Minimum Wage न्यूनतम पारिश्रमिक

The current rate, and what it is made of

An employer in Nepal may not pay less than NPR 19,550 a month for full-time work. That figure is published as two components: NPR 12,170 of basic remuneration (आधारभूत पारिश्रमिक, aadharbhut parishramik) and NPR 7,380 of dearness allowance (महँगी भत्ता, mahangi bhatta). The daily rate is NPR 754 and the hourly rate is NPR 101.

The split is not cosmetic, and it is the part most payroll setups get wrong. PF, SSF and gratuity are all assessed on the basic component, and the overtime rate is derived from it. A company that treats the whole minimum wage as basic over-contributes on every statutory line; one that sets basic too low under-contributes and under-pays overtime.

Daily, hourly and part-time rates (दैनिक र प्रति घण्टा)

• Daily (दैनिक): NPR 754, made up of NPR 470 basic and NPR 284 dearness allowance. This is the floor for a worker paid by the day.
• Hourly (प्रति घण्टा): NPR 101, made up of NPR 63 basic and NPR 38 dearness allowance.
• Part-time: a worker employed part-time only has a separate, higher floor of NPR 107 an hour. The notice publishes it as one figure, with no basic and allowance split.
• Use the notified figures rather than dividing the monthly rate yourself. They are close to the monthly rate over 26 working days and the daily rate over a 7.5-hour day, but not equal to either to the rupee.
• Overtime is paid at one and a half times the hourly rate, calculated on basic remuneration rather than on the full package.

How the rate is set, and when it changes

The Minimum Remuneration Fixation Committee, which brings together government, employer and worker representatives, recommends the rate. The Government of Nepal then fixes it under section 106 of the Labour Act 2074 and publishes it in the Nepal Gazette, and it takes effect from the date the notice states, usually the first of Shrawan. The Ministry of Labour, Employment and Social Security announced the current rate in a press release whose table covers workers in every sector except tea estates.

A revision is due every two years. No new rate took effect on Shrawan 1, 2083, so the rate in force from Shrawan 1, 2082 still applies, and the two-year cycle points to the next one from Shrawan 1, 2084. The Department of Labour's notice was read on 2026-08-06, and the ministry's notice list showed no later notice on the review date below. Anyone configuring payroll for the first time should confirm against the notice in force rather than any summary page, this one included.

Where it bites in practice

• A revision changes the contribution base for every employee sitting at or near the minimum, not only their gross pay.
• Part-time and casual employees are covered on a pro-rated basis rather than being outside the rule.
• Probation is not an exemption. The minimum applies from the first day of employment.
• Statutory service facilities sit on top of the wage: the employer's PF and SSF contributions, gratuity, leave and the festival expense are all additional cost, not part of the minimum.