Minimum wages 2026: India states, central sphere and UK
This minimum wage finder shows the minimum wage that applies to a job, with the notification number, its date and the date it took effect, and checks whether a wage meets it. It covers Indian states and union territories, the central sphere rates that apply to central government establishments, railways, mines, ports and airports, and the UK National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage from April 2026.
Indian minimum wages are revised often — in most states twice a year, when the variable dearness allowance (VDA) follows the consumer price index. A stale number is worse than none, so this page shows a rate as confirmed only when we could read the state’s own current notification. For every other state it says “Not confirmed — check the state labour department” and lets you type the rate from the notification to check a wage against it. People searching for minimum wages in Delhi 2026 will see why: the newest order on the Delhi Labour Department’s page is from April 2025.
How to use the Minimum Wage Finder (India States & UK)
- Choose India – state, India – central sphere or UK.
- Pick the state, or the scheduled employment and area (type a city to find its area A, B or C), or the UK age band.
- Choose the worker’s category, enter the wage and say whether it is paid per month, day or hour.
- Read the minimum, the source notification and whether the wage meets it; copy the summary for your records.
Minimum Wage Finder (India States & UK) features
Dated sources
Every confirmed rate shows the notification number, its date, the effective date and a link to the source.
Honest gaps
States whose current notification we could not read say so instead of showing an old number.
Central sphere VDA
Basic + VDA per day from 1 October 2026 for construction, agriculture, sweeping, watch and ward, loading and non-coal mines, by area.
City to area
Type a city to see whether it is Area A, B or C under the central classification.
UK check
Converts weekly, monthly or yearly pay to an hourly rate and compares it with the right UK band.
What the confirmed rates are
Haryana (Notification No. 2/25/26-2 Lab. dated 9 April 2026, from 1 April 2026): unskilled ₹15,220.71 a month (₹585.41 a day), semi-skilled ₹16,780.74, skilled ₹18,500.81 and highly skilled ₹19,425.85 — one rate for all employments, with the daily rate equal to the monthly rate ÷ 26. Punjab (notification of 1 May 2026, from that day): unskilled ₹13,486, semi-skilled ₹14,383, skilled ₹15,414, highly skilled ₹16,601 a month, with hourly rates and four staff categories.
Central sphere (Labour Bureau order File No. 6/1/2026-VDA dated 30 September 2026, from 1 October 2026, CPI-IW average 431.42): the rate is a basic wage plus VDA, rounded up to the next rupee. Unskilled construction or loading work is ₹840 a day in Area A (523 + 317), ₹704 in Area B and ₹565 in Area C; agriculture unskilled is ₹537, ₹491 and ₹486. Area A covers Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Delhi, Greater Mumbai, Kolkata, Navi Mumbai, Hyderabad, Kanpur, Chennai, Nagpur, Lucknow, Pune, Faridabad, Ghaziabad, Gurgaon, Noida and Secunderabad; Area B lists about 85 other cities; everywhere else is Area C. Stone-mine piece rates are in the order but not in this tool.
UK from 1 April 2026: £12.71 an hour at 21 and over, £10.85 at 18 to 20, £8.00 at 16 to 17 and for apprentices (under 19, or in the first year of the apprenticeship). The accommodation offset is £11.10 a day.
How the wage check works
For India, the wage is compared with the minimum for the same basis: monthly with monthly, daily with daily. Central-sphere orders give daily rates only, so the monthly figure here is the daily rate × 26 — a widely used convention, not part of the order. For the UK, weekly pay is divided by the weekly hours, monthly pay is converted with × 12 ÷ 52 ÷ hours, and the result is compared with the hourly rate for the worker’s age band. Real UK checks look at the pay reference period and may count some deductions and the accommodation offset; this is a quick test, not a payroll audit.
To see what a minimum-wage job pays after deductions, use the payroll calculator, or for the UK the UK take-home pay calculator. For dearness allowance on government pay (a different thing from VDA), see the DA calculator.
Minimum Wage Finder (India States & UK) FAQ
What are the minimum wages in Delhi in 2026?
We could not confirm a 2026 Delhi rate: the newest order on the Delhi Labour Department’s page is dated 15 April 2025 (unskilled ₹18,456 a month from 1 April 2025). Delhi usually revises rates on 1 April and 1 October, so check labour.delhi.gov.in for the current order.
What are the minimum wages in Haryana in 2026?
From 1 April 2026: ₹15,220.71 a month for unskilled, ₹16,780.74 semi-skilled, ₹18,500.81 skilled and ₹19,425.85 highly skilled, under Notification No. 2/25/26-2 Lab. dated 9 April 2026.
What is VDA in minimum wages?
Variable dearness allowance: the part of the minimum wage revised every April and October in line with the consumer price index for industrial workers. The minimum wage is basic + VDA.
Which cities are Area A, B and C?
The central classification puts 17 large cities and their urban areas in Area A, about 85 cities in Area B, and every other place in Area C. Type a city in the tool to check.
How do I use the minimum wage calculator for the UK?
Choose UK, pick the age band, enter the pay and how often it is paid, and your weekly hours. The tool converts it to an hourly rate and compares it with £12.71, £10.85 or £8.00.
Why does a state say “Not confirmed”?
Because we could not read that state’s current notification. Rather than show an old figure, the tool asks you to check the state labour department and lets you enter the current rate to test a wage.