This page shows the current applicable minimum wage for workers employed in Shops and Establishments in Bihar. If you run or work in a shop, office, or eating house in Bihar, the rates below tell you what must be paid, broken down by skill category and zone.
Minimum wage rates for Shops and Establishments in Bihar
| Category of worker | Per day | Per month (26 days) |
|---|---|---|
| Unskilled | ₹436 | ₹11,336 |
| Semi-skilled | ₹452 | ₹11,752 |
| Skilled | ₹551 | ₹14,326 |
| Highly-skilled | ₹672 | ₹17,472 |
Rates effective 1 April to 30 September 2026.
What counts as Shops and Establishments
The Shops and Establishments category covers workers employed in retail shops, commercial offices, eating houses, and other trading or service premises registered under the Bihar Shops and Establishments legislation. It spans front-counter selling and customer service as well as the back-office, stores, and support staff who keep a commercial premises running.
- Retail shops and department or general stores
- Commercial offices and business establishments
- Restaurants, cafes, and other eating houses
- Hotels, lodges, and boarding houses
- Wholesale outlets and godowns attached to shops
- Service establishments such as salons, laundries, and repair centres
Typical roles and skill categories
- Salesperson or sales assistant
- Cashier and billing clerk
- Counter and floor attendant
- Store manager or shop supervisor
- Packer, loader, and helper
- Delivery and dispatch staff
- Accounts and office clerk
- Housekeeping and cleaning staff
- Security guard
In this employment, unskilled rates typically apply to helpers, packers, loaders, and cleaning staff, while semi-skilled rates cover counter attendants, delivery staff, and junior sales assistants. Skilled rates usually map to cashiers, experienced salespersons, and accounts clerks, and highly-skilled rates apply to store managers and supervisors who hold independent charge of a section or premises.
Who fixes this wage
Shops and Establishments is a notified scheduled employment for which the Bihar government fixes minimum wages by skill category: unskilled, semi-skilled, skilled, and highly-skilled. Rates are commonly notified separately by geographic zone, so the applicable figure depends on where within Bihar the establishment is located.
How Bihar sets minimum wages
Bihar's minimum wages are issued by the Labour Resources Department through the state gazette and apply across the whole state without geographical zones. The table sets four categories of worker and shows both a daily rate and a monthly rate calculated on 26 days, with the present figures in force for the half-year from 1 April to 30 September 2026. Revisions come by fresh notification each period rather than through an automatic dearness-allowance mechanism.
Common questions
What is the current minimum wage for Shops and Establishments in Bihar?
In Bihar, the minimum wage for Shops and Establishments currently runs from about ₹436 to ₹672 per day and ₹11336 to ₹17472 per month, depending on skill category and zone, effective 1 April to 30 September 2026. The exact figure by category is in the table below. Confirm the exact rate for your worker's skill category and zone in the table above, and against the latest official notification.
Which shops and offices in Bihar have to pay these minimum wages?
Any premises registered or registrable under the Bihar Shops and Establishments Act, including retail shops, commercial offices, restaurants, and hotels, must pay at least the notified minimum wage for the relevant skill category. This holds regardless of the number of employees, so even a small single-counter shop is covered.
How do I decide which skill category a shop or office worker falls into?
Classification is based on the nature of the duties and the skill the role demands, not on the job title alone. A worker who only carries and packs goods is treated as unskilled, whereas one who handles billing, independent selling, or accounts sits in a higher category, so review the actual tasks performed before fixing the wage.
Do the same rates apply everywhere in Bihar?
Not always. Bihar commonly notifies minimum wages by zone, so an establishment in a metro or municipal area may fall under a different rate than one in a smaller town or rural area. Confirm the zone that matches your establishment's location before calculating wages.
Never underpay in Bihar
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