Minimum Wages in India State-Wise 2026

The basic rate has stayed at ₹333 the whole time. Every rise on this line came from VDA, which tracks the consumer price index for industrial workers, and the October 2025 order added nothing.

These rates bind only where the Central Government is the appropriate government, such as central public sector units and central sphere contracts. Armed watch and ward work pays the most at ₹1,111 a day in Area A.

Read the labels before you compare bars. Karnataka is a contested basic rate, Gujarat adds a special allowance to a basic set in 2023, and Delhi's figure dates from April 2025.

Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu show rates for shops and commercial establishments only, so a factory worker in those states may have a different floor. Chandigarh's order expired on 30 Sep 2026, so its figure is not a current rate.

This is the rural job-guarantee scheme wage, not a minimum wage. Most states sit at ₹300 a day, well below their statutory minimum for unskilled work.

Central sphere minimum wages (basic + VDA) per day from 1 October 2026, Areas A, B and C

Source: Labour Bureau, Ministry of Labour & Employment, Government of India, Order revising VDA for central sphere scheduled employments w.e.f. 01.10.2026 (File No. 6/1/2026-VDA). Download as image

Central sphere VDA revisions: CPI-IW basis and unskilled agriculture wage in Area A

Source: Office of the Chief Labour Commissioner (Central), Ministry of Labour & Employment, Order revising VDA for employees in Agriculture w.e.f. 01.04.2023 (File No. 1/5(1)/2023-LS-II); Office of the Chief Labour Commissioner (Central), Ministry of Labour & Employment, Order revising VDA for employees in Agriculture w.e.f. 01.10.2023 (File No. 1/8(1)/2023-LS-II); Office of the Chief Labour Commissioner (Central), Ministry of Labour & Employment, Order revising VDA for employees in Agriculture w.e.f. 01.04.2024 (File No. 1/7(1)/2024-LS-II); Office of the Chief Labour Commissioner (Central), Ministry of Labour & Employment, Order revising VDA for employees in Agriculture w.e.f. 01.10.2024 (File No. 1/27(1)/2024-LS-II); Office of the Chief Labour Commissioner (Central), Ministry of Labour & Employment, Order revising VDA for employees in Agriculture w.e.f. 01.04.2025 (File No. 1/6(1)/2025-LS-II); Office of the Chief Labour Commissioner (Central), Ministry of Labour & Employment, Order revising VDA for employees in Agriculture w.e.f. 01.10.2025 (File No. 1/6(1)/2025-LS-II); Office of the Chief Labour Commissioner (Central), Ministry of Labour & Employment, Order revising VDA for employees in Agriculture w.e.f. 01.04.2026 (File No. 1/6(1)/2025-LS-II); Labour Bureau, Ministry of Labour & Employment, Government of India, Order revising VDA for central sphere scheduled employments w.e.f. 01.10.2026 (File No. 6/1/2026-VDA). Download as image

Latest minimum wage revision in force by State

• 3Revised for October 2026
• 11Revised earlier in 2026
• 1Last revised before 2026

What is the minimum wage in India in 2026?

The honest answer is that it depends on three things: where you work, what kind of work it is, and which government sets the rate for your employer.

For most private jobs, the state government is in charge. Each state lists scheduled employments, groups its districts into zones, and sets a rate for unskilled, semi-skilled, skilled and highly skilled workers. Uttar Pradesh, for example, pays ₹13,690 a month in Gautam Buddha Nagar and Ghaziabad, ₹13,006 in other Nagar Nigam districts and ₹12,356 everywhere else.

The Centre runs a parallel system for central sphere work. From 1 October 2026, an unskilled construction worker in an Area A city must get at least ₹840 a day, made up of ₹523 basic and ₹317 VDA. An unskilled farm worker in Area A gets ₹537, falling to ₹491 in Area B and ₹486 in Area C.

Most of these rates were set under the Minimum Wages Act, 1948 and carry on under the Code on Wages, 2019 until new notifications replace them. Haryana, Punjab, Telangana and Jharkhand have already issued their latest orders under the Code itself.

Which state has the highest minimum wage in India?

On paper, Karnataka. Its May 2026 notification set ₹23,376.43 a month (₹899.09 a day) for unskilled work in Zone 1, which covers Greater Bengaluru. That is a basic rate, with VDA to be added each April, and employers have challenged it. Treat it as the likely number, not a settled one.

Delhi comes next at ₹18,456 a month, or ₹710 a day. That order took effect on 1 April 2025, and no later order was listed on the Delhi Labour Department site when we checked. Telangana's Zone I basic of ₹16,000 a month and Haryana's ₹15,220.71 follow. Haryana's revision, effective 1 April 2026, is its first full revision since October 2015.

At the other end, West Bengal's Zone A rate is ₹10,558 a month for July to December 2026, and its Zone B rate is ₹9,760.

Be careful with headline comparisons. Some states publish basic pay only, some publish basic plus VDA, and Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu publish separate rates for every scheduled employment. A cleaner in a Pune shop and a worker in a Pune factory can have different floors.

