You can find out what your colleagues earn in the Netherlands through a combination of public salary databases, collective labour agreements (CAOs), and direct conversations. While Dutch workplace culture has historically treated salaries as private, there are no legal barriers to asking for or sharing pay information. In 2026, new EU pay transparency rules are also making salary ranges more visible than ever.
Below, we answer the most common questions about salary benchmarking in the Netherlands so you can walk into your next salary negotiation with real numbers behind you.
Is it legal to ask colleagues about their salary in the Netherlands?
Yes, it is completely legal to ask a colleague about their salary in the Netherlands. There is no law that prohibits employees from discussing or disclosing their own pay. Employers cannot legally forbid you from having these conversations, and any contractual clause that tries to enforce salary secrecy is unenforceable under Dutch law.
That said, legality and social comfort are two different things. Dutch workplace culture has traditionally treated salary as a personal matter, so some colleagues may prefer not to share. The good news is that this norm is shifting, especially among younger professionals and within organizations that are actively working toward pay equity. If you frame the conversation as mutual benchmarking rather than nosiness, most people are more open than you might expect.
What salary databases and tools exist for the Netherlands?
Several reliable salary databases and tools can help you benchmark your pay in the Netherlands. The most widely used include Glassdoor, Nationale Vacaturebank’s Salariskompas, CBS (Statistics Netherlands), LinkedIn Salary Insights, and Loonwijzer.nl. Each gives you a slightly different lens on the market, so using more than one gives you a more accurate picture.
- Glassdoor: Company-specific salary data submitted anonymously by employees. Useful for benchmarking against a specific employer.
- Salariskompas (Nationale Vacaturebank): A Dutch-specific tool that lets you filter by job title, sector, experience, and region.
- CBS (Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek): Official Dutch statistics on average wages by sector and education level. Less granular but highly credible.
- LinkedIn Salary Insights: Useful if you have a premium account and want to see what people in your exact role and location are earning.
- Loonwijzer.nl: A non-profit salary survey platform specifically focused on the Dutch labour market.
When using these tools for salary negotiation, always filter by location, years of experience, and industry. A broad national average rarely reflects what someone in your specific role in Amsterdam or Rotterdam actually earns.
How do collective labour agreements (CAOs) reveal pay ranges?
A collective labour agreement, or CAO (collectieve arbeidsovereenkomst), is a negotiated agreement between employers and trade unions that sets minimum pay scales, job classifications, and conditions for a specific sector. If your employer falls under a CAO, it must pay at least the salary bands defined in that agreement, making CAOs one of the most transparent and reliable salary benchmarking tools available.
CAOs are publicly available and searchable. You can find them through the website of the Dutch government (rijksoverheid.nl) or directly through the relevant trade union or employer association. Look up your sector’s CAO, find your job classification (functiegroep or salarisschaal), and you will see the minimum and maximum salary range for your role.
Even if you work in a sector or company that does not fall under a CAO, these agreements are useful reference points for salary negotiation. They show what comparable roles in unionized sectors earn, which gives you a credible anchor when you ask for a raise.
What does the EU Pay Transparency Directive mean for Dutch employees?
The EU Pay Transparency Directive requires Dutch employers to provide clearer information about pay ranges, both to job applicants and to existing employees. Member states must implement the directive into national law, and in 2026 this process is actively underway in the Netherlands. Once implemented, employers with 100 or more employees will need to report on gender pay gaps and provide salary range information upon request.
For employees, this means you will have a formal right to ask your employer for information about the average pay of colleagues doing comparable work, broken down by gender. This is a significant shift from the current situation, where that information has largely been voluntary.
Practically speaking, this directive strengthens your position when preparing for salary negotiations. If your employer must disclose pay ranges and report on pay equity, you can use that information to identify whether you are being paid fairly relative to your peers. It also creates a more open culture around salary conversations, which benefits everyone pushing for equal pay.
How can professional networks help uncover salary norms?
Professional networks are one of the most practical ways to gather real-world salary benchmarking data, especially for roles or industries that are not well covered by public databases. Conversations with peers in similar roles, at similar career stages, give you context that no algorithm can replicate.
Here is how to make those conversations productive:
- Be specific about your ask. Instead of asking “what do you earn?”, try “I am benchmarking salaries for senior marketing managers in Amsterdam with around eight years of experience. Would you be willing to share a ballpark figure?” Specificity makes the question feel professional rather than intrusive.
- Use alumni networks and industry groups. LinkedIn groups, alumni associations, and sector-specific communities are good places to find people willing to talk openly about pay.
