This page shows the current applicable minimum wage for workers in the Engineering Industry in Punjab. It is meant for employers running engineering and fabrication units in Punjab and for the workers employed in machining, welding, casting, assembly, and repair work.
Minimum wage rates for Engineering Industry in Punjab
| Category | Per day | Per month (26 days) |
|---|---|---|
| Unskilled | ₹518.69 | ₹13,486 |
| Semi-skilled | ₹553.19 | ₹14,383 |
| Skilled | ₹592.84 | ₹15,414 |
| Highly-skilled | ₹638.50 | ₹16,601 |
| Staff A (postgraduate / professional) | ₹747.34 | ₹19,431 |
| Staff B (graduate / diploma) | ₹673.46 | ₹17,510 |
| Staff C (above matriculation, certificate) | ₹607.15 | ₹15,786 |
| Staff D (Class IV / casual) | ₹554.07 | ₹14,406 |
Rates effective 1 May 2026.
What counts as Engineering Industry
The Engineering Industry scheduled employment covers establishments engaged in the manufacture, fabrication, machining, assembly, and repair of metal goods, machinery, tools, and engineering components. It spans light and heavy engineering units as well as general engineering workshops that cut, weld, cast, shape, or finish metal and allied materials.
- Machine shops and general engineering workshops
- Foundries and metal casting units
- Structural steel and fabrication units
- Automobile and auto-component manufacturing units
- Tool rooms and die-making units
- Machinery and plant repair and maintenance workshops
- Sheet metal, welding, and forging units
Typical roles and skill categories
- Fitter
- Turner or lathe operator
- Welder
- Machinist or CNC operator
- Maintenance electrician
- Moulder or foundry worker
- Sheet metal worker
- Quality inspector
- Helper or material handler
In the Engineering Industry, unskilled roles usually cover helpers, loaders, and material-handling or cleaning staff, while semi-skilled roles include machine operators, fitter and welder assistants, and workers handling routine repetitive tasks. Skilled roles typically map to trained fitters, turners, machinists, and certified welders, and highly-skilled roles cover tool and die makers, CNC programmers, and senior technicians handling precision, testing, or supervisory work.
Who fixes this wage
The Engineering Industry is a notified scheduled employment for which the Punjab government fixes minimum wages by skill category, and in many notifications separately by geographical zone. Every establishment covered by this notification must pay each worker at least the wage fixed for that worker's skill level in the applicable zone.
How Punjab sets minimum wages
Punjab's Department of Labour applies a single statewide schedule with no zoning, but grades workers into the longest ladder among these states at eight categories. Each grade carries both a daily rate and a monthly rate on a 26-day basis, with the current wages effective from 1 May 2026. Revision is by notification rather than through a variable dearness allowance.
Common questions
What is the current minimum wage for Engineering Industry in Punjab?
In Punjab, the minimum wage for Engineering Industry currently runs from about ₹518.69 to ₹747.34 per day and ₹13486 to ₹19431 per month, depending on skill category and zone, effective 1 May 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 workers in an engineering unit are covered by this minimum wage in Punjab?
All workers engaged in manufacturing, machining, fabrication, welding, casting, assembly, and repair activities in a notified engineering establishment are covered, including helpers, operators, and skilled tradespeople, whether they are permanent, temporary, or hired through a contractor.
How should an employer decide the skill category for a role like a fitter or welder?
Employers classify each worker as unskilled, semi-skilled, skilled, or highly-skilled based on the actual nature of the work, the trade training or certification it requires, and the responsibility involved, and then apply the wage fixed for that category in the zone of Punjab where the unit operates.
Does the minimum wage differ for engineering units in different areas of Punjab?
In many notifications the Punjab government fixes different rates by zone, so a workshop in a major industrial area can fall under a different wage zone than a unit in a smaller town, and employers should confirm the zone that applies to their location before setting wages.
Never underpay in Punjab
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