A few places are missing from the comparison on purpose. Chandigarh's last order ran out at the end of September and no replacement had been published when we checked. Andhra Pradesh notified index points rather than rupee rates, and we couldn't confirm current figures for Kerala or Rajasthan. If you work in one of these, ask your employer which order they are paying under and get the answer in writing.

Why does the minimum wage change every April and October?

Most rates have two parts. The basic rate is fixed for years. The variable dearness allowance (VDA) moves with the consumer price index for industrial workers, usually on 1 April and 1 October.

You can see this clearly in the central rate for unskilled farm work in Area A. The basic has stayed at ₹333 since 2023. The total went from ₹470 in April 2023 to ₹537 in October 2026 purely through VDA. The latest bump came because the CPI-IW average rose from 424.80 to 431.42.

States do the same. Odisha raised VDA by ₹6 a day from 1 October 2026, taking its rate from ₹472 to ₹478. Bihar added a ₹8 VDA instalment from 1 April 2026 to reach ₹436 a day. Madhya Pradesh now pays ₹9,575 basic plus ₹3,000 VDA, a total of ₹12,575 a month until 31 March 2027.

So if your salary has not changed in a year and you are close to the floor, check the latest VDA order. Your employer may already be paying below the line.

How do I check if my salary meets the minimum wage?

You don't need a lawyer for this. You need your salary slip, your appointment letter and about twenty minutes.

• Find your state and zone. Zones usually follow city size, so a Bengaluru job and a job in a smaller Karnataka town have different floors.
• Find your scheduled employment and skill category. A security guard, a data entry operator and a helper may fall into different rows.
• Compare the right number. Minimum wage is measured against basic pay plus VDA, DA or the state's special allowance, not your full CTC. Bonuses, employer PF contributions and reimbursements don't count toward it.
• Check the effective date. Use the order in force for the month you were paid, not the one from when you joined.
• Convert carefully. If the order gives a monthly figure, compare it with your monthly basic plus allowance. If it gives a daily figure, use the conversion the order itself describes.
• If you're short, raise it in writing with HR first, then with the state Labour Department.

What should employers and contractors do about it?

If you hire directly, put the April and October revisions in your payroll calendar. A missed VDA order is the most common way a business ends up paying below minimum without meaning to. Haryana's Labour Commissioner issued a circular on 5 October 2026 directing enforcement in all establishments, so inspections are a real risk.

If you buy manpower through an agency, read the contract. Security, housekeeping and loading staff often sit right at the floor. Central sphere watch and ward rates are ₹1,024 a day without arms and ₹1,111 with arms in Area A. Your service agreement should say who absorbs each VDA revision, how fast the invoice changes, and what happens if the agency underpays its staff, since the principal employer can be pulled in.

Freelancers and consultants are a different case. Minimum wage orders protect employees in scheduled employments, not independent businesses billing per project. But if a so-called consultant works fixed hours, under your supervision, for a monthly fee, a labour inspector may see an employee. Get the classification right before you set the pay.

One last thing: the rural job-guarantee wage is not a minimum wage. Under the VB-G RAM G Act it ranges from ₹300 a day in most states to ₹450 in parts of Sikkim. Don't use it as a benchmark for private hiring.

Sources and method

Every number on this page comes from the sources below, each opened and read on or before October 17, 2026. A second, independent review checked every figure against its source and corrected anything that did not match. 15 of 19 State entries were confirmed; any that could not be are marked "Not yet confirmed" and left out of every count and chart.

