Minimum wage in Pakistan 2026-27: Rs 40,700 in Islamabad, Rs 43,000 in Sindh. What each province has notified
Islamabad and Sindh have notified new minimum wages from 1 July 2026. KP announced Rs 45,000. Punjab and Balochistan: no new notification found. Sources inside.
Status: Confirmed The Islamabad and Sindh figures come from official government notifications we read on 9 Oct 2026. Punjab, KP and Balochistan carry their own labels below, because we could not find a 2026-27 notification for them. What the labels mean.
What is the minimum wage in Pakistan for 2026-27? Depends on where you work. Islamabad has notified Rs 40,700 a month, Sindh Rs 43,000. Two provinces haven’t notified a new figure yet.
The federal budget on 12 June 2026 announced a new minimum wage, but in Pakistan the wage that legally applies to you depends on the province or territory where you work, and it only bites once that government issues a notification. We read the notifications we could find and checked the news for the rest. Here is where each one stands as of 9 October 2026.
The numbers
Minimum monthly wage for an adult unskilled worker:
| Where | Monthly minimum | From | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| Islamabad (ICT) | Rs 40,700 | 1 July 2026 (notified 19 Aug) | Confirmed |
| Sindh | Rs 43,000 | 1 July 2026 (notified 17 Aug) | Confirmed |
| Khyber Pakhtunkhwa | Rs 45,000 announced; Rs 40,000 last notified | Announced in June budget; no notification found | Reported |
| Punjab | Rs 40,000 (last notified) | 2025 notification; no 2026-27 one found | Reported |
| Balochistan | Rs 37,000 (last known) | Implemented Oct 2024; no 2026-27 notification found | Reported |
Yearly equivalents, our maths: Rs 40,700 × 12 = Rs 488,400 a year (Islamabad); Rs 43,000 × 12 = Rs 516,000 a year (Sindh). These are minimums, base pay only.
Islamabad: Rs 40,700 (Confirmed)
The federal budget on 12 June raised the minimum monthly wage from Rs 37,000 to Rs 40,700, Daily Pakistan reported. The ICT notification, dated 19 August 2026 and effective 1 July 2026, makes it law for Islamabad. It sets:
- Rs 40,700 a month for adult unskilled workers in industrial and commercial establishments, based on 48 working hours a week with one day off
- Rs 1,565 a day for 8 working hours
- The same rates for juvenile workers allowed by law
The notification adds: “In any case, the minimum wage for 8 hours shall not be less than Rs. 40,700.”
Sindh: Rs 43,000 (Confirmed)
According to Dawn (6 August), the Sindh cabinet approved a 7.5% increase on the Minimum Wages Board’s recommendation, raising the unskilled monthly wage from Rs 40,000 to Rs 43,000, effective 1 July 2026, for workers in notified industrial and commercial establishments.
The Sindh Labour Department notification dated 17 August sets the higher categories, per month:
| Category | Monthly minimum |
|---|---|
| Semi-skilled | Rs 44,484 |
| Skilled | Rs 53,350 |
| Highly skilled | Rs 55,626 |
The notification says the list of which jobs fall into which category (Schedule-A) would be finalised after further consultation.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: Rs 45,000 announced (Reported)
In the provincial budget on 19 June, KP announced a rise in the minimum monthly wage from Rs 40,000 to Rs 45,000, according to Pakistan Today. We have not found a notification that puts it into effect. Payroll provider Mercans reported on 4 September that no FY2026-27 notification had been issued for KP.
On 22 September, a workers’ union at the Small Industries Development Board urged the KP government to implement the Rs 45,000 wage for daily-wage workers and pay arrears from July 2026, The Public Purview reported. The union said many daily-wage and contingent workers had not yet received it.
Punjab: still Rs 40,000 (Reported)
Punjab’s last notification we can find raised the minimum to Rs 40,000 a month for 26 working days, or Rs 1,538.46 a day for eight hours, as reported by The Nation in September 2025. We found no 2026-27 notification for Punjab as of 9 October, and Mercans reported on 4 September that none had been issued.
Balochistan: Rs 37,000 last known (Reported)
SAMAA TV reported in October 2024 that Balochistan had started implementing a minimum wage of Rs 37,000 a month. Mercans listed Rs 37,000 as Balochistan’s last known rate on 4 September 2026, with no new notification. This is older information, so treat it with care.
