How Much Do You Really Earn? Gross, Net and Weekly Pay in the Netherlands

In a job ad the hourly wage looks good, but the real question is always how much actually reaches your bank account. In the Netherlands too, the gap between gross and net can be big, especially if housing and insurance are deducted from your pay. In this article we go step by step through how an hourly wage becomes weekly net pay.

Gross and net: what is the difference?

Gross pay is what the employer pays you on paper, before any deductions. In job ads and in your contract you almost always see this, as an hourly wage.

Net pay is what really lands in your bank account after deductions. You see it on the last line of your loonstrook (payslip), the "netto loon".

Between the two are tax, contributions and often other deductions. Some of these are compulsory, others depend on what you ask for or get from the agency (for example housing).

Hourly wage × hours: this is your gross pay

In the Netherlands pay is based on the hourly wage. You can work out your weekly gross pay simply like this:

hourly wage × hours worked = weekly gross pay (without allowances)

If you work overtime, at night or at the weekend, you may get an allowance, which raises your gross pay. But if you get fewer hours than you expected, your gross pay will be lower too. So always ask how many hours per week are guaranteed, and how many hours per week the job ad counts with.

In many agency jobs you are paid every week, which means you get a loonstrook and a payment each week. In other jobs you are paid every four weeks or every month. This does not change how much you earn, only how often you get it.

What is deducted from gross pay?

The most common items:

• Loonheffing (wage tax and contributions): this is the biggest compulsory deduction. The amount depends on your income, and also on whether you ask for the tax credit (loonheffingskorting) to be applied. The tax credit is usually only applied with one employer; if you are not sure, ask the Belastingdienst.
• Pension contribution (pensioenpremie): agency workers build up a pension in the sector pension scheme. The worker's share can differ by agency, and at some big agencies it went up from 2026. Check the exact percentage in your own contract and on your payslip.
• Housing (inhouding huisvesting): if you live in the agency's housing, the rent is usually deducted from your pay. At most 25% of the minimum wage can be deducted for this, and only for certified housing (for example SNF).
• Health insurance (zorgverzekering): some agencies deduct the premium for the compulsory basic insurance from your pay as a group policy; elsewhere you pay the insurer directly yourself.
• Other: for example transport to work, work clothes or paying back an advance, if you agreed on this.

Important: vakantiegeld (holiday pay, usually 8% of gross pay) is not a deduction. It is saved for you and usually paid out in one go at the end of May.

A simple example

Let's take the gross minimum wage valid from 1 July 2026 (from age 21): €14.99 per hour. The numbers are our own rounded calculations, for information only.

Item	Amount
Hourly wage	€14.99 gross
Hours per week	40
Weekly gross pay	about €600
Holiday pay saved (8%)	about €48 per week
Maximum for housing at minimum wage	about €584 per month, or about €135 per week
Average basic insurance premium	about €157 per month, or about €36 per week

We do not fill in the exact amounts of loonheffing and the pension contribution on purpose: they depend on your personal situation, the tax credit and the agency. One thing is certain: if housing and insurance are deducted from your pay, your weekly net pay will be much less than the roughly €600 gross.

For housing, 25% is the maximum, not a fixed amount. Many places deduct less, so always ask exactly how much the weekly rent is.

What to watch in job ads

Job ads do not all show pay in the same way, so before you compare, check:

• Gross or net? If they show net, ask after which deductions, and with how many hours.
• How many hours? An amount based on 40 hours a week means little if you really only get 30 hours.
• Is housing included? Net pay after rent is deducted means something very different from net pay before it.
• With or without allowances? Pay calculated with a night or weekend allowance does not come every week.

On Eyesonworks.eu you can filter job ads by net weekly pay, housing or type of work, and you always reach the agency's original job ad, where you can see the details too.

How to check your own pay

Every payday, look through your loonstrook:

1. Does the number of hours worked match what you wrote down?
2. Did they use the hourly wage in your contract?
3. Are the allowances there, if you worked at night, at the weekend or overtime?
4. Are the housing and insurance deductions the amounts you agreed on?
5. Can you see the holiday pay being saved?

If something is wrong, ask the agency first, in writing. If it is about tax or a personal situation, the Belastingdienst (the Dutch tax office) or the Juridisch Loket (free legal information) can give you an exact answer, and in a work dispute the FNV or CNV trade union can help.

In short

• Weekly gross pay is simply hourly wage × hours, plus any allowances.
• Net pay is what is left after loonheffing, the pension contribution and often housing and insurance.
• With minimum wage and 40 hours a week, gross pay is about €600 per week; net pay is much less.
• At most 25% of the minimum wage can be deducted for housing, and only for certified housing.
• Check your loonstrook every week, and report any mistake to the agency in writing.