1. Labour Bureau, Ministry of Labour & Employment, Government of India, Order revising VDA for central sphere scheduled employments w.e.f. 01.10.2026 (File No. 6/1/2026-VDA) (30 September 2026)
2. Office of the Chief Labour Commissioner (Central), Ministry of Labour & Employment, Order revising VDA for employees in Agriculture w.e.f. 01.04.2026 (File No. 1/6(1)/2025-LS-II) (30 March 2026)
3. Office of the Chief Labour Commissioner (Central), Ministry of Labour & Employment, Order revising VDA for employees in Agriculture w.e.f. 01.10.2025 (File No. 1/6(1)/2025-LS-II) (September 2025)
4. Office of the Chief Labour Commissioner (Central), Ministry of Labour & Employment, Order revising VDA for employees in Agriculture w.e.f. 01.04.2025 (File No. 1/6(1)/2025-LS-II) (28 March 2025)
5. Office of the Chief Labour Commissioner (Central), Ministry of Labour & Employment, Order revising VDA for employees in Agriculture w.e.f. 01.10.2024 (File No. 1/27(1)/2024-LS-II) (September 2024)
6. Office of the Chief Labour Commissioner (Central), Ministry of Labour & Employment, Order revising VDA for employees in Agriculture w.e.f. 01.04.2024 (File No. 1/7(1)/2024-LS-II) (March 2024)
7. Office of the Chief Labour Commissioner (Central), Ministry of Labour & Employment, Order revising VDA for employees in Agriculture w.e.f. 01.10.2023 (File No. 1/8(1)/2023-LS-II) (26 September 2023)
8. Office of the Chief Labour Commissioner (Central), Ministry of Labour & Employment, Order revising VDA for employees in Agriculture w.e.f. 01.04.2023 (File No. 1/5(1)/2023-LS-II) (3 April 2023)
9. Ministry of Rural Development, Government of India (Gazette of India, Extraordinary), Notification S.O. 3518(E): State-wise wage rate for unskilled manual workers under the VB-G RAM G Act, 2025 (30 June 2026)
10. Office of the Commissioner (Labour), Government of NCT of Delhi, Order No. F.No.(142)/02/MW/VII/Part file dated 15/04/2025 declaring DA in minimum wages w.e.f. 01.04.2025 (15 April 2025)
11. Labour Department, Government of NCT of Delhi, Current Minimum Wage Rate (list of minimum wage orders) (Accessed 17 October 2026 (latest order listed: 15 April 2025))
12. Labour Department (Shram Anubhag-2), Government of Uttar Pradesh, Order No. 374/36-2-2026-2041256: interim minimum wage rates by district category w.e.f. 01.04.2026 (English translation) (17 April 2026)
13. Labour Department, Government of Haryana (copy hosted by SGC Management Services), Haryana Government Gazette (Extraordinary) Notification No. 2/25/26-2 Lab: basic minimum rates of wages w.e.f. 1 April 2026 (copy of gazette) (9 April 2026)
14. Labour Commissioner, Haryana, Circular No. 25744-860: Implementation of notification dated 09.04.2026 fixing minimum rates of wages (5 October 2026)
15. Labour Department, Government of Punjab, Punjab Government Gazette (Extraordinary) Notification No. Labour-Lab0MIWA/1/2021-4L (260032)/166: basic minimum rates of wages w.e.f. 1 May 2026 (1 May 2026)
16. Labour, Skill Development and Employment Department, Government of Gujarat, Notification No. KHR/2023/28/LVD/10/2022/18/M2: basic rates for 46 scheduled employments w.e.f. 1 April 2023 (27 March 2023)
17. Office of the Labour Commissioner, Gujarat (copy hosted by SGC Management Services), Declaration of daily special allowance under the Minimum Wages Act, 1948 for 01-10-2026 to 31-03-2027 (copy of order) (5 October 2026)
18. Office of the Labour Commissioner, Madhya Pradesh, Indore (copy hosted by SGC Management Services), Minimum wage and VDA rates effective 01.10.2026 to 31.03.2027 (Order No. 1-1/11/Anya/Panch/2024/22284) (copy) (30 September 2026)
19. Office of the Labour Commissioner, Odisha (copy hosted by SGC Management Services), Notification revising VDA w.e.f. 1 October 2026 (Odia) (copy) (8 October 2026)
20. Labour Commissionerate (Statistics Section), Government of West Bengal (copy hosted by SGC Management Services), Circular No. 30/Stat/14/RW/24/2023/LCS/JLC: minimum rates of wages for 1 July 2026 to 31 December 2026 (copy) (22 June 2026)
21. Labour Department, Government of Karnataka (copy hosted by SGC Management Services), Final single notification revising minimum wages for scheduled employments (Kannada) (copy) (22 May 2026)
22. Labour, Employment, Training & Factories Department, Government of Telangana (copy hosted by SGC Management Services), G.O.Ms.No.6: Revision of minimum wages under the Code on Wages, 2019 w.e.f. 1 June 2026 (copy) (30 May 2026)
23. Office of the Commissioner of Labour, Maharashtra (translation hosted by SGC Management Services), Minimum basic wage + special allowance for 01.07.2026 to 31.12.2026, Order No. 7997 (English translation) (5 August 2026)
24. Labour Resources Department, Government of Bihar (copy hosted by SGC Management Services), Minimum wages with VDA w.e.f. 1 April 2026 (Hindi) (copy) (April 2026)
25. Labour, Employment, Training & Skill Development Department, Government of Jharkhand (copy hosted by SGC Management Services), Notification No. 2/MW-2071/2010 (Part-3) Shram Ni. 742: VDA payable from 01.04.2026 (Hindi) (copy) (25 May 2026)
26. Labour Commissioner, Chandigarh Administration (copy hosted by SGC Management Services), No. ST/(CPI)/2026-27/1980: minimum rates of wages for 01.04.2026 to 30.09.2026 (copy) (7 September 2026)
27. SGC Management Services (secondary summary), Minimum Rate of Wages - Chhattisgarh (May, 2026) (11 May 2026)
28. SGC Management Services (secondary summary), Minimum Rate of Wages - Tamil Nadu (March 2026): Shops and Commercial Establishments (6 March 2026)
29. SGC Management Services (secondary summary), Minimum Rate of Wages - Kerala (May, 2026) (8 June 2026)
30. Commissioner of Labour, Andhra Pradesh (copy hosted by SGC Management Services), Andhra Pradesh Gazette No. 400: Cost of living index numbers applicable as on 01-10-2026 (No. G/3186486/2026) (copy) (28 September 2026)
31. Labour Department, Government of Rajasthan, Labour Department, Rajasthan: notifications list (Accessed 17 October 2026 (latest minimum wage notification listed: 2022))