This page shows the current applicable minimum wage for workers in Hospitals and Nursing Homes in Karnataka, arranged by skill category. Use it to check the notified rate for a ward attendant, nurse, technician or support worker before finalising pay in Karnataka.
Minimum wage rates for Hospitals and Nursing Homes in Karnataka
| Category of worker | Zone I | Zone II | Zone III | Zone IV |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Un-skilled | ₹620.66 | ₹599.43 | ₹579.22 | ₹559.97 |
| Semi-skilled | ₹665.22 | ₹641.88 | ₹619.65 | ₹598.47 |
| Skilled | ₹714.25 | ₹688.57 | ₹664.11 | ₹640.82 |
| Highly-skilled | ₹768.18 | ₹739.93 | ₹713.03 | ₹687.41 |
Rates effective 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2027.
What counts as Hospitals and Nursing Homes
The scheduled employment "Hospitals and Nursing Homes" covers workers engaged in private hospitals, nursing homes, clinics, diagnostic centres and allied patient-care establishments, spanning clinical support, paramedical, housekeeping and administrative staff. It applies to persons employed in and around such healthcare premises whose work supports diagnosis, treatment, patient care and the running of the facility.
- Private hospitals and multi-specialty hospitals
- Nursing homes and maternity homes
- Diagnostic centres and pathology or radiology laboratories
- Dispensaries, clinics and polyclinics
- Day-care, dialysis and physiotherapy or rehabilitation centres
- Blood banks and eye or dental care centres
Typical roles and skill categories
- Ward attendant and hospital attendant
- Nursing assistant, orderly and ayah
- Staff nurse and registered nurse
- Laboratory technician and pathology technician
- Pharmacist and dispensary assistant
- Housekeeping, sanitation and laundry staff
- Ambulance driver and stretcher bearer
- Reception, front-desk and billing clerk
- Biomedical and maintenance technician
In this employment the unskilled category usually maps to ward attendants, housekeeping, sanitation and ayah roles, while the semi-skilled category covers nursing assistants, orderlies, laboratory helpers and ambulance drivers. Skilled and highly-skilled categories typically cover staff nurses, qualified laboratory and radiology technicians, pharmacists and senior technologists, with the exact fit decided by the category definitions in the Karnataka notification.
Who fixes this wage
Hospitals and Nursing Homes is a notified scheduled employment for which the Karnataka government fixes minimum wages by skill category, being unskilled, semi-skilled, skilled and highly-skilled, and often by geographic zone or area class. Every covered establishment in Karnataka must pay at least the rate notified for each worker's category, including staff engaged through contractors.
How Karnataka sets minimum wages
Karnataka fixes minimum wages under its Shops and Commercial Establishments schedule, dividing the state into four zones numbered I to IV. Rates are set for four categories of worker and are kept current through a variable dearness allowance rather than a fresh base notification each period. The dearness-allowance revision applies from 1 April 2026 and runs through to 31 March 2027.
Common questions
What is the current minimum wage for Hospitals and Nursing Homes in Karnataka?
In Karnataka, the minimum wage for Hospitals and Nursing Homes currently runs from about ₹559.97 to ₹768.18 per day, depending on skill category and zone, effective 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2027. 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.
Does the minimum wage for Hospitals and Nursing Homes cover outsourced housekeeping, security and canteen staff?
Yes. The notified minimum wage in Karnataka applies to all workers engaged in the establishment for its work, including those hired through a contractor, and the principal employer remains responsible for ensuring each worker is paid at least the rate for the correct skill category.
Which skill category applies to a staff nurse compared with a ward attendant?
A ward attendant is generally treated as unskilled or semi-skilled, whereas a qualified staff nurse is usually treated as skilled or highly-skilled. The precise classification follows the category definitions set out in the Karnataka notification for Hospitals and Nursing Homes.
Hospitals run round-the-clock, so how does shift working affect the minimum wage?
The minimum wage fixes the base rate for each skill category, and a facility working in shifts or on a 24x7 basis must still pay at least that notified rate for the category. Overtime, night-shift and weekly-off entitlements are payable over and above the minimum wage as per the rules applicable in Karnataka.
Never underpay in Karnataka
ZeniaHR maps every worker to the correct minimum-wage notification by state, skill and zone, and flags anyone paid below it.
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