- Attend events with peers in your field. In-person conversations at professional events often go deeper than online exchanges.
Building relationships where salary transparency feels normal takes time, but it pays off directly when you are preparing to negotiate a raise or evaluate a new offer.
Should you share your own salary when asking others?
Yes, sharing your own salary when asking others is generally the most effective approach. Salary conversations work best as an exchange rather than a one-sided request. When you offer your number first, you signal trust, make the other person feel less exposed, and create a foundation for a genuine comparison.
If sharing your exact number feels uncomfortable, you can offer a range or describe your compensation package in broader terms. The goal is reciprocity, not a full financial disclosure. Something like “I am currently around X, but I am trying to understand if that is in line with the market” gives the other person enough to respond meaningfully.
One practical note: be mindful of power dynamics. Sharing salary information with a direct manager or someone in a position to influence your pay can feel riskier than sharing with a peer. With peers, the exchange is almost always mutually beneficial and worth the small vulnerability.
Ready to put your salary research into action?
Knowing what your colleagues earn is only half the work. The real shift happens when you use that information to have confident, well-prepared conversations about your own pay. Salary negotiation is a skill, and like any skill, it gets sharper with practice and the right support around you.
At Female Ventures, we run workshops on negotiation, executive presence, and career growth specifically designed for women navigating exactly these situations. Whether you are preparing to ask for a raise or simply want to feel more confident in salary conversations, our community is a great place to start. Check out our upcoming workshops and events or take the first step and join our network to connect with women who have been in your position and come out ahead.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I handle it if my employer has a confidentiality clause about salaries in my contract?
Under Dutch law, contractual clauses that prohibit employees from discussing their salaries with colleagues are unenforceable. Even if such a clause exists in your contract, your employer cannot legally penalize you for having salary conversations with peers. That said, it is worth reading the clause carefully and, if in doubt, consulting a legal professional or trade union representative before acting on it.
What is a realistic salary increase to ask for in the Netherlands, and how do I know if my request is reasonable?
A well-supported salary increase request in the Netherlands typically falls between 5% and 15%, depending on how far below market rate you currently are and how long it has been since your last raise. Use at least two or three salary benchmarking sources — such as Salariskompas, Glassdoor, and your sector's CAO — to build a range rather than relying on a single figure. The stronger your data, the more confident and credible your ask will be.
What if the salary data I find online seems inconsistent or contradictory?
Inconsistencies between salary databases are common and usually reflect differences in data sources, sample sizes, and how job titles are defined. Rather than looking for one definitive number, treat the data as a range and look for where multiple sources overlap — that overlap is your most reliable benchmark. Always filter results by your specific location, years of experience, and industry, as broad averages can be misleading, especially in a market like the Netherlands where Amsterdam salaries often differ significantly from other regions.
How do I find out which CAO applies to my employer or role?
Your employer is legally required to inform you whether a CAO applies to your employment, and this information is typically included in your employment contract or onboarding documentation. If it is not, you can search the CAO register on rijksoverheid.nl by sector or company name. Your trade union, if you are a member, can also help you identify the relevant agreement and explain how your job classification maps to the pay scales within it.
I work as a freelancer or contractor in the Netherlands — do these salary benchmarking tools still apply to me?
Most salary databases are designed for salaried employees, so the figures will not translate directly to freelance day rates. However, they are still a useful starting point for understanding what the role is worth to an employer, which you can then convert to a day rate by accounting for costs like taxes, insurance, pension, and the absence of paid leave — typically a multiplier of 1.5 to 2 times the equivalent gross employee salary. Platforms like Malt and dedicated freelance rate calculators for the Dutch market can give you more targeted benchmarks.
What is the best timing for bringing up salary benchmarking data in a negotiation?
The most effective moment to introduce salary data is after you have clearly articulated your value and contributions, not at the very start of the conversation. Lead with your impact, then anchor your ask with market data as supporting evidence — for example, 'Based on benchmarks from Salariskompas and several peer conversations, the market rate for this role in Amsterdam is between X and Y.' This positions the data as context for a fair conversation rather than an ultimatum, which tends to land better with Dutch managers who value directness paired with reasonableness.
Are there specific communities or resources in the Netherlands where women share salary information openly?
Yes, several communities in the Netherlands actively encourage open salary conversations among women. Female Ventures is one such network, offering workshops and peer connections specifically around negotiation and career growth. Beyond that, online communities like Elpha, Women in Tech Netherlands, and various sector-specific LinkedIn groups are places where members share salary ranges and negotiation experiences. The more you contribute to these spaces, the more you tend to get back in return.