Maharashtra Minimum Wage 2026 — New Labour Code
Maharashtra has one of the most complex minimum wage structures in India, with over 60 scheduled employment categories and separate notifications for Mumbai, Pune and the rest of the state. The Maharashtra government revises minimum wages twice a year — January and July — through Variable Dearness Allowance (VDA) linked to the All India Consumer Price Index. This VDA mechanism predates the New Labour Code and continues to operate alongside it.
Under the Code on Wages, Maharashtra employers must ensure that for all scheduled employments, the basic component equals at least 50% of the total minimum wage. For a Mumbai-based unskilled worker where the April 2025 minimum wage is ₹14,842/month, the basic must be at least ₹7,421/month. This matters because Maharashtra's PT slab kicks in at ₹7,500/month and above, meaning the new basic floor directly affects professional tax liability for marginal wage workers. Employers in special economic zones (SEZs) in Pune and Nagpur have separate negotiated wage agreements — these may require renegotiation to comply with the 50% basic rule.
Use the live skill-band table on this page for the source-backed snapshot; map your exact scheduled employment and zone on the official PDF before filings.
People also compare minimum wage Maharashtra, daily wage Maharashtra, and salary per day Maharashtra when checking payslips, vendor quotes, and appointment letters—the table below translates those phrases into notified skill-wise floors.
Last updated: March 2026
Rates are compiled for quick payroll research and cite a public wage notification below. For statutory filings, confirm against your state labour department circular and the Ministry of Labour and Employment framework (Code on Wages). Where Provident Fund applies, wage definitions can interact with EPFO guidance—validate specifics with your compliance advisor.
| Category | Daily Rate | Monthly Equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| Unskilled | ₹563 | ₹14638 |
| Semi-Skilled | ₹623 | ₹16198 |
| Skilled | ₹690 | ₹17940 |
| Highly Skilled | ₹759 | ₹19734 |
Monthly equivalent uses 26 paid working days (site convention for cross-state comparison). Your establishment may use a different pay cycle—adjust multiplication accordingly.
Is your Maharashtra employer paying you correctly?
In Maharashtra, minimum wage violations are most common in manufacturing, retail, and hospitality sectors. If you work in these industries and earn below ₹14,638/month (unskilled rate), your employer is violating the law. You can file a complaint with the Maharashtra Labour Department or call the central helpline 1800-11-1565 (free).
Professional tax in Maharashtra
Maharashtra professional tax (PT) is withheld monthly and reconciled annually. Slabs below are widely used—confirm the latest Profession Tax Act notification if your payroll engine predates recent reforms.
| Monthly salary / range | Professional tax |
|---|---|
| Monthly salary up to ₹7,500 | PT: Nil |
| ₹7,501 – ₹10,000 | PT: ₹175/month |
| ₹10,001 and above | PT: ₹200/month (₹300 in February) |
Annual PT cap: ₹2,500/year (subject to latest rules).
BFSI (Mumbai / Maharashtra)
Mumbai is India's financial capital with the highest concentration of BFSI employees. Most private banks and NBFCs pay structured CTCs where basic is already above 50%. However, contractual staff, loan officers and branch sales executives often have low-basic, high-incentive structures — these employers face the most compliance risk under the New Labour Code.
How minimum wages differ across Maharashtra
Mumbai, Pune and rest-of-state schedules rarely align—procurement and HR should stop using one “Maharashtra number” in vendor RFPs. VDA updates mean January/July diary reminders belong in compliance calendars. Where CTC-style packages wrap allowances, test the bundle against both the notified minimum and the 50% basic wage-definition rule with your advisor.
Example: daily wage and monthly salary in Maharashtra (2026)
For a highly skilled technician on rotating shifts, start from the notified highly skilled daily rate: For 2026, the referenced scheduled-employment floor for unskilled work is ₹563 per day, which lines up with roughly ₹14638 per month on a 26-day basis. A skilled worker at the notified rate would be ₹690/day (₹17940/month at 26 days)—use your actual paid days if your payroll calendar differs.
How is minimum wage calculated in Maharashtra?
Maharashtra publishes minimum wages through labour department notifications, usually by skill level and scheduled employment (and sometimes by zone or city class). This page uses a consolidated snapshot so you can compare states quickly; for audits, map each job to the exact schedule row in the official PDF linked below—not to informal market chatter.
Penalty for violation in Maharashtra
Underpayment can trigger wage claims, inspections, recovery orders, and penalties depending on the Code on Wages and state enforcement practice. Treat the published floor as a compliance baseline—paying “market average” below the notified rate for a mapped category is a high-risk shortcut.
How to file a complaint in Maharashtra
Collect appointment letters, attendance proof, pay slips, and bank credits, then approach the labour department or labour commissioner handling wage disputes in Maharashtra. Many states now offer online labour portals—use the official government domain for submissions, not third-party forms.
Frequently asked questions
Does Mumbai's higher cost-of-living area allowance count toward the 50% basic calculation under the New Labour Code?
The Code on Wages tests whether “wages” include particular allowances. Area or city compensatory allowances are often treated differently from basic pay in payroll practice, but you must follow the statutory wage definition and Maharashtra notification text—not the label HR prints on payslips. If an allowance is reclassified as wages, it can change both the 50% basic test and PF bases; get a structured review for your sector.
My company is registered in Maharashtra but I work remotely from Nashik — which municipal area's wage applies?
Start from where the employee actually performs scheduled employment and which zone/table the Maharashtra notification assigns to that location. Registration address alone does not decide the floor. Remote and multi-site policies should name the controlling notification row (Mumbai/Pune/other) and keep evidence of primary work location.
Do Maharashtra SEZ units get an exemption from the Code on Wages 50% basic rule?
SEZ status does not automatically suspend national wage law. Units may have negotiated packages or old SP agreements, but those must still be checked against current minima and the wage-definition rules as notified. Renegotiate contractor and staffing SLAs if legacy splits relied on very low basic pay.
Key takeaways for Maharashtra
- Calendar VDA cycles (Jan/Jul) and archive each notification PDF with effective dates.
- Cross-check 50% basic on notified minima against Maharashtra PT slabs for low-wage bands.
- Split Mumbai vs Pune vs rest-of-state tables—never average them for compliance.
Check salary impact in Maharashtra
Current Monthly CTC
₹83,333
State wage floor used
₹14,638/month
Annual CTC band
10L
New wage base
₹41,667/month
New Monthly Take-Home
Calculated for Maharashtra with a IT/ITES salary structure.
Annual Impact Overview:
Over a year, take-home changes by ₹24,000. Your PF corpus grows by ₹12,000 a year more, and your gratuity accrual increases by ₹400.65 each month.
| Component | Old Structure | New Structure |
|---|---|---|
| Basic | ₹33,333 | ₹41,667 |
| HRA | ₹16,667 | ₹20,833 |
| PF (employee) | ₹4,000 | ₹5,000 |
| PF (employer) | ₹4,000 | ₹5,000 |
| Gratuity accrual | ₹1,603 | ₹2,003 |
| Professional Tax | ₹200 | ₹200 |
| Net Take-Home | ₹75,133 | ₹73,133 |
Last updated: 30 March 2026
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Internal links: explore more minimum wage pages
Return to the state-wise minimum wage India 2026 hub for search, sort, and every state/UT link. Then compare neighbouring demand centres:
- Minimum wage in Goa 2026 — daily rates and monthly equivalents
- Minimum wage in Delhi 2026 — daily rates and monthly equivalents
More regional comparisons
Primary source: Labour Department Maharashtra — Official Notification (notification context: March 2026)
Also use the New Labour Code salary calculator and the FAQ page for broader compliance context.