What we still don’t know
- Whether Punjab, KP or Balochistan have notified new rates since our last check. Notifications are not always posted online quickly. If you have a copy, send it to us.
- How well any of this is enforced. A notified minimum is a legal floor. It does not tell you how many workers actually receive it.
Why it matters
- It is the floor for your first offer. If you are a fresh graduate, trainee, guard, helper, or factory or shop worker, an offer below your province’s notified minimum is below the legal floor.
- It moves other numbers. According to Mercans, EOBI and provincial social security contributions are calculated on the minimum wage of the province where you work, so a new notification also changes those deductions.
- Province matters more than the budget speech. The federal budget figure of Rs 40,700 applies in Islamabad. Sindh is higher. Punjab, on its last notified rate, is lower.
Pro tip
Before you accept a low-paid job, check the notified minimum for the province where you’ll work, and compare it with your base monthly pay, not the total including allowances or overtime.
- Ask for the offer in writing, with monthly base pay shown separately.
- Compare it with the table above for your province.
- If it’s below the minimum, ask HR politely which notification they are following. Mistakes do happen, especially right after a new rate.
- Keep copies of payslips. If you’re paid below the notified rate, your provincial labour department handles complaints.
For higher-paid roles, minimum wage isn’t the reference point. See our breakdown of software engineer salary data, and if you earn from foreign clients, how freelancer income is taxed in 2026-27.
FAQ
What is the minimum wage in Pakistan in 2026?
There isn’t one national figure. Islamabad has notified Rs 40,700 a month and Sindh Rs 43,000, both from 1 July 2026. KP announced Rs 45,000 but we haven’t found the notification. Punjab’s last notified rate is Rs 40,000.
Is the minimum wage base pay or total pay?
The notifications set minimum rates of wages for a month or a day of work. The ICT notification ties Rs 40,700 to 48 working hours a week with one day off. Overtime is extra.
Does the minimum wage apply to freelancers?
The notifications cover workers employed in industrial and commercial establishments. Self-employed freelancers set their own rates, so they are not covered in the same way.
My employer says the new rate hasn’t started. Is that true?
Islamabad’s and Sindh’s notifications both apply from 1 July 2026, even though they were issued in August. Ask whether arrears for July and August will be paid.
Sources
- Office of the Chief Commissioner, ICT (Directorate of Industries & Labour Welfare), via Employers' Federation of Pakistan, Notification: minimum wages for unskilled workers in ICT, w.e.f. 1 July 2026 (No. ADLW 8(20)-ICT/2024-934) . Checked 9 Oct 2026 . Dated 19 Aug 2026
- Government of Sindh, Labour & Human Resources Department, via Employers' Federation of Pakistan, Notification: minimum rates of wages for semi-skilled, skilled and highly skilled workers, w.e.f. 1 July 2026 . Checked 9 Oct 2026 . Dated 17 Aug 2026
- Dawn, Minimum wage raised to Rs43,000 per month . Checked 9 Oct 2026 . Published 6 Aug 2026
- Daily Pakistan, Pakistan raises minimum wage to Rs40,700 in Budget 2026-27 . Checked 9 Oct 2026 . Published 12 Jun 2026
- Pakistan Today, KP CM unveils Rs2.1tr 'Khushhal Khyber Pakhtunkhwa' budget with Rs48b deficit . Checked 9 Oct 2026 . Published 20 Jun 2026
- The Public Purview, KP Govt Urged To Implement Rs45,000 Minimum Wage For Daily-Wage Workers . Checked 9 Oct 2026 . Published 22 Sep 2026
- The Nation, Punjab govt raises minimum wage to Rs40,000 . Checked 9 Oct 2026 . Published 10 Sep 2025
- SAMAA TV, Balochistan govt implements minimum wage of Rs37,000 for labourers . Checked 9 Oct 2026 . Published 11 Oct 2024
- Mercans (payroll provider), Pakistan: Increase in Minimum Wages for EOBI and Provincial Social Security Contributions, 1 July 2026 . Checked 9 Oct 2026 . Published 4 Sep 2026; province-by-province notification status
Drafted with AI assistance from the sources listed above; every figure and link is checked against those sources before publishing. Spotted an error? Tell us (see our corrections policy). Discuss it on LinkedIn.