Luxembourg salary depends heavily on where you live and which tax regime applies to you.

The fund administration, private banking, and EU institution sectors account for most higher-paid executive support roles in the Grand Duchy, and French, alongside English, is expected in most of them.

Job titles in the Dutch market are used loosely and don’t reliably indicate pay on their own. What one employer calls an executive assistant, another calls a directiesecretaresse or a management assistant, and the same title can differ by €1,500 a month depending on the work behind it.

The factors that consistently move pay are the seniority of the people supported, whether the role covers multiple directors or international diaries, the level of discretion involved in confidential files, and whether the assistant contributes to decision preparation rather than only coordination.

Which sectors pay the most in the Benelux region

Finance, consultancy, technology, legal services, energy and pharmaceuticals pay above the regional benchmark throughout the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg. In Luxembourg, the fund and private banking sector sets the ceiling. In Amsterdam, the Zuidas financial district and the international technology employers do the same. In Brussels, the highest commercial salaries are found in law, consultancy and corporate representation.

Healthcare, education, the public sector and non-profit organisations pay below the commercial market in all three countries, often against collective labour agreement scales. These roles typically offer stronger job security, better-defined pension arrangements, and more predictable hours, which many assistants value more than the difference in gross pay.

Benefits, allowances and total package

Base salary tells you less in the Benelux region than in most markets, because so much of the package is structured rather than discretionary.

In the Netherlands, expect the 8 per cent holiday allowance as standard, a pension contribution, a travel or home-working allowance, and, in many organisations, a thirteenth month or a year-end payment. Reported bonuses for Dutch Executive Assistants range from a few hundred euros to around €10,000 depending on sector.

In Belgium, the thirteenth month, double holiday pay, meal vouchers, eco vouchers, hospitalisation insurance and a company car or mobility budget are common enough to be treated as part of the baseline. Comparing a Belgian and a Dutch offer without pricing these will always incorrectly favour the Dutch role.

In Luxembourg, index-linked pay, strong pension provision and cross-border tax arrangements matter more to net outcome than the headline figure. Reported bonuses average around €2,000, with a range up to €8,000.

Flexible and hybrid working

The Benelux region moved to flexible working earlier and more completely than most of Europe, and Dutch employers in particular treat part-time and compressed working as normal rather than exceptional. A significant share of Dutch assistants work four days a week by choice, and pay is quoted against a full-time equivalent accordingly, so check the basis of any figure you compare.

Roles supporting a chief executive or a board are the most likely to require full office attendance, and are usually priced to reflect that.

How to increase your Executive Assistant salary in the Benelux region

1. Move up the executive you support. Board and chief executive support is the clearest step change in pay in all three countries.
2. Add languages. In Brussels and Luxembourg, a third working language moves you into a different candidate pool entirely. In the Netherlands, fluent business English is already assumed, so the advantage comes from French or German.
3. Move into a higher-paying sector. Fund administration in Luxembourg, financial services on the Zuidas and technology in Brainport all pay well above the national benchmarks.
4. Take on scope beyond coordination. Board papers, budget responsibility, project ownership and supervising other support staff all move a role into a higher band.
5. Build advanced Microsoft 365 and AI skills. Dutch employers increasingly price executive support on the time it saves the leadership team, and assistants who can use AI tools for research, drafting, reporting, and workflow can evidence that directly.

IEAA runs Executive Assistant training and qualifications for the Benelux region, delivered in English through live virtual classroom and online study. See the full Executive Assistant Courses range, the Executive Assistant qualification structure, our Microsoft Office courses, and EA courses in Amsterdam.

Frequently asked questions

What is the average Executive Assistant salary in the Netherlands in 2026?

Between €3,705 and €4,647 gross per month depending on the source, which is roughly €48,000 to €60,000 a year once the 8 per cent holiday allowance is included. Senior assistants supporting a board earn around €6,000 per month.

How much does an Executive Assistant earn in Amsterdam?

Around €4,172 gross per month, with a typical range of €3,237 to €5,376. Annually, the Amsterdam average is near €56,500, with top earners reported at €81,168.

Which Benelux country pays Executive Assistants the most?

Luxembourg, with an average of €57,400 a year and senior assistants reaching €77,700 and above. The Netherlands is second on base pay, and Belgium third, although Belgian statutory benefits close much of that gap.

Does the Dutch salary figure include holiday allowance?

Usually not. Dutch employers pay a statutory holiday allowance of 8 per cent of annual gross salary, normally in May, and it sits on top of the quoted monthly figure. Always confirm whether a figure is inclusive.

Do you need to speak Dutch to work as an Executive Assistant in the Netherlands?

Not always. International employers in Amsterdam, Eindhoven and the Randstad routinely operate in English, and many executive support roles are advertised in English. Dutch matters more in domestic organisations, the public sector, and healthcare.

What does an Executive Assistant earn in Brussels?

Around €3,751 gross per month on average, with a typical range of €3,008 to €4,760 and senior assistants averaging closer to €5,555. Roles within the European institutions follow published grade structures rather than market rates.

Does a qualification increase Executive Assistant pay in the Benelux region?

It helps most when paired with a move into a more senior support role. Employers in the region place more weight on demonstrated scope and language ability than on credentials alone, but a recognised qualification gives you documented evidence of capability in a role that is otherwise difficult to measure.

Method and sources

Figures on this page are drawn from Indeed, Glassdoor, PayScale, Werkzoeken, Intermediair, Robert Half, StepStone, SalaryExpert and specialist Benelux recruitment sources, using data published between January and September 2026.

Monthly figures are gross for a full-time week and exclude holiday allowance unless stated. Where sources disagree, we show the spread and explain what each one measures rather than averaging them into a single number. Cities without a reliable current sample are described qualitatively rather than given a figure.

Learn more about the role in our guide to what an Executive Assistant does, or compare with our UK and US Executive Assistant salary data.

Find out more about the wide range of Executive Assistants courses we offer

Find out more about our qualification structure and how to progress your career.