Minimum Wage in Karnataka

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What is the Minimum Wage of Karnataka

The new minimum wage rates across Karnataka were made effective from April 1st, 2025. The state government classifies the wage rates by zones and employment categories, and they can be defined as the following:

Zone 1: Areas under Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) and its agglomeration areas.
Zone 2: Notified areas of all other municipalities of the state.
Zone 3: District headquarters excluding Zones 1 and 2.
Zone 4: All other parts of Karnataka not covered under Zones 1, 2, and 3.
Here are the minimum wage rates applicable across the state: Minimum Wages in Karnataka, effective from 01.04.25: The State Government last revised the minimum wage rates on April 1st 2024. The state defines its skilled, unskilled, and semi-skilled minimum wage rates across the following zones:

Zone 1: Notified areas under Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike.
Zone 2-All notified areas under Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike other than the areas mentioned under Zone 1.
Zone 3-All districts other than areas notified under Zone 1 and Zone 2.
Zone 4-All other parts of the State other than notified in Zone 1, Zone 2, and Zone 3.

Minimum Wages in Karnataka:

CLASS OF EMPLOYMENT	ZONES	BASIC	VDA	TOTAL (PER DAY)	TOTAL (PER MONTH)
High Skilled Workers (Pharmacist & Chemist Technical supervisor other high skilled)	Zone 1	Rs. 593.21	Rs. 158.22	Rs. 751.43	Rs. 19,537
	Zone 2	Rs. 564.96	Rs. 158.22	Rs. 723.18	Rs. 18,803
	Zone 3	Rs. 538.06	Rs. 158.22	Rs. 696.28	Rs. 18,103
	Zone 4	Rs. 512.44	Rs. 158.22	Rs. 670.66	Rs. 17,437
Skilled Workers (Salesperson, Compounder, photo-artist, photographer, mechanic, carpenter, polisher, hairdresser, air condition plant operator, umbrella maker, other skilled laborer)	Zone 1	Rs. 539.28	Rs. 158.22	Rs. 697.50	Rs. 18,135
	Zone 2	Rs. 513.60	Rs. 158.22	Rs. 671.82	Rs. 16,253
	Zone 3	Rs. 489.14	Rs. 158.22	Rs. 647.36	Rs. 16,831
	Zone 4	Rs. 465.85	Rs. 158.22	Rs. 624.07	Rs. 16,226
Semi-skilled Workers (Bill collector, bill clerk, Godown keeper, assistant salespeople, shop assistant, packer, gas supplier, juice shops, other unskilled laborer)	Zone 1	Rs. 490.25	Rs. 158.22	Rs. 648.47	Rs. 16,860
	Zone 2	Rs. 466.91	Rs. 158.22	Rs. 625.13	Rs. 16,253
	Zone 3	Rs. 444.68	Rs. 158.22	Rs. 602.90	Rs. 15,675
	Zone 4	Rs. 423.50	Rs. 158.22	Rs. 581.72	Rs. 15,125
Unskilled Workers (Messenger, weighing man, workers engaged in laundry, griding stores, gunny bag stitcher, general workers in shop establishments)	Zone 1	Rs. 445.69	Rs. 158.22	Rs. 603.91	Rs. 15,701
	Zone 2	Rs. 424.46	Rs. 158.22	Rs. 582.68	Rs. 15,150
	Zone 3	Rs. 404.25	Rs. 158.22	Rs. 562.47	Rs. 14,624
	Zone 4	Rs. 385.00	Rs. 158.22	Rs. 543.22	Rs. 13,124
Office Staff & Drivers (Manager, personal officer, marketing manager, office in charge and equivalent job)	Zone 1	Rs. 631.00	Rs. 158.22	Rs. 789.22	Rs. 20,537
	Zone 2	Rs. 603.38	Rs. 158.22	Rs. 761.60	Rs. 19,802
	Zone 3	Rs. 576.50	Rs. 158.22	Rs. 734.72	Rs. 19103
	Zone 4	Rs. 550.88	Rs. 158.22	Rs. 709.10	Rs. 18437
Office Staff & Drivers (Assistant manager, assistant personal manager, senior accountant, and equivalent job)	Zone 1	Rs. 593.21	Rs. 158.22	Rs. 751.43	Rs. 19,537
	Zone 2	Rs. 564.96	Rs. 158.22	Rs. 723.18	Rs. 18,803
	Zone 3	Rs. 538.06	Rs. 158.22	Rs. 696.28	Rs. 18,103
	Zone 4	Rs. 512.44	Rs. 158.22	Rs. 670.66	Rs. 17437
Office Staff & Drivers (Senior clerk, cashier, judgement writer, stenographer, storekeeper, receptionist, and equivalent job)	Zone 1	Rs. 539.28	Rs. 158.22	Rs. 697.50	Rs. 18,135
	Zone 2	Rs. 513.60	Rs. 158.22	Rs. 647.36	Rs. 16,253
	Zone 3	Rs. 489.14	Rs. 158.22	Rs. 647.36	Rs. 16,831
	Zone 4	Rs. 465.85	Rs. 158.22	Rs. 624.07	Rs. 16,226
Office Staff & Drivers (Junior clerk, booking clerk, computer operator, typist, telephone operator, data entry operator, and equivalent job)	Zone 1	Rs. 490.25	Rs. 158.22	Rs. 648.47	Rs. 16,860
	Zone 2	Rs. 466.91	Rs. 158.22	Rs. 625.13	Rs. 16,253
	Zone 3	Rs. 444.68	Rs. 158.22	Rs. 625.13	Rs. 16,253
	Zone 4	Rs. 423.50	Rs. 158.22	Rs. 581.72	Rs. 15,125
Office Staff & Drivers (Servant, watchman, lift operator, office boy, attender, helper, dalayat, mazdoor, sweeper, and equivalent job)	Zone 1	Rs. 445.69	Rs. 158.22	Rs. 603.91	Rs. 15,701
	Zone 2	Rs. 424.46	Rs. 158.22	Rs. 582.68	Rs. 15,150
	Zone 3	Rs. 404.25	Rs. 158.22	Rs. 562.47	Rs. 14,624
	Zone 4	Rs. 385	Rs. 158.22	Rs. 543.22	Rs. 14,124

