Minimum wage in Pakistan 2026-27: Sindh, Punjab, KP, Balochistan and Islamabad
Sindh’s minimum wage is Rs 43,000 from 1 July 2026; Punjab’s notified rate is still Rs 40,000. Each province, what counts and what to do if underpaid.
Work it out with the Overtime calculator →
Pakistan has no single national minimum wage. Each province notifies its own rate under its own law, and the federal government does so for Islamabad. The notification usually follows the budget by weeks or months, with the rate applying from 1 July. This is the position on 15 October 2026, using only rates whose official notification we have seen ourselves.
The rates at a glance
| Area | Unskilled worker, monthly | From | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sindh | Rs 43,000 | 1 July 2026 | Notified 17 August 2026 |
| Punjab | Rs 40,000 | 1 July 2025 | Latest notification; no 2026-27 rate on the department’s site yet |
| Khyber Pakhtunkhwa | Rs 45,000 (proposed) | — | Budget proposal; we found no notification |
| Balochistan | — | — | We found no 2026-27 notification |
| Federal government employees | Rs 40,700 | 1 July 2026 | Finance Division, 21 August 2026 |
| Islamabad, private sector | — | — | We found no notification online |
Where we found no notification, confirm the current rate with your provincial labour department or district labour office. We will update this page as new rates are notified.
Sindh: Rs 43,000
Under the Sindh Minimum Wages Act 2015, the notification of 17 August 2026 sets the minimum wage for unskilled adult, juvenile and adolescent workers at Rs 43,000 a month, Rs 1,654 a day and Rs 207 an hour from 1 July 2026. The main conditions:
- It applies uniformly across the province to all industrial and commercial establishments, registered or not.
- It covers permanent, temporary, casual, contract, daily-rated and piece-rated workers alike. Piece-rated workers must earn at least the equivalent of the time rate.
- The rates are for 8 hours a day and 48 hours a week. Women get the same wage as men for the same category of work.
- Workers already paid more cannot have their wages cut. Wages must be paid by crossed cheque, bank transfer or another banking instrument.
- Government and private bodies hiring staff through contractors cannot accept a contract or bid below the minimum wage.
The Sindh Labour Department also lists minimum wages from 1 July 2026 of Rs 44,484 for semi-skilled, Rs 53,350 for skilled and Rs 55,626 for highly skilled workers.
Punjab: Rs 40,000, new rate awaited
On 15 October 2026 the latest notification on the Punjab Labour Department’s website was the one dated 8 September 2025: Rs 40,000 a month (for 26 working days), Rs 1,538.46 a day (eight hours) and Rs 192.31 an hour, from 1 July 2025. By agreement, the employer may make limited deductions for food, transport and accommodation it provides (details in the questions below).
The Punjab Labour Code 2026 repealed the Punjab Minimum Wages Act 2019, but under section 435(2) notifications issued under the old law stay in force under the Code until replaced. Section 165(1) of the Code says the basic wage cannot be below the minimum wage, and sections 223 and 228 extend the minimum wage to domestic and home-based workers.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan and Islamabad
- Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: the budget presented on 19 June 2026 proposed raising the minimum monthly wage by Rs 5,000 to Rs 45,000, according to the state news agency APP. A budget proposal is not a legal rate: that needs a notification, which we could not find on the Labour Department’s website as of 15 October 2026.
- Balochistan: we found no 2026-27 notification on an official website.
- Federal government: from 1 July 2026 the Finance Division raised the minimum pay of all federal civil employees, civilians paid from defence estimates, contingent-paid staff and contract employees on pay scales from Rs 37,000 to Rs 40,700. Anyone whose gross pay is lower gets the difference as a special allowance. We found no separate notification for private employers in Islamabad online.
What counts towards the minimum wage
- Sindh: the minimum wage is a guaranteed floor. No variable payment, attendance bonus, productivity incentive, non-statutory allowance, welfare facility or contingent payment may be counted towards it or set off against it. Existing benefits such as house rent, conveyance, medical facilities, gratuity and provident fund continue on top.
- Punjab: the basic wage itself must be at least the minimum wage, so topping up a lower basic with allowances does not meet the law.
- Overtime: pay for hours beyond the normal day is separate; use the overtime calculator.
- Part-time work: the daily or hourly rate applies. In Sindh, 20 days’ work in a month must pay at least 20 × 1,654 = Rs 33,080.
