{"id":2556,"date":"2026-07-25T04:11:27","date_gmt":"2026-07-25T04:11:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.waggex.com\/blog\/?p=2556"},"modified":"2026-07-26T04:19:21","modified_gmt":"2026-07-26T04:19:21","slug":"minimum-wage-by-state-in-india","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.waggex.com\/blog\/minimum-wage-by-state-in-india\/","title":{"rendered":"Minimum Wage by State in India (2026) Complete State-Wise Table"},"content":{"rendered":"

Last updated: July 2026. Figures sourced from state labour department notifications, Husys, Employsome, SalaryBox, and PunchKaro (all July 2026 editions). Minimum wages change twice a year to verify each state’s latest notification before processing payroll. Official source: <\/span><\/i>Ministry of Labour & Employment<\/span><\/a> \u00b7 <\/span><\/i>Labour Bureau<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

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A factory owner in Rajasthan paying his unskilled workers \u20b97,410 per month thinks he’s compliant. A shopkeeper in Delhi paying \u20b915,000 per month to a similar worker is violating the law Delhi’s minimum wage for unskilled labour is \u20b918,066\/month. Both business owners believe they’re paying a reasonable wage. One is in serious legal trouble.<\/span><\/p>\n

This is the lived reality of minimum wage compliance in India. There is no single national minimum wage. Each of India’s 28 states and 8 Union Territories sets its own rates by industry, by skill level, and by geographic zone and revises them approximately twice a year. The gap between the lowest state (Rajasthan at ~\u20b910,050\/month for unskilled) and the highest (Delhi at \u20b918,066\/month) is over <\/span>80%.<\/b> The same worker doing the same job in two different states has a different legal minimum salary.<\/span><\/p>\n

This guide covers the complete state-wise table for 2026, how the system works, what changed with the Labour Codes in November 2025, and what compliance actually requires beyond just knowing the number.<\/span><\/p>\n

How India’s Minimum Wage System Works<\/b><\/h2>\n

The system operates on three levels that interact with each other:<\/span><\/p>\n

Level 1: National Floor Level Minimum Wage (\u20b9178\/day)<\/b><\/p>\n

Set by the Central Government, currently \u20b9178 per day (approximately \u20b94,628\/month based on 26 working days). This is an <\/span>advisory floor<\/b> no state can legally go below it, but paying this amount is not the same as being compliant with state-level minimum wages, which are almost always higher.<\/span><\/p>\n

Level 2: Central Sphere Rates<\/b><\/p>\n

The Central Government also sets separate, higher minimum wage rates for employees working under central jurisdiction railway construction, mines, ports, central government establishments, and certain other scheduled sectors. After the <\/span>April 2026 VDA revision<\/b>, central Area A (metro) rates run from \u20b921,346\/month (unskilled) to \u20b928,444\/month (highly skilled). These are substantially higher than most state rates.<\/span><\/p>\n

Level 3: State Minimum Wages (What Most Employers Pay)<\/b><\/p>\n

For the vast majority of private sector employers, the relevant figure is the <\/span>state-notified minimum wage<\/b> for your scheduled employment, skill category, and zone. States revise these approximately twice a year usually in April and October by updating the VDA (Variable Dearness Allowance) component. The basic rate stays fixed; the VDA adjusts for inflation.<\/span><\/p>\n

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The three questions that determine YOUR minimum wage:<\/b><\/p>\n

1. Which state does the employee actually work in? (Not where the company is registered.)<\/span><\/p>\n

2. Which ‘scheduled employment’ does your establishment fall under? (Shops & Commercial Establishments, Factory, Construction, IT, etc.)<\/span><\/p>\n

3. What is the employee’s skill classification? (Unskilled \/ Semi-Skilled \/ Skilled \/ Highly Skilled)<\/span><\/p>\n

The correct minimum wage is at the intersection of all three. Any one of them wrong = non-compliance.<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

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The Four Skill Categories Who Falls Where<\/b><\/h2>\n

India classifies all workers into four skill bands for minimum wage purposes. Getting this classification right is as important as knowing the rate.<\/span><\/p>\n