Salary Structure for Minimum Wage Workers in Karnataka

If you are an HR professional looking to create a comprehensive wage structure for your minimum wage workers, you are at the right place!

Our customized templates will assist you in creating compensation plans, catering to the needs of various classes of workers, i.e., Unskilled, Semi-skilled, and Skilled.

S. NO	COMPONENT	FORMULA	DESCRIPTION
01	Basic + DA	If Max (CTC 50%, MW 12)	If this is less than half of the CTC but falls below the minimum wage, it should be increased to the state's minimum wage and multiplied by 12.
02	HRA	Basic*50%	Half of (Basic+DA)
03	LTA	BASIC*5%	5% of Basic
04	SP	Gross Salary-Allowances	Subtraction of Allowances from the Gross Salary
05	Gross Salary	SUM ([Basic+DA];[HRA];[LTA];[SP])	Addition of (Basic Pay, HRA, LTA, and SP)
06	Monthly Bonus	0.083* Basic	8.35% of Basic
07	PF Employee	12% *Basic Salary	If Basic pay is greater than or equal to 15000, then the PF for employee is 1800. Else it is 0.12% of Basic Salary Earned
08	ESI Employee	0.75%* Gross Salary	If the Gross Salary is equal to or greater than 21000, then it should calculated as 0.075% of Gross Salary Earned
09	PF Employer	12% of Basic Salary	If Basic pay is greater than or equal to 15000, then the PF for employee is 1800, else 0.12% of Basic Salary Earned
10	ESI Employer	3.25% of Gross Salary	If the Gross Salary is equal to or greater than 21000, then it should calculated as a 0.325% of Gross Salary Earned
11	LWF	As per the state, LWF differs	For both the Employee & Employer LWF
12	PF Admin Charge	0.01*Basic Pay	If Admin charge of 10% is greater than or equal to 150, then PF Admin charge is 150, else it is 0.01 of basic received
13	PT	As per the state, PF differs	Conditional

