How Karnataka sets its minimum wages
Karnataka fixes minimum wages under the Minimum Wages Act, 1948, separately for each scheduled employment, such as shops and commercial establishments, security agencies, or cleaning services. There is no single flat state-wide rate: the figure depends on the worker's employment, their skill category and the zone where they work.
Every wage has two parts: a basic rate, set in the employment's parent notification, and a Variable Dearness Allowance (VDA) that tracks the cost of living. The VDA is calculated at 4 paise per point over a base index fixed for each schedule, using the state Consumer Price Index for Industrial Workers (10,328 points for 2025). It is revised every year, effective 1 April. The rates on this page apply for 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2027.
The four zones
- Zone I: the notified area of Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), i.e. Bengaluru city.
- Zone II: the notified areas of all other City Corporations (Mahanagara Palikes) in the state.
- Zone III: all district headquarters not already in Zone I or Zone II.
- Zone IV: all other places in the state.
A worker doing the same job earns the most in Zone I (Bengaluru) and progressively less in Zones II, III and IV. Note that Karnataka uses four zones; some third-party tables collapse them into three and can be misleading.
A note on housekeeping staff
Karnataka has no separate "housekeeping" scheduled employment. Sanitation and toilet-cleaning staff fall under the Cleaning / Safai Karmachari schedule above. General housekeeping or office-cleaning workers supplied to shops and offices are usually paid under the Shops and Commercial Establishments "un-skilled" rate, or under the schedule of the establishment where they are deployed. Always match the worker to the correct schedule for their actual work.
What employers in Karnataka must do
- Pay every worker at least the notified rate (basic + VDA) for their employment, skill category and zone. Paying below it is an offence.
- Pay overtime at twice the ordinary rate for work beyond normal hours.
- Maintain a wage register, muster roll and wage slips, and pay within the wage period.
- Update payroll each 1 April when the VDA is revised, so no worker slips below the new minimum.
For contractors and staffing firms deploying workers across Bengaluru and other zones, keeping every worker on the right schedule, zone and skill rate by hand is error-prone. ZeniaHR payroll checks each worker's wage against the applicable state minimum automatically, and handles the registers and PF/ESI returns. If you place security guards or use contract labour, see our security agency software and contract labour compliance guide.
Related calculators
Work out the deductions on a Karnataka wage with our free tools: the in-hand salary calculator, the PF calculator and the ESI calculator. Confirm the official rates on the Karnataka Labour Department minimum wages page.
Keep every worker on the right wage, automatically
ZeniaHR flags any worker paid below the applicable minimum wage and updates rates at each revision. Built only for manpower and staffing companies.
Frequently asked questions
What is the minimum wage in Karnataka in 2026?
There is no single flat figure. For a general un-skilled worker in shops and commercial establishments, the Zone I (Bengaluru) rate is about ₹620.66 per day, roughly ₹16,137 per month, effective 1 April 2026, with lower rates in Zones II to IV.
What is the minimum wage for a security guard in Karnataka?
A security guard without arms is classed semi-skilled and earns about ₹730.64 per day (≈ ₹18,997 per month) in Zone I, effective 1 April 2026, including VDA of ₹125.17 per day. Supervisors and officers earn more.
How are the zones defined?
Zone I is BBMP (Bengaluru); Zone II is all other City Corporations; Zone III is the remaining district headquarters; Zone IV is all other places in the state.
How often are the rates revised?
The VDA is revised every year, effective 1 April, based on the state Consumer Price Index for Industrial Workers. The basic rate changes only when a fresh notification is issued for that scheduled employment.