Minimum Wage in Pakistan (2024-2025)

Minimum Wage for Unskilled Workers (2024-2025)

The minimum wage in Pakistan is determined provincially by respective Minimum Wage Boards. It is illegal for any commercial or industrial establishment to pay a full-time adult worker less than these officially notified rates.

Current Rates (Effective July 1, 2024)

Following the budgets presented in the summer of 2024, the minimum wage for unskilled workers for the 2024-2025 fiscal year was updated across various jurisdictions:

• Punjab: PKR 37,000 per month
• Sindh: PKR 37,000 per month
• Federal (Islamabad Capital Territory): PKR 37,000 per month
• Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK): PKR 36,000 per month
• Balochistan: PKR 37,000 per month

Upcoming Revisions (2025-2026)

Several provincial governments have already notified future increments. For example, both Punjab and Sindh have announced that effective July 1, 2025, the minimum wage for unskilled workers will increase to PKR 40,000 per month.

Important Legal Context

1. Unskilled Labor Only: These baseline rates apply strictly to unskilled workers. Semi-skilled, skilled, and highly skilled workers have higher mandatory minimums.
2. Working Days: The monthly minimum wage is typically calculated based on 26 working days (allowing for 4 weekly rest days).
3. No Reductions: If an employer is already paying more than the newly announced statutory minimum wage, they are legally prohibited from reducing the employee's salary down to the minimum limit.