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DL Union Territory Verified

Minimum Wages in Delhi Apr 2026 - Sep 2026

Delhi single uniform rate across the UT. Four skill levels, Basic plus VDA breakdown. Among the highest rates in India.

Source: Delhi Government Labour Department. Revised every April and October.

Wage Range / Month

Rs 19,846 to Rs 26,273

Across 4 skill levels | Single uniform rate, no zones

Effective

Apr 2026 - Sep 2026

Zones

Uniform rate

Notified Rates

Complete Rate Card: All Skill Levels

Single uniform Delhi rate. Monthly, daily (26 days), hourly (8 hours). Source: Delhi Government Labour Department, effective April to September 2026.

Skill Level Monthly Daily (26) Hourly (8)
Unskilled
Loader, Cleaner, Helper, Peon, Guard
Rs 19,846 Rs 763 Rs 95
Semi-Skilled
Store keeper, Driver, Operator assistant
Rs 21,813 Rs 839 Rs 105
Skilled
Electrician, Cashier, Mechanic, Technician
Rs 23,905 Rs 919 Rs 115
Highly Skilled
Supervisor, Senior technician, Graduate clerk
Rs 26,273 Rs 1,011 Rs 126

Clerical and supervisory staff (non-matriculate, matriculate, graduate) have separate notified rates. Check the source notification.

Wage Composition

How the Delhi Wage Is Built Up

Example: Unskilled worker, monthly figures. Delhi uses Basic + VDA. VDA is roughly half of total wage.

Basic Wage

Rs 9,724

Government-notified base rate. Basic + DA must be 50 percent of total under the Code on Wages, 2019.

VDA

Rs 10,122

Variable Dearness Allowance linked to CPI-IW. Revised every April and October.

Total / Month

Rs 19,846

Floor wage payable. Cannot fall below this under Section 22.

Basic and VDA must appear as separate line items on the payslip under the Payment of Wages Act, 1936.

Employer Cost Guide

True Cost of 1 Minimum-Wage Worker in Delhi

Statutory add-ons on top of Rs 19,846 Unskilled base. Delhi Unskilled gross exceeds Rs 21,000, so ESI does not apply.

Gross monthly wage
Floor per worker
Rs 19,846
Employer EPF (12 percent of Basic + DA)
EPF Act 1952, Section 6
Rs 2,382
Employer ESI
ESI Act 1948
Rs 0
Statutory bonus (8.33 percent)
Payment of Bonus Act 1965, Section 10
Rs 1,653
Gratuity provisioning (4.81 percent)
Payment of Gratuity Act 1972
Rs 955
Total employer cost per worker / month Rs 24,836
Compliance Checklist

4 Things Every Delhi Employer Must Do

01

Pay at or above the notified rate

Apply the current uniform Delhi rate per skill level. Update payroll on 1 April and 1 October when new VDA takes effect. Pay arrears from the effective date if notification publishes late.

02

Maintain statutory registers

Keep Form I (Muster Roll), Form II (Wage Register with Basic + VDA separated), Form III (Deductions), Form IV (Overtime) under the Delhi Minimum Wages Rules. Preserve for 3 years.

03

Pay within the wage cycle

Wages payable by 7th of next month (under 1,000 workers) or 10th (1,000 plus) under the Payment of Wages Act, 1936. Overtime at twice the ordinary rate under Section 14.

04

Display the wage notice

Post the current Delhi minimum wage notice in Hindi and English at the workplace within 30 days of revision.

Category Guide

Which Skill Category Does Your Worker Fall Under?

Delhi notifies 4 skill levels plus separate clerical and supervisory rates.

Unskilled

Loader, Cleaner, Helper, Peon, Guard

Semi-Skilled

Store keeper, Driver, Operator assistant

Skilled

Electrician, Cashier, Mechanic, Technician

Highly Skilled

Supervisor, Senior technician, Graduate clerk

Penalty

Cost of Underpayment in Delhi

Section 22 of the Minimum Wages Act, 1948 applies. Delhi Labour Department runs frequent inspections in retail, security, construction, and hospitality.

Fine up to Rs 1 lakh per offence
Imprisonment up to 5 years, or both
Arrears + compensation up to 10x the shortfall
Continuing offence: extra daily fine

NCR Jurisdiction Note

Rate applies by employee physical work location, not company registered address. A Delhi-registered company with staff in Noida (UP) or Gurugram (Haryana) must follow those state rates for those employees.

Delhi rates run roughly 40-50 percent higher than neighbouring Noida and Gurugram for the same skill level.

Revision History

Delhi VDA Trend (Unskilled)

Six-month VDA notification, latest first.

Period VDA / Month Change
Apr 2026 - Sep 2026CURRENT Rs 10,122 Current
Oct 2025 - Mar 2026 Rs 9,984 +1.4%
Apr 2025 - Sep 2025 Rs 9,800 +1.9%
Oct 2024 - Mar 2025 Rs 9,620 +1.9%
factoHR India

Auto-apply Delhi wages on every payslip

factoHR India tracks Delhi April and October notifications, splits Basic and VDA, and flags any payslip below the floor wage. Handles Delhi NCR cross-state jurisdiction.

Book a Demo

Apr / Oct auto-update

NCR jurisdiction aware

Floor wage guardrail

Register-ready

Other State Wage Pages

FAQ

Delhi Minimum Wages FAQ

What is the minimum wage in Delhi April 2026?
Delhi minimum wages effective 1 April 2026 to 30 September 2026 are Rs 19,846 per month for Unskilled, Rs 21,813 for Semi-Skilled, Rs 23,905 for Skilled, and Rs 26,273 for Highly Skilled workers. Delhi applies one uniform rate across the entire UT with no zone classification.
How is the Delhi minimum wage calculated?
Total monthly wage = Basic + VDA. For an Unskilled worker, Basic is Rs 9,724 and VDA is Rs 10,122, totalling Rs 19,846. Under the Code on Wages, 2019, Basic plus DA must together be at least 50 percent of total remuneration.
Does Delhi use economic zones for minimum wages?
No. Delhi notifies a single uniform minimum wage across the entire union territory. There is no Zone A, B, or C classification, unlike Maharashtra or Karnataka. Delhi rates are among the highest in India.
How often does Delhi revise minimum wages?
Delhi revises minimum wages twice a year, every April and October. Each revision adjusts the Variable Dearness Allowance based on the Consumer Price Index for Industrial Workers. The next revision is due 1 October 2026.
How does factoHR India automate Delhi minimum wage payroll?
factoHR India tracks every Delhi April and October notification, splits Basic and VDA correctly, computes arrears on revision, and flags any payslip below the floor. It maintains Form I to IV registers under the Delhi Minimum Wages Rules.

Run Delhi Payroll Without Spreadsheets

factoHR India auto-applies the latest Delhi wages per worker. Handles NCR cross-state jurisdiction and twice-yearly VDA cycles.

If you employ staff in Delhi, the same workforce is also covered by working-hour and overtime rules in Delhi, Labour Welfare Fund rates in Delhi, and the public holiday calendar for Delhi. Keep every Delhi statutory obligation aligned across your payroll.