Salary Structure for Unskilled Labour: Under Minimum Wages in Karnataka

CTC	600000
Minimum Wages	15701

Basic Salary Structure
	Components	Formula
Allowance	BASIC + DA	25000
	HRA	12500.00
	LTA	1250.00
	SP	11250.00
	Gross Salary	50000.00
Ad-hoc Allowance	Monthly Bonus	4150.00
Contribution	Employee PF	1800
	Employee ESI	0
	LWF Employee	3
Deduction	Employee PF	1800
	Employee ESI	0
	LWF Employee	15
	PF Admin Charge	150
	PT	150
	Salary on Hand	46082
Note: Copy this BASIC + DA value to perform the Salary Structure Calculation
Calculated Basic + DA		25000

Salary Structure for Semi-skilled Labour: Under Minimum Wage in Karnataka

CTC	600000
Minimum Wages	16860

Basic Salary Structure
	Components	Formula
Allowance	BASIC + DA	25000
	HRA	12500.00
	LTA	1250.00
	SP	11250.00
	Gross Salary	50000.00
Ad-hoc Allowance	Monthly Bonus	4150.00
Contribution	Employee PF	1800
	Employee ESI	0
	LWF Employee	3
Deduction	Employee PF	1800
	Employee ESI	0
	LWF Employee	15
	PF Admin Charge	150
	PT	150
	Salary on Hand	46082
Note: Copy this BASIC + DA value to perform the Salary Structure Calculation
Calculated Basic + DA		25000

Salary Structure for Skilled Labour: Under Minimum Wage in Karnataka

CTC	600000
Minimum Wages	18135

Basic Salary Structure
	Components	Formula
Allowance	BASIC + DA	25000
	HRA	12500.00
	LTA	1250.00
	SP	11250.00
	Gross Salary	50000.00
Ad-hoc Allowance	Monthly Bonus	4150.00
Contribution	Employee PF	1800
	Employee ESI	0
	LWF Employee	3
Deduction	Employee PF	1800
	Employee ESI	0
	LWF Employee	15
	PF Admin Charge	150
	PT	150
	Salary on Hand	46082
Note: Copy this BASIC + DA value to perform the Salary Structure Calculation
Calculated Basic + DA		25000

Salary Structure for Highly Skilled Labour: Under Minimum Wage in Karnataka

CTC	600000
Minimum Wages	19537

Basic Salary Structure
	Components	Formula
Allowance	BASIC + DA	25000
	HRA	12500.00
	LTA	1250.00
	SP	11250.00
	Gross Salary	50000.00
Ad-hoc Allowance	Monthly Bonus	4150.00
Contribution	Employee PF	1800
	Employee ESI	0
	LWF Employee	3
Deduction	Employee PF	1800
	Employee ESI	0
	LWF Employee	15
	PF Admin Charge	150
	PT	150
	Salary on Hand	46082
Note: Copy this BASIC + DA value to perform the Salary Structure Calculation
Calculated Basic + DA		25000

Source: https://www.legalitysimplified.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05

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Got questions?

What are the latest minimum wage rates in Karnataka for different job roles?

Karnataka’s April 2025 rates vary by zone: unskilled workers earn ₹385-445.69 daily (₹10,010-11,587.83 monthly), semi-skilled ₹423.50-490.25 (₹11,011-12,746.61 monthly), skilled ₹465.85-539.28 (₹12,112.10-14,021.27 monthly), and highly skilled ₹512.44-593.21 (₹13,323.31-15,423.40 monthly).

How does Bengaluru’s cost of living affect the minimum wages in Karnataka?

Bengaluru’s high living costs significantly influence Karnataka’s wage policies, with regular revisions aligning compensation with urban housing prices, transportation expenses, and essential goods costs across this tech-centric metropolis.

Are IT and service sector workers covered under Karnataka's minimum wage laws?

Yes, Karnataka’s broad categories of employment, which come with minimum wage protections, capture IT and service sector workers, even though it does not have distinct designations for these fields. All workers receive coverage regardless of industry specialization or technical classification.

How often does Karnataka revise minimum wages, and what factors influence it?

Karnataka frequently revises wages from time to time on inflation policy and regional cost of living differences and the patterns of economic growth. Periodic reviews of compensation ensure that it continues to be relevant within the context of the changing nature of economic conditions.

What legal actions can employees take if they are paid below minimum wage in Karnataka?

Underpaid Karnataka workers can file complaints with the labor department under the Minimum Wages Act, seek trade union assistance, or consult legal practitioners for representation against employers violating wage standards.