Under the National Minimum Wage of Workers statutes, the national minimum wage from 1 January 2026 is Rs 30,000 per month or Rs 1,200 per day. The two figures are alternatives: compare a monthly wage against Rs 30,000, and convert a daily wage to its monthly equivalent before comparing.

This national floor sits above the older industry Wage Boards (Wages Boards Ordinance No. 27 of 1941): where a Wage Board order sets a higher rate for your industry, that higher rate applies.

The conversion depends on the working-days-per-year basis: 240 days (20 per month) for office-type work, 312 days (26 per month) for six-day weeks, and 360 days (30 per month) for daily-rated work.

Example: Rs 1,200/day × 240 / 12 = Rs 24,000/month — below the Rs 30,000 floor on the 240 basis, so a daily-paid worker at that rate needs the industry's actual working days or a higher rate to meet the minimum. The tool does this check automatically.

If the converter flags 'below the national minimum wage', the rate cannot lawfully be paid to covered workers — the contract must be topped up. Employers planning to hire at the floor should also remember the employer's EPF 12% + ETF 3% on top (see the Employer cost tool).