In Belgium, hiring activity in the legal sector remains robust, supported by growing regulatory demands and the accelerating digitalization of legal functions. Both law firms and corporate legal departments are on the lookout for professionals skilled in contract management, compliance, data protection, litigation and legal tech. Those who can navigate complex regulations while driving innovation are especially sought after.

As legal teams continue to adapt, attracting the right talent means rethinking traditional hiring approaches. Professionals with specialized digital and regulatory expertise are in a strong position to negotiate – not only on salary, but also on flexibility and career development. Employers that offer forward-looking work environments and well-rounded reward packages will be best placed to secure and retain top legal talent.

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Salaries by job category

The salaries below default to national averages. Select a job category and city to find figures for a specific market. Starting compensation — pay for someone new to a role — can vary significantly based on a candidate’s skills, experience and certifications, as well as other factors including industry, company size and revenue, and demand for the role. To reflect this variability, we report our salary data in three percentiles.

Legal

Job title

25th percentile

50th percentile

75th percentile

Legal Assistant

2585

2835

3652

Real Estate Legal Counsel

3762

5649

7737

Legal Counsel

3797

5694

7720

Data Protection Officer

3800

5128

7697

Corporate Legal Counsel

3950

5936

8233

Real Estate Legal Counsel (Independent)

4689

8186

12616

Corporate Legal Counsel (Independent)

4777

8202

13121

Head of Legal

8232

10313

12436

Head of Legal (Independent)

12853

16518

20705

25th percentile

The candidate is new to the role or has limited experience and is building necessary skills.

50th percentile

The candidate has moderate experience in the role, meets most requirements or has equivalent transferrable skills, and may also have relevant certifications.

75th percentile

The candidate has extensive experience and advanced skills for the role, and may also have specialized certifications.

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Future-ready legal talent in demand

Almost 30% of Belgian businesses plan to grow their legal, risk and compliance teams, focusing on talent that combines legal, financial and analytical skills to meet evolving business and regulatory demands.

Business law (commercial and contracts)

Corporate law

Real estate law

Employment law

Analysis and research skills

Financial skills

Legal code

Commercial awareness

Experience pays in legal hiring

58% of legal hiring managers in Belgium are willing to offer higher salaries to experienced candidates with strong legal, financial and AI skills.

Generative AI solutions use

Agentic AI use

Financial skills

Legal code

Generative AI

Legal research platforms

Contract management systems

Legal analytics tools

While hybrid working has become the norm in legal teams, many professionals remain open to returning to the office full-time – provided the compensation is right. For employers aiming to restore in-office presence, a salary uplift can help shift expectations. In a sector where confidentiality, collaboration and regulatory complexity often favor on-site work, getting the balance between flexibility and pay right is key to attracting and retaining top legal talent.

standard

of professionals in legal say they’d be willing to work in the office full-time if offered a higher salary of professionals in legal say they’d be willing to work in the office full-time if offered a higher salary

standard

of those say they’d want a salary increase of up to 10% to work in the office full-time of those say they’d want a salary increase of up to 10% to work in the office full-time

Most in demand roles in legal

Legal Counsel

Lawyer

Privacy - Data Protection Officer

Compliance Officer

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More insights

The salary benchmarks listed in the Salary Guide from Robert Half are the result of a rigorous, multistep process to ensure our projections accurately reflect the marketplace. They are based on actual compensation for professionals Robert Half has matched with employers across the country.

Non-salary data referenced in the Salary Guide is based on an online survey developed by Robert Half and conducted by an independent research firm. During June and July 2025 Robert Half commissioned research amongst 1500 respondents using an online data collection methodology. The respondents represent 500 hiring managers and 1000 employees in finance and accounting, IT and technology, legal and administrative, HR and office support from small (1-99 employees), midsize (100-999 employees) and large (1000 or more employees) private, publicly listed and public sector organizations across Belgium.