Worked example: how much is owed
An unskilled worker in a Karachi factory was paid Rs 38,000 a month from July to September 2026. The minimum wage is Rs 43,000, so each month was Rs 5,000 short, and 3 months’ arrears come to Rs 15,000. Income tax on this pay is Rs 0, so all of it belongs to the worker.
What to do if you are paid less
- Keep evidence: your appointment letter, payslips, bank statements and attendance record. In Punjab, section 165(15) requires the employer to give you an itemised payslip every month; our salary slip guide explains how to read it.
- Ask in writing: write to your employer citing the notification, ask for the difference and arrears, and keep a copy.
- Punjab: claims for payment below the notified minimum wage go to the Payment of Wages Authority (section 293), which has the powers of a civil court. Under section 380 a court fines the employer and orders it to pay the difference; a worker, a union or a labour inspector can start the case.
- Sindh: complain to the Labour & Human Resources Department (Tughluq House, Karachi, phone 021-99211551) or your district labour office.
- Elsewhere: contact your provincial labour department or district labour officer, or lodge a complaint on the Pakistan Citizen Portal.
Frequently asked questions
Is the minimum wage for an 8-hour day?
Yes. Sindh’s rates are fixed for 8 hours a day and 48 hours a week, and Punjab’s daily rate is for eight working hours, with the monthly rate based on 26 working days. Hours beyond that are overtime, paid at a higher rate; work it out on the overtime calculator.
Can my employer count my attendance bonus towards the minimum wage?
Not in Sindh. The 2026 notification says no variable payment, attendance bonus, productivity incentive, non-statutory allowance or welfare facility can be counted towards the minimum wage, which is a guaranteed floor on top of such payments. In Punjab, section 165(1) of the Labour Code says your basic wage itself must not be below the notified minimum.
Do domestic workers get the minimum wage?
In Punjab, yes. Section 223 of the Labour Code 2026 says live-in and full-time domestic workers must not be paid less than the notified minimum wage, and part-time domestic workers not less than the hourly minimum for each hour worked. Home-based workers are covered too (section 228).
Is income tax deducted from the minimum wage?
No. Rs 43,000 a month is Rs 516,000 a year, below the Rs 600,000 a year on which salary tax starts in 2026-27, so the tax is Rs 0. Check any salary on the salary tax calculator.
Can my employer deduct for meals or a room?
In Punjab the 2025 notification allows deductions in lieu of food, transport and accommodation actually provided, only if you and the employer agree, and up to Rs 100 a meal, Rs 1,800 a month for transport and Rs 2,000 a month for accommodation. Other deductions are limited to those the Labour Code allows, such as tax and statutory contributions.
Calculators for this guide
- Overtime calculatorCalculate overtime pay from monthly wage and extra hours: double under the Factories Act and Sindh Factories Act, 2× or 3× under the Punjab Labour Code 2026.
- Salary tax calculatorCalculate your monthly income tax and take-home salary under the 2026-27 budget, and see how much you save compared with 2025-26.
- Salary raise & job offer calculatorIs your raise or job offer worth it? See the extra take-home pay after 2026-27 income tax, the raise after inflation, and the salary you need just to keep up.
Sources
- Government of Sindh, Labour & HR Department: notification No. SO(L-II)/13-3/2016-II of 17 August 2026, minimum wage Rs 43,000 a month from 1 July 2026 (Sindh Minimum Wages Act 2015)
- Sindh Labour & HR Department: minimum wage for unskilled, semi-skilled, skilled and highly skilled workers w.e.f. 1 July 2026
- Government of the Punjab, Labour & HR Department: notification No. SO(L&P) MW/2024 of 8 September 2025 (Punjab Gazette, 9 September 2025), Rs 40,000 a month from 1 July 2025
- Punjab Labour & HR Department: Minimum Wages Notification page (checked 15 October 2026)
- Punjab Labour Code 2026 (Act IX of 2026): sections 165, 167, 168, 223, 228, 293, 380 and 435
- Finance Division O.M. No. 1(2)R5/2022-PT-0001 of 21 August 2026: minimum wage of federal civil employees Rs 40,700 from 1 July 2026
- Associated Press of Pakistan, 19 June 2026: KP budget 2026-27 proposes a minimum wage of Rs 45,000
This guide explains the rules for general information. It is not official, legal or tax advice. Rules change, so check the official source or a qualified professional before acting. See how we check our information.