This page shows the current applicable minimum wage for workers in the Hotels and Restaurants employment in Punjab, as notified by the state government. Use the rate table below to check the wages payable to each skill category of hospitality and food service staff in Punjab.
Minimum wage rates for Hotels and Restaurants 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 Hotels and Restaurants
The Hotels and Restaurants scheduled employment covers workers engaged in the hospitality and food service trade, including staff who prepare and serve food and beverages, keep guest rooms and premises clean, and attend to customers. It applies to establishments that offer boarding, lodging, dining, or refreshment services to the public.
- Hotels, lodges, and guest houses
- Restaurants, eateries, and dhabas
- Cafes, coffee shops, and tea stalls
- Bars, permit rooms, and lounges
- Banquet halls and catering units
- Fast food outlets and quick service counters
- Resorts and boarding houses
Typical roles and skill categories
- Cook and chef
- Waiter, steward, and captain
- Kitchen helper and commis
- Dishwasher and utensil cleaner
- Housekeeping staff and room attendant
- Front desk receptionist and cashier
- Bartender
- Cleaner and sweeper
- Watchman and security guard
In this employment the unskilled category usually covers cleaners, dishwashers, kitchen helpers, and room attendants, while the semi-skilled category covers waiters, stewards, and pantry hands. Skilled and highly skilled categories typically cover cooks, chefs, bartenders, receptionists, cashiers, and supervisory staff such as captains and cooks in charge.
Who fixes this wage
Hotels and Restaurants is a notified scheduled employment under the minimum wage framework, and the Punjab government fixes and revises the wages payable by skill category, often varying them by geographical zone or area class. Every covered establishment in Punjab is bound to pay each category of worker no less than the notified rate.
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 Hotels and Restaurants in Punjab?
In Punjab, the minimum wage for Hotels and Restaurants 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 hospitality businesses must pay these minimum wages in Punjab?
Any establishment in Punjab that provides lodging, dining, or refreshment services to the public, such as hotels, restaurants, dhabas, cafes, bars, and banquet or catering units, must pay at least the notified minimum wage to each category of worker, whether that worker is permanent, casual, or engaged through a contractor.
How are hotel and restaurant workers classified for minimum wage purposes?
Workers are grouped into skill categories such as unskilled, semi-skilled, skilled, and highly skilled, and the applicable rate depends on the role. A kitchen helper, for instance, falls in a different category from a cook or a chef, so employers should map each designation to the correct category before calculating wages.
Do tips and service charge count toward the minimum wage in Punjab?
No, tips received from guests and any service charge collected by the establishment are over and above the wage and cannot be adjusted against the minimum wage. The employer must pay the notified minimum wage for the worker's skill category independently of any tips or service charge.
Never underpay in Punjab
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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